United States
Will Guns in Cars Deter Crime in Florida? No, Says Criminologist
Treasure Coast Newspapers / Scripps (Florida), Opinion
4 July 2008
On April 15, Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law a bill allowing Floridians to leave their guns in their vehicles at work. Florida is again at the forefront of states promoting the use of armed force for the purpose of self-defense. In 1987, Florida became the first state to make it a right of residents to carry concealed handguns -- currently about half a million Floridians have such a license. In 2005, the "Stand Your Ground" statute was... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Alberta Police Try to Seize Guns, Take Licence from Ex-Crown Prosecutor
Red Deer Advocate (Alberta)
3 July 2008
Police are trying to stop a longtime Red Deer Crown prosecutor from possessing guns. Red Deer RCMP have applied for a prohibition order to be placed on Morrey Ferries, the chief Crown prosecutor said on Wednesday. "If police feel that there's a basis to believe that someone shouldn't have firearms, they can make an application to the court," Anders Quist said. Police have also applied through the courts to dispose... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Disney Says It's Exempt From Florida's New 'Bring Your Gun to Work' Law
Associated Press
3 July 2008
ORLANDO, Florida -- Walt Disney World believes it is exempt from a new state law that allows Florida residents to keep firearms in their vehicles while at work, according to an internal memo obtained by a newspaper. Under the bill, which took effect Tuesday, businesses cannot prohibit employees or customers from keeping a legally owned gun locked inside their cars, as long as the owner has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Owners Emboldened, Demand Firearms at Work, on Their Belts
Economist
3 July 2008
On June 26th the Supreme Court overturned the District of Columbia's handgun ban and asserted that individuals have the right to own guns. Gun enthusiasts rejoiced. But as they move to capitalise on this favourable judgment, they may run into new problems. Consider two developing gun-rights controversies. On July 1st Florida became the fourth state to allow people to bring their guns to work. The gun has to stay... ( gunpolicy.org )
East Timor
Fight Over New Gun Law in East Timor Parliament 'Almost Physical'
Australian (Sydney) / AAP
2 July 2008
East Timor's Prime Minister is supporting a new law that would allow civilians to own guns, less than five months after illegally armed rebel soldiers tried to kill him and the president The proposal has sparked heated scenes in parliament, with MPs almost coming to blows over what some say is a dangerous development that could threaten the nation's fragile security. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao last week introduced the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Lobby Sues to Allow Guns at Atlanta Airport: Could Set US Precedent
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
2 July 2008
Guns were the issue. But words and federal lawsuits became the weapons of choice Tuesday as Atlanta officials declared Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport a "gun-free zone," and gun advocates immediately retaliated by suing them. The fight over a new state law -- one that permits licensed gun owners to carry concealed weapons in more public places -- began at Atlanta's city-run airport, the world's busiest with 89 million passengers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Unanimous Vote, Washington DC Passes Bill to End Its Handgun Ban
Washington Post
2 July 2008
With the unanimous support of his 12 D.C. Council colleagues, Phil Mendelson introduced a bill that would end the city's handgun ban and make it legal for residents to keep firearms in their homes without requirements that trigger locks be used or that they be disassembled. The bill is in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week to strike down the ban as unconstitutional and is meant to address the ruling's assertion... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Wake of New Law, Gun Lobby Sues to Allow Firearms at Atlanta Airport
New York Times
2 July 2008
A decision by Georgia legislators to relax the state's gun laws has led to a dispute over whether people can legally carry concealed firearms in the nation's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International. A Georgia gun rights group filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Atlanta on Tuesday after airport officials said they would continue to enforce a ban on concealed weapons in the terminal despite the changes to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe
Cost of Zimbabwe Gun Licence Rises to $50 Billion, Renewal $25 Billion
Herald (Harare)
1 July 2008
Police have, with immediate effect, increased charges for obtaining firearms and clearance certificates. Police spokesperson Superintendent Andrew Phiri yesterday said the increases were with effect from today. The cost of issuing a firearms certificate has been raised from $50 million to $50 billion while an import permit now costs $250 billion, up from $250 million. Renewing a firearm certificate now costs $25... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Courts Across America 'Opening Pandora's Box of New Gun Litigation'
Indianapolis Star (Indiana), Column
1 July 2008
The gun lobby at last holds its Holy Grail: a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that the oddly worded Second Amendment, which speaks of a "well regulated militia" in the same sentence as "the right of the people to keep and bear arms," does, in fact, bestow upon individuals a constitutional right to own weapons. Yet it seems that the most extreme crusaders of the right were not sufficiently careful in what they wished for. Even... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Gun Lobby Pressure for American-style Laws 'Wrong Path' for Australia
Advertiser (Adelaide), Editorial
30 June 2008
Almost anyone who wants a firearm in Australia can get one. It is possible, and legal, to buy a gun and obtain a licence to use it. While most gun dealers are scrupulously honest, it is also possible to obtain weapons on the black market. One dealer appeared last week in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on charges of possessing illegal gun parts. The case has yet to be heard and the dealer has not entered a plea,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Law Sets Stage for Gun Showdown at World's Busiest Airport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
