Allegheny County Sportsmen's League Legislative Committee Report
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Allegheny County Sportsmen’s League Legislative Committee Report December 2011 206 ALLEGHENY COUNTY SPORTSMEN LEAGUE ON THE INTERNET http://www.acslpa.org Contacts: Legislative Committee Chairman, Kim Stolfer (412.221.3346) - [email protected] Legislative Committee Vice-Chairman, Mike Christeson - [email protected] Founding Fathers: "Let the American youth never forget, that they possess a noble inheritance, bought by the toils, and sufferings, and blood of their ancestors; and capacity, if wisely improved, and faithfully guarded, of transmitting to their latest posterity all the substantial blessings of life, the peaceful enjoyment of liberty, property, religion, and independence." -- Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution, 1833 This was the year of ‘Fast and Department’s Inspector General, and multiple probes by on-line journalists, CBS News, Fox News, the Los Furious’ Angeles Times, the Washington Times, Gun Week by Dave Workman, Senior Editor and other publications. What started out as a year-long celebration of the The stones were originally kicked over by 100th anniversary of the Model 1911 semi-automatic independent blogger Mike Vanderboegh, who writes a pistol designed by John Moses Browning—what column called Sipsey Street Irregulars, and David many gun aficionados consider the finest combat Codrea, national gun rights examiner for sidearm the world has ever seen—turned out to be Examiner.com. Gun Week began its own probe that something entirely different. resulted in a series of reports starting in January and For many, 2011 will be remembered as the year continuing to this, the final edition of Gun Week, Wisconsin got concealed carry. which will be transformed next month into the new For others, this was the year that saw Chicago pay GunMag.com. a small fortune in legal fees to the Second Operation Fast and Furious has become the Obama Amendment Foundation and its attorneys. Still others administration’s Watergate, along with the Solyndra will recall this year sadly as the one in which Gun scandal. The president who was elected promising Week published this, its final issue, and California “hope and change” appears to be struggling into an lawmakers, acting out of paranoia and political election year as gunowners “hope” they will “change” correctness, banned the open carrying of unloaded the White House occupant come November 2012. firearms in public. The year began with a “Stronger outlook for gun But for anyone in the gun rights movement who rights” as our Jan. 1 issue headlined. Fresh from the has paid attention to television, newspaper and SAF victory in McDonald v. City of Chicago, gun Internet reports, this was the year of Operation Fast rights activists were buoyed by the promise of a and Furious. It was, and remains as new facts surface, Republican majority in the House of Representatives a political scandal of monumental proportions; a gun and a farewell to four years under anti-gun Speaker trafficking sting operation started under the Obama Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). administration that ended with the murder of a Border There was hope in the case of New Jersey gun law Patrol agent in Arizona, and ignited what now appears victim Brian Aitken, who ran afoul of the Garden to be a massive cover-up by the Justice Department State’s gun laws and found himself imprisoned for under Attorney General Eric Holder. something that was not a crime in other states. Freed Not a month has gone by when there hasn’t been by Gov. Chris Christie in late December, activists something written about Fast and Furious; some new rallied to support Aitken and his quest for justice. detail that led to Congressional hearings, two Capitol Hill investigations, a third investigation by the Justice Page 2 While the year started off with hope, it faded Brady Bullying Bust quickly under a cloud of controversy with the Jan. 8 Gun Week was first to report that Starbucks Coffee attempted murder of Arizona Congresswoman had shown a fourth quarter profit for 2010 and Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords at a Tucson shopping directly linked that to an effort started early in that mall event. She was critically wounded and six others year by the Brady Campaign and state-level anti-gun were killed, including Federal Judge John Roll and 9- groups to boycott the company. Why? Because year-old Christina Taylor Green. Starbucks catered to armed citizens, including those Authorities arrested alleged gunman Jared Lee who openly carry sidearms. Loughner, who was tackled to the ground and held by The effort was a dismal flop, and the gun several people including an armed citizen named Joe prohibitionist lobby quickly turned its attention, and Zamudio. that of the public, away from the Starbucks story. The shooting allowed gun prohibitionists to coin a A group in northeast Washington state raised a new phrase: “Assault magazines.” While it did not stink when it organized a coyote derby to cut down on gain as much traction in the general press as the term the predator population in an effort to help the “assault weapon,” it is still being repeatedly used by region’s whitetail deer herd. One organizer said the anti-gunners. