Volume 2022, Issue 2 – May 2022
Bills In Limbo
Each year, when the legislative session enters the home stretch, attention turns to the state budget. As is typical during this time, bills that are still in the pipeline tend to be neglected until the last minute, and this year is no exception.
All the bills we are following are on our Bill Tracking Page: https://azcdl.org/bill-tracking/
Good bills still in play
HB 2166 passed out of the House on February 24th, 31-28, and has been sent to the Senate Rules Committee but has not yet been considered there. The bill would exempt firearms and firearms safety accessories from state and local transaction privilege (sales) taxes.
HB 2316 passed out of the House on February 17th, 31-28, and passed the Senate committees to which it was assigned but still has not been heard by the full Senate. The bill would exempt CCW permit holders from prohibitions against carrying a concealed weapon in most public buildings.
HB 2414 passed out of the House on February 17th, 31-27, and passed the Senate committees to which it was assigned but has not been heard by the full Senate. The bill would remove the requirement for firearms to be unloaded while locked in a vehicle on school grounds.
HB 2448 was amended and passed out of the House on February 24th, 31-28. Like 2316 and 2414, it has passed out of its assigned committees and is waiting to be heard by the full Senate. The bill would require school districts and charter schools to provide age-appropriate firearms safety training to students in grades 6-12.
HB 2473 passed out of the House on February 23rd, 31-28, and has been sent to the Senate Rules Committee but has not yet been considered there. The bill prohibits a “public entity” from entering into a contract for goods or services with a value of $100,000 or more unless the contract includes a written certification that the company does not, and will not for the period of the contract, discriminate against a “firearm entity.”
SB 1177 passed out of the Senate on February 1st, 29-0, but still has not been heard by the House Rules Committee. The bill requires the Department of Public Safety to send renewal reminder notices to CCW permit holders at least 60 days before their permits expire.
SB 1251 passed out of the Senate on February 10th, 27-1, and has passed the committee to which it was assigned in the House but has not yet been heard by the full House. The bill adds to the list of actions constituting “armed robbery” to include taking, or attempting to take, possession of a deadly weapon while in the commission of a robbery.
Good bills that failed
HB 2447 has been retained on the House Committee of the Whole (COW) calendar since February 17th. It is being held because House leadership does not have the votes to move it forward. The bill would prevent colleges and universities from prohibiting CCW permit holders from carrying firearms on campuses.
SB 1123 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 20th and the Senate Rules Committee on January 25th but is being held in the Senate, likely because Senate leadership does not believe they have the votes to move it forward. This is the Senate version of HB 2447, which would prevent colleges and universities from prohibiting CCW permit holders from carrying firearms on campuses.
SB 1125 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 27th and the Senate Rules Committee on February 1st but is being held in the Senate. The bill codifies the right to possess and transport firearms and related equipment by anyone who is not a prohibited possessor.
HB 2472 would have prevented government entities and financial institutions from discriminating against those engaged in lawful firearms commerce.
HB 2489 FAILED a second time in the House on February 24th, 30-29. Representative David Cook (R-LD 8) joined all of the democrats to defeat the bill, which would have created a new “provisional” CCW permit for those 18-20 years of age.
SB 1030 would have required the courts to order compensation for those accused of homicide by the state but not convicted.
SB 1037 would have removed noise suppressing devices from the list of “prohibited weapons.”
SB 1057 would have prohibited the federal government from placing an Arizona resident on a “no fly” list without due process of law.
SB 1124 would have exempted those in the armed services from fees associated with CCW permitting by DPS.
SB 1220 would have prohibited rental agreements from forcing tenants to agree not to possess, transport or store firearms that are otherwise legal.
Concealed Carry on Campus?
Universities are tasked with giving students their “skill set” to be successful. They teach important career subjects, and how to apply rational judgment and critical thinking skills, such as using comparison and analysis. Lets do this with campus carry:
Has the LAWFUL presence of firearms at schools, served to reduce violence?
Yes, at Pearl, Mississippi in 1997, where Assistant Principle Joel Myrick, detained 16-year-old murderer Luke Woodham, at gun point: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_High_School_shooting .
It worked at the Appalachian Law School shooting in 2002, where students Mikael Gross and Tracy Bridges helped detain murderer Peter Odighizuwa at gun point: http://www.thepriceofliberty.org/04/01/13/lang.htm
It worked in 2008, when attacker Alaa Abu Dhein was shot by a part-time student, Yitzhak Dadon, allowing IDF soldier Captain David Shapira enough time to finish neutralizing the threat, with his personal sidearm, carried off duty: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercaz_HaRav_massacre
Has the LAWFUL carry of firearms on a campus caused any problems?