30 June 2008
You could call it the Atlanta version of "High Noon." Top city officials will announce Tuesday that despite a new state gun law that went into effect at midnight, they will have anyone carrying a weapon at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport arrested. The state lawmaker who sponsored the new gun law says if they do, the city will immediately be sued. And state Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica) said the plaintiff in the lawsuit... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US High Court's Ruling Doesn't Endanger Sensible Gun Control
Capital (Maryland), Editorial
29 June 2008
We have long supported reasonable gun control. There's nothing wrong in principle with licensing and registration. Government has an obligation to keep guns out of the grasp of felons and the mentally ill. And just as the Constitution's First Amendment free speech protection doesn't confer a right to commit libel or sell pornography, the Second Amendment doesn't confer a right to own an assault weapon -- or a howitzer. For all that,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Namibia
Shooters Must 'Wait Much Longer' Before Namibia's Gun Registry is Fixed
New Era (Windhoek)
27 June 2008
WINDHOEK -- People who applied for firearm licenses countrywide will now have to wait much longer before their applications can be processed. The Namibian Police announced in a press statement that due to some technical problems, its Central Firearms Registry Sub-Division is unable to submit newly approved and computerized firearms licenses. Police have requested members of the public who applied for firearm licenses to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Gun Ban Veto Triggers Review of Massachusetts Law
Boston Herald
27 June 2008
Yesterday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns will force Massachusetts officials to review the state's gun laws, long considered among the toughest in the nation. In the justices' first major pronouncement on gun rights, the court ruled 5-4 that Washington's ban was incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Big Business Up In Arms Over Florida's 'Take Your Guns to Work' Law
News-Journal (Florida)
26 June 2008
TALLAHASSEE -- Wading into a battle about guns and property rights, a federal judge heard arguments Wednesday about the constitutionality of a new law that would force businesses to allow firearms in their parking lots. The Florida Chamber of Commerce and Florida Retail Federation are seeking an injunction against the law, which state lawmakers passed in April after lobbying by the National Rifle Association. The measure,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany, Switzerland, Italy, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa
Gun Laws in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, UK, Australia, South Africa
Associated Press
26 June 2008
GERMANY: Requires license to obtain and use firearms and stipulates a check on the "reliability and suitability" of holders at least once every three years. Under-25s must undergo psychological screening. Buyers must justify why they need a gun. Would-be buyers of recreational firearms must produce proof of regular membership in shooting club for at least one year. Legal age for owning recreational firearms is 21. That... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Federal Judge Calls Florida's New Workplace Gun Law 'Stupid'
Times-Union (Florida) / AP
25 June 2008
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- A new Florida law intended to prohibit public and private employers alike from banning guns locked inside cars in their parking lots is so badly written it's "stupid," a federal judge declared Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle declined, however, to rule on a request for a preliminary injunction before the law takes effect next Tuesday. Hinkle said he needed more time to study the issue... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Feds Probe Blackwater Deal to Buy Assault Weapons in Name of Sheriff
Daily Advance (North Carolina)
23 June 2008
The Camden Sheriff's Office's three-year-old weapons arrangement with a private military contractor has attracted federal attention, but Sheriff Tony Perry said he is not aware of anything wrong with the deal. According to Perry, the sheriff's office was trying to put together a SWAT team in 2005, but lacked the necessary weapons. Blackwater Worldwide, which is headquartered in nearby Moyock, helped the sheriff's department by donating... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Out-of-state No-shows Hold 1 in 3 of Utah's Hidden Handgun Permits
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah), Editorial
23 June 2008
There's a gunfight shaping up in the Utah Legislature. Gun advocates who want Utah to continue to arm the nation versus government bureaucrats and gun-control advocates who see the dangers in Utah's permissive concealed-carry permitting system. Utah permits are the Tootsie Pops of concealed-carry permits: easily obtained, inexpensive, long-lasting and unhealthy, for Utahns and the nation as a whole. More than a third of Utah's 100,000-plus... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Security Company Blackwater Sidesteps US Law to Keep, Fire AK-47s
Associated Press
23 June 2008
MOYOCK, North Carolina -- Private security contractor Blackwater Worldwide has been able to keep 17 AK-47s at its armory under a deal that sidesteps federal laws prohibiting private parties from buying automatic weapons, a newspaper reported Sunday. The News & Observer of Raleigh found Blackwater purchased 17 Romanian AK-47s and 17 Bushmasters -- and then gave ownership of the guns to the Camden County sheriff. Sheriff... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texan Gun Owners Chafe at Rare Restriction: Handguns Must be Hidden
Star-Telegram (Dallas-Forth Worth)
23 June 2008
If Duane Suddeth had his way, he could strap on a handgun and wear it -- anytime, anywhere -- without concealing it. That day has not come in Texas, but the 42-year-old Bedford man is among thousands hoping it is on its way. "This is the public's right," Suddeth said. "Whether they choose to exercise that or not is up to them." Texas, despite its independence and frontier reputation, is one of only six states where... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Chicago, Only Politicians and Criminals Are Allowed to Carry Guns