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is “the Following the shooting, Gun Week Executive biggest problem we have.” Editor Joseph Tartaro noted that anti-gun lawmakers Early this year, Fortune magazine said the national revived a proposal to ban large-capacity magazines, debate on gun control had fizzled because gun control while the media ignored calls for improved funding had become a non-starter issue in Congress. Even for mental health initiatives. It was subsequently high-ranking Democrats conceded that the gun control reported in these pages that half of the states were not effort had been shelved in an attempt to regain rural complying with the National Instant Check System on voters. submitting mental health information on people who Grassley launched his probe of Fast and Furious could not legally own a firearm. initially as an investigation of the umbrella effort Perennial anti-gun Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) known as “Project Gunrunner.” He sent a letter to introduced legislation to target gun shows and ban Holder to “come clean” on the operation early in the magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. He was year, as Codrea and Vanderboegh continued to joined in the effort by anti-gun Rep. Carolyn unearth new facts and allegations. McCarthy (D-NY). There was no evidence that At the same time, ATF announced that its study on Loughner had ever visited a gun show. shotguns would lead to a ban on importation of many A California court ruled in January that the state’s models considered non-sporting related. Perhaps not prohibition against on-line handgun ammunition sales coincidentally, anti-gun Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D- is unconstitutional, and issued a permanent restraining CA) called on the Obama administration to tighten up order against its enforcement. on firearms importing regulations. The Fast and Furious investigation broke wide Early in the year, Stratfor.org carefully demolished open with the announcement of 34 arrests in the “90% myth” that Feinstein and others had connection with border region run trafficking. The promulgated over the past two years to insist most of ATF at the time said it had been assisted in the the crime guns recovered in Mexico originated here. investigations by agents with the Internal Revenue The gun rights battle literally was taken to the Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and streets early in the year and the effort continued well the Phoenix, AZ, Police Department. Since the Fast into the spring when Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Furious operation turned into a scandal, those launched a rolling billboard campaign exploiting the agencies have distanced themselves from the number of firearms-related fatalities, alleging that 34 investigation. Americans die each day due to firearms use. At the time the ATF announced that it was Quickly responding were the Second Amendment concerned that proposed budget cuts would imperil Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to their investigation of border state gun running. Keep and Bear Arms with a joint educational effort Veteran NRA lobbyist James Baker came back to and its own rolling billboard. This one noted that, that organization after several years to work as a according to various researches, more than 2,100 lives Capitol Hill lobbyist again. Page 3 are saved every day because Americans can use down on a city challenge, it could start a flood of firearms to deter crime and violence. similar actions threatening other states’ preemption Just as aggressive in the battle to defend the laws. Second Amendment was Montana Gov. Brian Ultimately, the appeals court ruled in early Schweitzer when he essentially declared war on November that the city was in violation of the state wolves in his state. The big predators have decimated statute, upholding the SAF/NRA lawsuit—which was elk herds in some regions, which translates to a huge joined by the CCRKBA, Washington Arms Collectors impact on big game hunting. Montana is a popular and five individual citizens—adding one more notch destination state for hunters who spend millions of in the battle to reverse gun control laws. dollars on hunting and related activities, including The Seattle lawsuit was not the only gun rights professional guide services, hotels and motels, court victory. The City of Chicago lost another round restaurants and gas stations. in its efforts to dance around the McDonald ruling In neighboring Wyoming, lawmakers approved when the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against legislation that allows for carrying firearms concealed the Windy City in the lawsuit against the city’s without a permit.