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2008 Gun Owners Action League Email Alerts and Posts P. O. Box 50143, Bellevue, WA 98015-0143 If you wish to recieve GOAL email alerts directly please contact GOAL president Joe Waldron by email and ask to be added to that list. GOAL Post 2008-02 25 January 2008Legislative Update from Olympia 25 January 2008SESSION CALENDAR ADOPTED, CUT-OFF DATES SET PUBLIC TESTIMONY TUTORIAL NEW BILLS INTRODUCED PUBLIC HEARINGS HELD, SCHEDULED DEMOCRATS’ DISINTEREST IN GUN CONTROL MAY BE OVER At the beginning of each session, a session calendar is adopted, establishing certain "cut-off" dates by which certain actions must be taken on bills or they will be considered "dead" for the remainder of the session. The cut-off dates for the 2008 session are: Reminder: The session calendar is a creation of the legislature, not a constitutional requirement. The legislature can choose to ignore the adopted dates and move bills previously considered to be dead under the calendar. As the saying goes, "It ain’t over 'til the fat lady sings", and she doesn’t sing until the session actually comes to a close at midnight on March 13^th . If you have an interest in providing public testimony on a bill (ANY member of the public may sign up to deliver testimony at public hearings, although the committee chair is not obligated to allow everyone to speak). Public testimony is usually limited to three minutes maximum. First, you have to be in the hearing room at the beginning of the hearing and sign in on the sign-in sheet for that bill. Indicate "yes" or "no" as to whether you wish to testify. If called, begin by stating your name, any organization you represent IF you are the designated representative of an organization, and where you live (city or county is close enough). Make your points as short and sweet as possible. Attacking another person is not allowed, although you can disagree with other positions/opinions. If your point(s) have/has already been made by someone else, don’t repeat it, there isn’t enough time (especially true on gun bills!). End your testimony with a request to the committee to support or oppose a bill, depending on your position. It’s also a good idea to have a written copy of your testimony to leave with staff. That way, even if you don’t have a chance to speak, your position is put on the record. Several new bills were introduced this past week, again good and bad. SB 6686 (Roach, R-31) treats service members stationed in Washington like residents for purposes of applying for a WA concealed pistol license. That gives the issuing authority 30 days to process the application vice 60 under current law. SB 6763 (Tom, D-48) directs various state agencies to gather disqualifying information on certain individuals to be reported into the NICS system and this makes the state eligible for federal funds under H.R. 2640 signed into law by President Bush earlier this month. HB 3095 (Lantz, D-26) expands the list of mental health conditions that would prohibit firearm possession by certain individuals. HB 3131 (Lantz, D-26) expands the list of weapons prohibited on K-12 school grounds. HB 3148 (Moeller, D-49) is an amended version of HB 1011. It eases requirements to obtain an alien firearms license and breaks the current deadlock in issuing AFLs. HB 3225 (Orcutt, R-18) limits restrictions of firearms on land regulated by the WA Dept of Fish & Wildlife. HB 3229 (Warnick, R-13) amends the current list of weapons restricted in certain areas of courthouses. GOAL’s position on these bills (and all others) is reported below.
The following bills have been filed for the 2007-08 biennium:
What’s the difference between "Support if amended" and "Oppose unless amended"? On "support if amended," we would prefer to see the bill improved, but will support it if necessary in its current form. "Oppose unless amended" means that unless the bill is amended to be acceptableto us, we oppose the bill. HEARINGS SCHEDULED:10:00 a.m. HB 3148 John L. O’Brien Bldg 8:00 a.m. HB 2706 John L. O’Brien Bldg :30 p.m. SB 6763 John A. Cherberg Bldg LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Toll free!!! The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993. Also toll free!!! 1-800-562-6000 TDD 1-800-635-9993 . OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature's web site at www.leg.wa.gov. Bills are available in Acrobat (.pdf) format. You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe's web site (http://www.adobe.com). You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573. Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000. You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need "RealAudio" to do this, available free at the TVW web site). By reading the House and Senate "bill reports" (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the "roll call" for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill. The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is available, on line, to any citizen. GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to "jwaldron@halcyon.com. Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at jwaldron@halcyon.com. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows. NOTICE: If you believe you have received the GOAL Post in error, first check the "From" line in the address to determine if you received it directly or as part of a list. GP has both individual subscribers and list subscribers. If you do not wish to receive GOAL Posts, please send an e-mail to jwaldron@halcyon.com with "Remove GOAL Post" in the subject line. Pleaseinclude in the body the address that sent you GP. If you received it as a list member (e.g. WA-CCW, WA-GUNS, etc), you must ask the list owner to be removed. I will respond directly to individual subscribers. Upcoming WAC gun show(s): "The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men."
Copyright 2008 Gun Owners Action League of WA 2007 GOAL Posts and Alerts are archived here: GOAL 2007© 2002 WASHINGTON
ARMS COLLECTORS - P.O. BOX 389 Renton Washington 98057-0389
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