Chicago Tribune, Column
20 June 2008
That Washington, D.C., gun ban that the Supreme Court should toss out any day now because it is unconstitutional is often compared to the handgun ban in Chicago. But what's not often reported by the decidedly pro-gun-control media is that since Chicago's anti-handgun law went into effect in 1982, only two classes of people have had ready access to firearms: The criminals. And the politicians. Cynics who scoff at... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Michigan Judge Lifts Firearm Ban, Allows Gun Carrying in Courtrooms
Jackson Citizen Patriot (Michigan) / AP
20 June 2008
At a time when even nail files and pocket knives are barred from courts, Hillsdale County has reopened its historic courthouse to citizens who legally pack weapons. Circuit Judge Michael Smith recently ordered the "no guns" signs removed at the courthouse in downtown Hillsdale, saying the ban is against state law. Smith said that courthouses are not exempt from state concealed-weapons laws, so there's no way to lawfully... ( gunpolicy.org )
Yemen
124 Gun Shops Closed as Yemen Cracks Down on Illegal Weapons
National (Abu Dhabi)
19 June 2008
SANA'A -- The ministry of interior announced this week that it has closed 124 shops across the country that were selling firearms, arrested 188 weapons dealers and seized vehicles carrying weapons for al Houthi rebels. The closures and arrests came as the government stepped up a campaign it launched in Aug 2007 to close shops selling guns and reduce the number of firearms on the country's streets. "We have closed these... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Ruling on DC Could Threaten New York Gun Control Law
New York Sun
19 June 2008
If gun enthusiasts are victorious this month when the Supreme Court declares what rights exist under the Second Amendment, their next target may be New York City's strict gun control laws. The federal high court may issue its historic decision on gun rights as early as today, and certainly by no later than month's end. Obtaining a gun license in New York City is now a lengthy and costly endeavor. In the span of a decade,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Sheriff Reviews Hidden Handgun Permits Issued by Ex-Sheriff
Los Angeles Times
18 June 2008
Newly appointed Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said Tuesday that she intends to review all the concealed-weapons permits that her indicted predecessor issued and revoke those of gun owners who can't prove a legal need to carry the weapons. When former Sheriff Michael S. Carona resigned in January to focus on his upcoming federal corruption trial, he had issued more than 1,100 active carry permits -- among the most issued... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Utah Lobbyists Wear Loaded Guns, Complain Police Stop Them on Street
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
18 June 2008
WEST VALLEY CITY -- With his Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic holstered on his right hip, Travis Deveraux addressed the mayor and City Council on Tuesday. Deveraux says he has been harassed by West Valley City police for carrying that gun and treated like a criminal. "A criminal does not want [police] attention, and they will not openly carry a gun," Deveraux said. With 10 other gun-toting civilians --... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Radio Reporter Had Illegal, Loaded Handgun in US Courthouse - Police
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
17 June 2008
A radio reporter for KDKA was arrested yesterday morning and accused of trying to take a loaded handgun into the Allegheny County Courthouse. The county sheriff's office said reporter Rob Milford was stopped at 9:25 a.m. after a .38-caliber snub-nosed revolver was found in his briefcase at a courthouse screening station. Sheriff William P. Mullen said Mr. Milford told officers he didn't realize he had put his gun in his... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
iPods, Guns as the Norm in American Street Wear - Get Used To It
Boston Globe, Column
16 June 2008
Imagine a child barely tall enough to reach the top drawer of the bedroom dresser. Imagine the child on tip-toes opening the drawer because the forbidden object is hidden there. The naughty thrill of reaching under the socks, the shock of actually touching the thing, finding it cold, as if on ice. Such is my memory of furtive encounters with my father's handgun. At the time, Dad was an FBI agent. Where he stowed his weapon when off-duty... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Guns in US National Parks: Congress Gives to NRA in Election Year Deal
CNN / Behind the Scenes
13 June 2008
CHANTILLY, Virginia -- I'm at the Blue Ridge Arsenal in Chantilly, Virginia, the biggest gun store in northern Virginia. I'm looking at a holster on the hip of Arsenal's John Summer in which a black .22-caliber Glock pistol sits snugly. I didn't notice it before because Summer is wearing a large plaid shirt, not tucked in, covering his navy blue polo shirt. But he sweeps the big shirt back and tells me, "I've been to 7-Eleven,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Louisiana Business Lobby Beats Back NRA 'Take Your Guns to Work' Bill
Associated Press
12 June 2008
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Pro-business lobbyists gained an edge in their fight with the National Rifle Association when the House blocked a floor vote on an NRA-backed bill as time ran out in the legislative session today. The bill by Senator Joe McPherson of Woodworth would give employees the right to keep a legally owned firearm locked in their car in a parking lot at their workplace. Under the bill, the employer would get some... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Shooters Party Accused of Vote Deal to Ease Gun Law in Australian State
Sydney Morning Herald
12 June 2008
A proposal to wind back the gun laws enacted by Bob Carr after the Port Arthur massacre will be taken to cabinet by the Police Minister amid accusations the Government is doing a deal with the Shooters Party to win its support in the upper house for key legislation. The police ministry has provided advice to the Shooters MP Roy Smith on drafting a private member's bill he has introduced that would allow people renewing their gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia's Shooters Party Pushes Bill to Ease NSW State Gun Laws
