[D.C.] Secretary Clinton's gun ban idea shot down (for now):
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is now the second member of President Obama's cabinet to get shot down by the White House over the politically sensitive issue of assault weapons. After meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderón, Clinton said that reinstating the U.S. ban on assault weapons—which was passed in 1994 and expired in 2004—is one step this country could take to curb the flow of guns to Mexico's drug cartels. "These military-style weapons don't belong on anybody's street," Clinton told NBC. Within hours, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that he was unaware of "any plans" to push for such a ban—even though Obama had backed one during last year's campaign. ...
[Texas] El Paso Times opines against gun control:
... While it's good to have more agents trying to interdict the southward flow of weapons into Mexico, the knee-jerk response of tightening gun control must be avoided.
Instituting more inspections on the U.S. side of vehicles going into Mexico is a good idea. Catch the guns and money before they get south of the border and into the hands of drug cartels.
What must not happen is having the violence in Mexico dictate the imposition of draconian gun-control measures in the United States. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, an avowed foe of gun ownership, has suggested resurrecting a ban on certain semiautomatic weapons. The 1994 ban was over in 10 years.
And Obama has indicated some interest in ratcheting up restrictions on guns.
Fortunately, Holder and his ilk can't seem to arouse much interest in Congress in dredging up another gun ban.
That's good, because legitimate gun owners shouldn't be penalized for Mexico's inability to control its own affairs or the U.S. federal government's inability to stem north-to-south smuggling of weapons. ...
[D.C.] NRA has clout with pro-gun Dems:
When Democrats acted last month to give the District of Columbia long-denied voting rights in Congress, the powerful gun lobby saw a target too good not to take a shot at.
The National Rifle Association's lobbyists made it clear to lawmakers that they believed the bill should include a measure to overturn the capital's gun control laws. Left mostly unsaid, but well understood by all 535 members of the House and Senate, was that failure to do so would unleash a barrage of political pain on resisters.
The result showed the strong sway the NRA has even over a Congress dominated by liberal Democrats who mostly disagree with the organization's positions. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to add the gun-rights proposal. House Democratic leaders, fearing a tough vote on the issue, swiftly scrapped plans to consider the D.C. voting legislation.
The bill hasn't resurfaced because Democrats cannot figure out how to keep it from splitting their ranks. Moderates and conservatives don't want to buck the NRA. Liberals are reluctant to be blackmailed into loosening gun laws. ...
[Montana] Pro-gun Democrats at forefront in fight against gun control:
Two Montana Democrats are leading the charge against gun control — even helping force the military to continue selling surplus brass to gun aficionados who want cheaper ammunition.
U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester are not simply placating gun advocates with a vague promise to vote against gun control in Congress. They are forcing former political foes to recognize that Democrats could be their strongest allies while the party controls Washington D.C.
It’s creating uncertain bedfellows on an issue that wins or loses races in places like Montana.
The pair have been taking the lead on issues that only the most ardent gun rights advocates were talking about. Just last week they joined Republican U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg of Montana to pressure the Defense Department in a move that is credited with overturning a short-lived brass ban. ...
[Wyoming] Fear of more gun control driving gun, ammo sales:
... In Wyoming, the run on bullets and reloading components reached such a frenzy that Cheyenne retailer Frontier Arms recently began rationing sales, said Becky Holtz, co-owner of the shop. Holtz said she's also been selling semiautomatic rifles as fast as she can put them on the shelves.
"You know there's something wrong when I've got little old ladies coming in buying 5,000 rounds of .22 shells," Holtz said. [emphasis added]...
[Alabama] Guns is parking lots bill under consideration:
Alabama employers could one day find that their employees are bringing more than lunch and briefcases to work each day.
They could be bringing a gun, and under a bill moving through the Alabama Legislature there might be very little an employer can do to stop them.
Democratic lawmakers in the House and the Senate are sponsoring bills that would prohibit employers from establishing policies or rules that stop gun permit holders from keeping a gun locked in their car while they're at work.
Backed by the National Rifle Association, the bills would make it a Class A misdemeanor if an employer establishes, maintains or enforces such a policy. The NRA has been successful in getting similar legislation passed in nearly 10 states. Both the House and Senate versions have cleared committees in each chamber and await full debate. ...
[Washington] Seattle open carriers meet to discuss crime problems in community:
A gathering of residents in the Willow Lake Apartments of SeaTac, the south King County community where some citizens have evidently “had enough” of criminal activity is nothing to be alarmed about.
They met for an informal gathering on March 28 to discuss crime problems in their neighborhood.
Most of the people who attended this event were openly carrying sidearms. That’s legal, it is protected by the state constitution and a couple of state appeals court rulings, State v. Spencer and State v. Gregory Casad.
Organized by James Beal, a member of the internet forum OpenCarry.org, the event attracted the attention of KING5 News and KIRO Eyewitness News.
Washington is an “open carry” state, meaning that it is legal to carry a sidearm openly on one’s belt, in public. While the overwhelming majority of legally-armed citizens pack their hardware concealed — perhaps the prudent thing to do considering the prevailing weather in these parts — a growing number of open carry activists are appearing across Washington and several other states. ...
[New York] Burress might get plea deal on gun carry charge:
A plea deal is being seriously considered in the gun possession case against Plaxico Burress, the New York Giants’ wide receiver, and it appears likely that any agreement would require him to serve at least some time behind bars, a law enforcement official said on Sunday.
...
Mr. Burress, 31, who caught the winning touchdown in the Giants’ Super Bowl victory in February 2008, turned himself in to the police on Dec. 1, nearly three days after he accidentally shot himself in the leg with an unlicensed handgun at a nightclub in Manhattan. Mr. Burress was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, which carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 3 ½ years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors commonly offer reduced charges in gun possession cases, taking into consideration things like a defendant’s criminal history, the reason for carrying the gun and the circumstances surrounding an arrest.
...
Last year, 986 cases in New York involving the same charges as Mr. Burress faces were resolved, and 90 percent of them resulted in convictions for less serious crimes, half of them misdemeanors or violations, said John M. Caher, a spokesman for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
The reduced charges in such cases include crimes like third-degree gun possession or attempted possession. Convictions on those charges allow for sentences of two years or less. ...
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