Since the fall semester of 2006, state law in Utah has allowed licensed individuals to carry concealed handguns on the campuses of all public colleges. Concealed carry has been allowed for several years at both Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO and Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, VA. This has yet to result in a single act of violence at any of these schools. Numerous studies*, and various state agencies, show that concealed weapon permit holders are five times less likely than non-license holders to be arrested for violent crimes.
Will the police protect the students?
Testimony before the Arizona Legislature by the police Chief of ASU, said that, “Our response time is usually about 4 minutes to any location on campus.”
The police were not able to protect the victims at Virginia Tech, Columbine, U of A, or NIU. When seconds count, the police are minutes away.
The courts have consistently ruled that the police do not have an obligation to protect individuals. In 1982, in Bowers v. Devito a federal court of appeals said: “There is no constitutional right to be protected by the state against being murdered by criminals and madmen.” (686 F.2d 616, at 618)
Will the police be able to tell the shooter from the defender when they arrive?
Contrary to what the movies might have us believe, most real-world shootouts last less than ten seconds**. It is unlikely that an exchange of gunfire between an armed assailant and an armed citizen would last more than a couple of seconds before one or both parties were disabled. If the assailant were disabled, he would be unable to do any more harm.
When arriving officers order the CCW permit holder to drop the gun, he does. The violent criminal actor often does not. That is a problem that the police are well equipped to solve.
There is simply no real down side to letting 21-year-old CCW permit holders, carry concealed weapons on campus.
*“Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns,” John Lott and David Mustard, Journal of Legal Studies (v.26, no.1, pages 1-68, January 1997); “An Analysis of the Arrest Rate of Texas Concealed Handgun License Holders as Compared to the Arrest Rate of the Entire Texas Population,” William E. Sturdevant, September 1, 2000; Florida Department of Justice statistics, 1998; Florida Department of State, “Concealed Weapons/Firearms License Statistical Report,” 1998; Texas Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Census Bureau, reported in San Antonio Express-News, September 2000; Texas Department of Corrections data, 1996-2000, compiled by the Texas State Rifle Association
**In The Line of Fire: Violence Against Law Enforcement, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Institute of Justice, 1997
—Charles Heller
AzCDL Communications Coordinator and host of America Armed & Free Radio, AM 1030 KVOI, Tucson
Save The Date
The Arizona Citizens Defense League annual meeting is coming up and you won’t want to miss it!
Each year the venue for the meeting alternates between Phoenix and Tucson, and this year we’ll be back in Phoenix at the beautiful Sheraton Crescent.
When:
Saturday, October 8th
11 AM – 4 PM
Where:
Sheraton Crescent Hotel
2620 W. Dunlap Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85021
You’ll hear from legislators, movers and shakers within the RKBA community, AzCDL officers and lobbyists, and more. Enjoy a delicious, mulit-course meal, raffles, auctions, and a chance to meet and mingle with other firearms owners.
As usual, the tasteful open carry of firearms is encouraged.
Let George Do It, Right?
If you love that AzCDL is busy protecting your rights 24/7, it’s time to volunteer and be a part of our mission.
Most of us remember when and where we joined AzCDL: we went to a gun show, we saw that big blue and white banner, we walked over to satisfy our curiosity. What’s this “Protecting Your Freedom” thing all about? There sat an older guy, a stack of newsletters–much like this one–some other literature and a pile of sharp looking Arizona flag-themed stickers.
Maybe you spoke to that guy, asked enough questions to determine the organization was not only ‘on the level’, it was probably the best chance of maintaining your right to keep and bear arms at the state level, and hold up a flashing red light to infringements at the national level.
Maybe you took the literature, read it, checked out the website, and came back to the table at the next gun show, either to ask more questions, to find out just how your rights have been stifled, or maybe to join–taking advantage of the ‘gun show discount’, of course.
Maybe you still come by the table to pick up a new T-shirt, or a bumper sticker, or just to shoot the bull with whomever is manning the table.
But wait–this time there is no AzCDL table at the show. The familiar faces you’ve seen for years weren’t at the last show.
What happened?
What happened is that for the most part, the same people have been manning the same tables for almost two decades, and they’re tired, they’re burned out. In some cases they’ve shuffled off this mortal coil and they haven’t been replaced as new volunteers haven’t seen fit to step up. Maybe they assumed we grizzled old farts would be around forever and that we’d keep doing what we’ve been doing, and life would just go on the way it always has.