Sydney Morning Herald
11 June 2008
The Greens have accused the New South Wales Government of courting the Shooters Party to help ease the passage of controversial legislation to ease the state's gun controls. The Bill, introduced to the Upper House by Shooters Party MP Roy Smith, would relax some safeguards and remove the 28-day waiting period for people with a registration waiting for a second gun. Mr Smith says he expects State Government support, given... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In US Store, 4yr-old Shoots Herself with Grandma's Licensed Purse Gun
Associated Press
10 June 2008
COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- A 4-year-old girl shot herself in the chest Monday after snatching her grandmother's handgun from the woman's purse while riding in a shopping cart at a Sam's Club store, authorities said. A witness, Lueen Homewood, said store workers grabbed first-aid materials off store shelves to help the grandmother as she cradled the wounded child near the store's pharmacy, The (Columbia) State newspaper reported... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Louisiana Becomes 16th US State to Repel 'Guns on Campus' Law
Shreveport Times (Louisiana)
10 June 2008
BATON ROUGE -- The possibility of carrying concealed weapons on Louisiana's college campuses was laid to rest Monday when the bill's author decided not to push it to a vote. Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse, said he had the support of 45 House members but since 53 votes are needed to pass a bill in the House, he chose not to go forward. "Put the bill on the calendar until next year," Wooton asked House Clerk Butch Speer,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Ohio 'Shoot First' Law Permits Gun Owners to Fire, Injure, Kill if Fearful
Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)
10 June 2008
Over the objections of law enforcement groups, Gov. Ted Strickland today signed into law a bill that relaxes certain gun restrictions and establishes a new "castle doctrine" for shooting an intruder in self-defense. The legislation, Senate Bill 184, takes effect in 90 days. It was backed by the National Rifle Association to establish a presumption that a person acted in self-defense when shooting someone who unlawfully... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistani Civil Society Groups Promote Global Gun Control Campaign
Post (Pakistan)
10 June 2008
PESHAWAR -- Concerned at the increasing number of fatalities by small arms, speakers at a workshop stressed the need to raise awareness about the threat to life posed by small arms and asked the government to regulate the inflow and use of firearms in Pakistan. There are about 20 million small arms in Pakistan, making it the country with the highest per capita guns in the world, the speakers observed. They said that an estimated... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan, Afghanistan
Pakistani Gun Control Groups Target US, Afghanistan for Weapon Flood
International News (Karachi)
10 June 2008
PESHAWAR -- Highlighting case of Pakistan Raza Shah Khan, executive director of Sustainable Peace and Development Organisation (Spado) claimed that the problem of arms proliferation in the region was the result of Afghanistan war wherein the US provided about $2 billion in arms aid. "We had the greatest number of guns per capita in the world," he told a seminar, jointly organised by Spado, Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Students Packing Heat Surely Would Liven Up American Campus Life
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh), Column
10 June 2008
Before classes adjourned for the academic year, students at the University of Pittsburgh squared off over whether guns should be legally carried on campus. Although the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus have yet to convince lawmakers to allow them to pack .45s alongside their copies of Roget's Thesaurus, I hear the pro-gunplay group plans a major offensive aimed -- pardon the pun -- at overturning the campus anti-gun policy.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
American Gun Owners Call for Loaded Handguns to Be Worn Openly
Telegraph (UK)
9 June 2008
NEW YORK -- A growing number of Americans are exercising their right not just to own guns but to carry them around in public. As a debate continues in Washington over the constitutional right to gun ownership, supporters of the so-called "open carry" movement argue that sidearms should be precisely that -- a common accessory to be worn freely. Their right to wear their gun, usually on a holster at their hip, as they go... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Man Arrested for Wearing Loaded Handgun to Communion
Chicago Sun-Times
9 June 2008
A man carrying a loaded Glock up to communion at a South Side church Sunday morning, apparently for protection, was arrested by a high-ranking police official who happened to be attending the same Catholic mass. David Kucia, 57, was charged with a weapons violation after his arrest by Deputy Chief James Keating and Sgt. Joseph Kipka at Nativity of Our Lord, the Bridgeport parish where the Daley family was reared. Keating... ( gunpolicy.org )
Turkey
Increasing Armed Violence by Licensed, Unlicensed Turkish Gun Owners
Turkish Daily News
9 June 2008
Turks are already regrettably accustomed to media reports about victims of stray bullets at wedding ceremonies and New Year's parties, where some people lose their lives and others -- sometimes even children -- become murderers in a heartbeat. The percentage of those using licensed guns in crimes in Turkey has increased, police data reveals, while experts who spoke with the Turkish Daily News warned that the state must not give... ( gunpolicy.org )
Bangladesh
Licensed Bangladeshi Gun Owners Rent 1 in 5 Legal Guns to Criminals
New Nation (Bangladesh)
9 June 2008
DHAKA -- Director of Bangladesh Development Partnership Centre (BPDC) on Sunday said more than 25,000 out of 1,30,000 licensed arms in the country, are being used in various illegal means. "We carried out a survey across the county which showed that around 25,000 to 30,000 arms under legal arms licences are being rented to criminals," BPDC director Sharif K Kafi said at a press conference. The press briefing jointly organised... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
Canadian Dealers Import Guns as Movie Props, Sell to Gangs [Francais]
Presse canadienne
8 June 2008
[Translated summary: A Royal Canadian Mounted Police police report says gun dealers exploited a legal loophole to import handguns, assault weapons and machine guns from the United States as movie-props, then sell them to drug gangs]. OTTAWA -- Des armes à feu destinées à servir d'accessoires pour des acteurs de cinéma aboutissent entre les mains de véritables criminels à cause d'une "échappatoire" dans les lois canadiennes.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
Canadian Gun Dealers Exploit Movie-prop 'Loophole' to Arm Drug Gangs
Canadian Press
8 June 2008
OTTAWA -- Guns intended for make-believe action on the silver screen are winding up in the hands of real-life criminals due to a "loophole" in Canadian laws, says an RCMP intelligence report. Some firearms dealers in British Columbia have taken advantage of movie production companies filming in various Canadian locations, says the newly declassified report on trends in gun trafficking and smuggling. Special permits allow... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Murder, Suicide Rates Lower Where Local US Police Check Backgrounds
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
8 June 2008
Gun suicide and homicide rates were about 25% lower when background checks on gun buyers were performed by local authorities as opposed to federal or state agencies, according to a study by the Medical College of Wisconsin. The study shows a patchwork of background check practices around the country. For example, in Wisconsin, checks are done on the state level, and across the border in Iowa and Minnesota, they are done locally.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fledgling US Movement Urges Gun Owners to Openly Carry Handguns
Los Angeles Times
7 June 2008
PROVO, Utah -- For years, Kevin Jensen carried a pistol everywhere he went, tucked in a shoulder holster beneath his clothes. In hot weather the holster was almost unbearable. Pressed against Jensen's skin, the firearm was heavy and uncomfortable. Hiding the weapon made him feel like a criminal. Then one evening he stumbled across a site that urged gun owners to do something revolutionary: Carry your gun openly for the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Airguns to Be Included in Finland's Gun Law, Owner Licensing Update
YLE News (Finland)
6 June 2008
New rules governing the sale of air guns are being planned by the Ministry of the Interior. A licence would be needed for a type of air rifle, the fire power of which is equivalent to that of a small-bore rifle. The newspaper Turun Sanomat reports the Ministry is worried about the proliferation of small arms. The calibre of larger guns on sale is nine millimetres, which is equivalent to that of arms carried by... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Shooter Prompts Seattle to Clamp Down on Hidden Handguns
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Washington)
6 June 2008
Two weeks after a shooting at Seattle's Northwest Folklife Festival, Mayor Greg Nickels reportedly plans to announce restrictions Monday on concealed weapons on city property. Nickels' office declined to offer any details about the executive order. A news conference was scheduled at the Police Department with Nickels, Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske and state legislators. In a news release, the initiative was described as... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mental Health Clearance Required for Hidden Handgun in Massachusetts
Boston Globe, Opinion
5 June 2008
I'm convinced there are greater societal problems in need of attention than the plight of the inconvenienced gun enthusiast, highlighted on the front page of the May 29 Globe West and other regional editions ("Under the Gun"). Imagine having to submit three letters of recommendation in order to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon, or a letter from your physician stating that you aren't mentally ill. How unreasonable! Police... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Gun Laws Eased to Benefit Councillor Who Forgot to Re-register
Chicago Tribune
4 June 2008
Ald. Richard Mell got a City Council committee to approve a change to a Chicago law on his behalf Wednesday, but argued it would benefit thousands of other city residents who, like him, simply failed to renew their gun licenses. "It was probably good I didn't [renew], because there are an awful lot of other citizens" who had the same problem, Mell (33rd) said after the Police and Fire Committee approved an amendment to the gun registration... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US 'Law & Order' Actor Dennis Farina Charged Over Illegal Handgun at LAX
Associated Press
4 June 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Dennis Farina has been charged with illegally having a gun in his luggage at Los Angeles International Airport. The city attorney's office on Wednesday charged the "Law & Order" actor with three misdemeanor counts involving possession of a concealed and loaded weapon. The charges carry a combined maximum sentence of 2½ years in jail and $3,000 in fines. Farina was arrested three weeks ago when a .22-caliber... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Oklahoma City Police Chief Wants Handgun Registration, Tighter Gun Laws
Tulsa World (Oklahoma) / AP
2 June 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Police Chief Bill Citty called Monday for tighter gun control laws to curb the kind of gang violence that left six teenagers with gunshot wounds following a drive-by shooting in southeast Oklahoma City two days earlier. Citty, speaking at a news conference by a coalition of social services, clergy and community groups opposed to gang violence, said he believes in a citizen's right to carry firearms but that too... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Gun Dealers Broke Law, Sold Thousands of Weapons to Canadian Criminals
Vancouver Province (British Columbia)
1 June 2008
In B.C., the RCMP's chief firearms officer can supply decommissioned guns to certified gun-safety course instructors, a federal RCMP firearms centre official told The Province. To be decommissioned, the weapons have their firing pins ground off or removed, or parts removed from the trigger mechanism. Those guns can come from border seizures, they can be handed over by the courts, or turned in by individuals, but are generally not... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handgun Licensing Requirements Vary Widely in US Eastern States