Do you think AzCDL has done a good job over the past 17 legislative sessions? Do you think, in a State with over a million gun owners, we should be content with a membership of barely two percent of that total? Do you think having our ever-diminishing number of tables staffed by old white men is costing us a whole spectrum of potential members?
If you’re a member who believes in what we’ve been doing–damned successfully–for the past seventeen years, if you have a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday and think ‘George,’ who’s been carrying our tables for what seems a lifetime, could use a break, then VOLUNTEER!
Step up! Whatever your age, gender, ethnicity or the size of your gun safe, we need your help. Think about how much others like you would like to talk to someone just like you. There are people who want to take your rights away, no matter what you look like.
If you like talking to like-minded people, if you like gun shows, if you think your right to keep and bear arms is worth defending, contact Duke at AmericanIcon@cox.net – and we’ll train you for free!
–Duke Schechter
AzCDL Director
AzCDL Dues are Increasing, Renew Now
For the first time in our 17 year history, AzCDL dues will be increasing in July. We have managed to hold the line on dues for the better part of two decades but even AzCDL is not immune to the ever more damaging impacts of Bidenflation.
If your membership is up for renewal this year, you can save money by renewing now. New and renewing memberships purchased before July 1st will be at the current pricing.
The new membership pricing will be:
Basic membership $40 per year
Sustaining membership $60 per year
Family membership $90 per year
Life membership $500
Guardian membership $2,000
Life and Guardian memberships are one-time fees.
Basic and Sustaining memberships are discounted $10 at gun shows and other events, Family memberships by $15, and Life memberships by $25.
Front Sight Update
As you know, AzCDL was forced to cancel our annual member trip to Front Sight this year due to some very unfortunate policy changes by the company. These changes include substantial fees for classes that were previously free to Front Sight members, daily facility usage fees, monthly payments required to maintain previously purchased memberships, and a requirement to purchase all ammunition from Front Sight. The policy changes would have made our annual trip prohibitively expensive.
We immediately began working to find alternative venues that could host the group. There are a number of first-class training facilities right here in Arizona that we contacted to see if they could provide a similar experience without breaking the bank.
Unfortunately, we have been unable to locate a suitable venue in a reasonable price range. Even given the number of members that typically participate, we have been unable to negotiate pricing that wouldn’t require a second mortgage on our homes.
Interest remains strong among our members as well as with the AzCDL board and officers, so we will continue to search for an alternate venue that will provide members with an affordable, educational and enjoyable trip!
AzCDL Director Elections
To promote continuity in leadership, the terms of office for AzCDL’s directors are staggered. This year, the director positions held by Cheryl Todd and Tom Woodrow are due to expire.
While Cheryl and Tom are seeking reelection, the nomination process is open to all members, and all those nominated will appear on the ballot. If there is only one nominee for a position, there will not be a balloting process.
If you are an AzCDL Life member interested in competing for either of these positions on the AzCDL Board of Directors, you may nominate yourself or be nominated by any other member.
If you would like to nominate someone else, you must provide a personal verification from the nominee, including the nominee’s signature and membership number, indicating they want to be on the ballot. Candidate biographies and/or statements are welcomed.
Mail all nomination requests to:
AzCDL Membership
P.O. Box 86256
Tucson, AZ 85754
You may also e-mail nominations to:
treasurer@AzCDL.org
A readable, scanned image of the nominee’s personal verification document attached to an e-mail may be considered acceptable if, in the sole judgment of AzCDL’s Board of Directors, it can be verified as authentic.
All nominations must be received by AzCDL by midnight, Saturday, June 25, 2022. Any nomination received after June 25, 2022 will not be placed on the ballot.
If you include a candidate biography and/or a statement of why they/you should be elected, it must be limited to a single 8.5” x 11” page using standard margins and line spacing, and a font size equivalent to Arial 10. Any legitimate candidate statement timely received will be made available to members during the balloting process.
Second Amendment Foundation’s
Gun Rights Policy Conference
Coming Up
The Second Amendment Foundation’s annual Gun Rights Policy Conference will be held September 30th through October 2nd in Dallas, TX, this year. Several AzCDL officers and board members have been invited to speak at the conference, including AzCDL President Dave Kopp and AzCDL Foundation President Cheryl Todd.
Since its inception in 1986, GRPC has grown from 20 speakers/70 attendees to 120 speakers and 6,500 participants in 2021.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Target Victory.” The conference will be an in-person event, the first in two years as the 2020 and 2021 events were “virtual” on-line conferences only. Attendance is FREE.
For those unable to attend in person, live streams will be available on a number of on-line platforms.