Boston Globe
1 June 2008
There was his birth certificate, driver's license, and the utility bill he handed over to prove who he was and where he lived, he says. Plus the letter verifying his membership in a gun club, and the copy of his safety certificate, and that passing grade on his marksmanship test. Not to mention being photographed, and fingerprinted for the background check. By the time he was finished with the process of applying for a license to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Mounties Raid Gun Dealer, Ex-Cop, Firearm Lobbyist Over Gun Trafficking
Vancouver Province (British Columbia)
1 June 2008
A long-serving Vancouver police veteran and a Delta firearms-training company are at the centre of an RCMP investigation into the trafficking of guns, some of which are believed to be ending up in the hands of B.C. gangs. The secretive criminal probe involves the sale of decommissioned guns -- easily reassembled and gunsmithed back into working order -- to Lower Mainland gangsters, a police source told The Province. Gordon... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hillary Clinton No Longer Favours Handgun Registration, Owner Licensing
Billings Gazette (Montana)
31 May 2008
HELENA -- Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton told Montana reporters Friday that she no longer favors national handgun registration and licensing, even as she supports such measures in her adopted state of New York. "What I came out for was the New York law," the U.S. senator said in a noon conference call Friday. "I don't think there is any contradiction between defending Second Amendment rights and trying to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Pushes for Rule Change to Permit Guns in National Parks
New York Times
30 May 2008
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyoming -- The federal government is considering a proposal to allow visitors to carry loaded, concealed weapons in some national parks, wildlife refuges and monuments. The National Rifle Association favors the proposed rule, arguing that it would help keep crime down and protect visitors from potentially dangerous wildlife. "You read stories about people attacked by animals or who stumble upon... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Big Jump in Number of Newcomers Seeking Gun Licence in New Zealand
New Zealand Herald
29 May 2008
Aspiring Asian gun-owners, growing numbers of recreational hunters and the rise of the lifestyle block are being credited for an increase in the number of people seeking gun licences. A memo to police shows the number of first-time applicants for firearms licences almost doubled in six years, from 4654 in 2001 to 8370 last year. Mike Spray of the Mountain Safety Council -- which runs firearms training and lectures for licensees... ( gunpolicy.org )
China
Chinese Official Was Gang Boss 'With Crush on Guns' - Jailed for Life
Reuters
29 May 2008
BEIJING -- A gun-toting Chinese official who owned two Ferraris and liked driving around in an amoured personnel carrier has been jailed for life for illegal weapons possession and fraud, state media reported on Friday. Yang Shukuan, a former member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference for the northern city of Tangshan and the head of an organized crime ring, was arrested for extortion last year. "The... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canada's 'Shameless Pandering to Gun Lobby' Puts Public at Risk
Windsor Star (Ontario), Opinion
28 May 2008
As Monday's Windsor Star editorial noted (Long guns: An amnesty of convenience), the Harper government recently extended its amnesty for long gun owners who haven't obtained or renewed licences and haven't registered their guns. So those who thumb their noses at the law have been given a free pass for another year. It's hard to know which is more offensive: the government's shameless pandering to the gun lobby at the expense of public safety,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Fewer Gun Owners Now Own More Sporting Long Guns in Scotland
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
28 May 2008
The increasing popularity of deer stalking is behind a significant rise in the number of legally-held guns in Scotland, it emerged last night. Figures released by the Scottish Government showed the number of such firearms has reached a ten-year high. There are now 66,893 firearms held by 26,056 people and a further 133,940 shotguns held by 49,213 people. The statistics showed that the number of people owning guns had gone... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Indian Authorities Award 'Status Symbol' Gun Licences to Empower Women
India News Portal / Sify
27 May 2008
BHOPAL -- Earlier, they were known as a broomstick weilding women in their villages, but now they are recognised as a gun-toting women in dacoity-infested Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh, where carrying a gun is considered a status symbol. "A total of 19 women -- nine belonging to 'Nirmal Grams' (clean villages) for their role in ensuring villages to be clean and hygiene under the 'Total Sanitation Campaign' and the rest members... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Seattle: Licensed Owner of Hidden Handgun Had Mental History, Shot 3
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Washington)
27 May 2008
A Snohomish man arrested after three people were shot last weekend at the Northwest Folklife Festival had a valid concealed weapon permit despite a history of mental health problems, police in Seattle and Snohomish County confirmed Tuesday. A disclosure during a Monday bail hearing that Clinton C. Grainger, 22, suffers from several mental health problems prompted questions about whether he should have been eligible to carry a concealed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Encouraging More Hidden Handguns on US Campuses Is a Bad Idea
Times-Picayune (Louisiana), Editorial
26 May 2008
Rep. Ernest Wooton keeps threatening to revive his bill to allow guns on college campuses. He shouldn't. Lifting gun prohibitions from colleges, universities and vocational-technical schools is a bad idea. Rep. Wooton delayed a vote by the House May 12 in the face of opposition to the bill. He said then that he would bring House Bill 199 back up in two weeks, which would be this week. "I intend to stay with this bill,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Renewed Growth in Australian Gun Numbers Must Be Tackled Urgently
Sunday Times (Western Australia), Editorial
25 May 2008
If there was anything positive to emerge from the tragedy of the Port Arthur massacre it was that our nation was forced to seriously confront for the first time the issue of gun control. The action that followed was swift with the introduction of tougher national gun laws and a buyback scheme. Understandably, given the atrocities committed by lone gunman Martin Bryant, there was widespread community support for these measures.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Western Australia Now Has More Guns Than Before Port Arthur Massacre
Sunday Times (Western Australia)
25 May 2008
WA has more guns now than before the 1996 Port Arthur massacre -- a reversal of a near decade-long downward trend in weapon ownership. The jump coincides with a scathing national report, which found many firearms owners were failing to properly store them, including high-powered weapons left unlocked in cases, cars and cupboards. Inadequate security was to blame for more than half the gun thefts in Australia. Also,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands Gun Owners Demand Compensation for 2003 Confiscation
Solomon Star (Honiara)
19 May 2008
Licensed gun holders say the Government must compensate them for the removal of their weapons in 2003. Hundreds of gun owners surrendered their weapons after RAMSI asked them to do that. This was part of the disarmament process RAMSI executed immediately after its arrival. But spokesman Martin Obasia said the Government must compensate them for removing their guns. He said they purchase their licences... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Lobby to Allow Loaded Guns in US National Parks 'Risks Public Safety'
Tennessean (Nashville), Editorial
17 May 2008
The debate over gun rights has reached a new low with a Bush administration proposal to allow people to carry concealed weapons in some national parks and wildlife refuges. For 25 years, federal regulations have required that guns in national parks be unloaded and not easily accessible, such as locking them in a car trunk. But Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne recently proposed changing those rules to allow a person to carry that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Secret Service Strips NRA of Guns, Hundreds of Knives at McCain Speech
New York Daily News, Column
17 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- A small but startling sign welcomed the gun lovers who arrived at the National Rifle Association's annual gathering Friday. "Firearms WILL NOT be allowed in Hall A during the Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum." Beyond this sign at the Kentucky Exposition Center was a row of 10 metal detectors. They were manned by uniformed Secret Service officers deployed because the scheduled speakers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handguns NOT Allowed at McCain Speech to NRA - Secret Service
WHAS-TV News (Kentucky)
15 May 2008
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- It's expected to bring some 60,000 people to Louisville and some prominent political figures, including presidential candidate John McCain. The NRA convention starts Friday at the Kentucky Exposition Center. We first told you on WHAS11 news that guns would be allowed at Friday's event with McCain. Now we've learned that's changed. The south wing was bustling with activity Thursday, the day... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Licensed Canadian Gun Collector Fired Shots in House, Lost 500 Firearms
Canadian Press
15 May 2008
SUDBURY, Ontario -- A 76-year-old Sudbury, Ont., man has agreed to give up his cache of weapons and pay a $1,000 fine on three firearms-related charges. When police entered Georgio Bassetti's apartment on Feb. 29, in they found rooms full of hundreds of weapons, ammunition and six gunshot holes in the ceiling. It took police days to remove all of the weapons found inside the apartment. Assistant Crown attorney... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Tories Extend Gun Amnesty, Waste Millions More on Gun Registry
National Post (Toronto) / Canwest News
14 May 2008
OTTAWA -- The Harper government has extended the two-year-old amnesty that protects firearms owners from prosecution if they fail to register their rifles and shotguns. Cabinet approved a directive last Thursday that extends the amnesty to May, 2009, virtually guaranteeing the Conservatives will not have to risk defeat of a bill scrapping the controversial registry before the next federal election. The move prompted angry... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handguns Now Allowed in Georgia Eateries, Parks, Public Transport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
14 May 2008
Georgians with carry licenses can tote their concealed guns on public transportation, in restaurants that serve alcohol and in state parks under legislation signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue Wednesday. Perdue inked the controversial gun bill on the final day for him to sign or veto legislation. He also signed a $21 billion state budget that will give 200,000 teachers and state employees 2.5 percent pay raises, and approved a bill allowing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Owners Join Moderate Pro-gun Group to Counter 'Terrorist' NRA
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), Column
13 May 2008
Mayor Nutter and Gov. Rendell are taking aim and don't plan to let up. In the aftermath of the cold-blooded killing of Philadelphia Police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski with a semiautomatic weapon, they made a written appeal to lawmakers in Harrisburg last week. Man up -- now. Stand up for the state's law enforcement officers and ban the possession, manufacture, use and importation of assault weapons. This latest... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Crime Rose as Cities' Funding Dropped, Says Federal Gun Control Chief
Washington Post / AP
12 May 2008
WASHINGTON -- Violent crime has increased in some cities in recent years in part because local police are too cash-strapped to fight it, the ATF chief said Monday. The comments by Michael J. Sullivan, acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, echo pleas by mayors across the country for more federal dollars to combat crime. In an interview with The Associated Press, Sullivan called battling... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Barrister Shot by Police in Central London Was Licensed Shotgun Owner
Telegraph (UK)
11 May 2008
Mark Saunders passed stringent checks on his suitability to own guns -- including investigations into his mental health -- before being issued with a shotgun licence. The Metropolitan Police require all applicants for licences to give permission for mental health checks to be made with their GP. The fact that Mr Saunders was visited by a gun licensing officer after he moved to his flat in Markham Square last September suggests... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
One NRA Lobbyist Beat 60 Big-business Lobbyists, Brought Guns to Work
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale)
11 May 2008
As business lobbyists learned this spring, don't mess with Marion Hammer. Hammer, 69, has been the National Rifle Association's lobbyist in Tallahassee for more than three decades. Credit her with the intense, three-year push for the controversial guns-to-work bill that the Republican Legislature and Gov. Charlie Crist made law this session. Business interests -- and their 60-plus lobbyists -- considered the bill an attack... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Actor, 'Law & Order' Star Arrested with Unlicensed Pistol at LA Airport
Associated Press
11 May 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Actor Dennis Farina was charged with a felony Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport after a loaded gun was found in his carry-on luggage. When the weapon was discovered at a security checkpoint, the 64-year-old actor said he had forgotten the .22-caliber handgun was in his luggage, police said. Farina was booked for investigation of carrying a concealed weapon, said Sgt. Dennis Beacham. Bail was set... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Millionaire Chicago 'Collector' Had 80 Firearms, Machine Guns, No Licence
Chicago Sun-Times
10 May 2008
Benjamin Stevens kept a .50-caliber machine gun -- along with more than 80 other firearms and 50,000 rounds of ammunition -- in his Lake Forest mansion because he collects historic weaponry, his attorney said Friday. The millionaire businessman, who was arrested a day earlier when police raided his north suburban home, had acquired all the firearms legally and kept most in his basement, defense attorney Douglas Zeit said as Stevens... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Bollywood Film Star Faces Inquiry Into Illegal Use of Her Father's Gun
Times of India
8 May 2008
NEW DELHI -- A Gurgaon court on Thursday ordered an inquiry into Soha Ali Khan illegal gun licence case. The court has ordered an inquiry against Haryana police for concealing facts. Soha Ali Khan's gun was allegedly used by her father -- former cricketer Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi to kill a blackbuck in June 2005 in Haryana's Jhajjar district. Soha Ali Khan is accused of obtaining a gun license despite being under-age at... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Campaign Targets Illinois Lawmakers Who Vote Against Gun Control
Daily Herald (Chicago)
8 May 2008
Postcards with a picture of a handgun and children as targets started appearing in mailboxes and on windshields in a few central Lake County towns this week. The postcards, distributed by representatives of the Brady Campaign, a national gun control advocacy group, criticize Republican state Rep. Sandy Cole of Grayslake for voting against legislation that would require background checks on all handgun sales. "She is against... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fearing an 'Anti-gun' President, Rush of Texans Apply for Hidden Handguns
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
8 May 2008
AUSTIN -- Demand for concealed handgun licenses has risen nearly 40 percent in Texas in a year, an increase being attributed to many factors, even presidential politics. Though the exact cause may be unclear, what's certain is that the spike in applications has caught the Department of Public Safety unprepared. The state is taking a month longer than the 60 days allowed by law to process original applications and 80 days... ( gunpolicy.org )
Austria, United Nations, Asia, Pacific
Austria Gives 100,000 Euros to UN Centre to Curb Asia-Pacific Gun Running
United Nations (New York), Media release
7 May 2008
Austria will contribute 100,000 to a United Nations project to curb the illicit flows of small arms and light weapons in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the world body's Office for Disarmament Affairs. The funds, pledged by Austria on 5 May, will go towards the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, which requires $2.2 million for its projects and to bolster its institutional capacity. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
'Careless' Utah Police Chief Shot Himself While Teaching Gun Safety Class
Associated Press
6 May 2008
RIVERDALE, Utah -- The police chief who shot himself in the ankle was waving a loaded pistol and being careless, according to two students who were attending his class to qualify for a concealed-weapons permit. "We were told the gun is the chief's personal sidearm, but it looked to me like he didn't know anything about the gun," Lewis Walker said. Bart Ulm, another student seeking certification to carry a concealed weapon, said... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Push to Allow Loaded Guns in US National Parks Should Be Shot Down
Christian Science Monitor, Editorial
6 May 2008
Pressured by the gun lobby and 51 US senators, the Interior Department proposes enhancing everyone's national park experience by letting people pack heat with a picnic. That's just what the nation's millions of park visitors don't need. Last week, Interior put out for public comment a rule that would allow people with concealed-weapons permits to carry loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. Forty-eight states grant... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Firearm Laws Change Quickly as State Legislators Ride With Gun Lobby
Palm Beach Post (Florida)
6 May 2008
If the gun lobby has its way, you'll be able to be locked and loaded virtually anywhere in America, from parks to schools. If gun control advocates have theirs, law-abiding citizens will continue to be helpless prey for murderers, rapists and thieves. Now that Florida and Georgia have joined six other states with "bring your gun to work" laws, expect to hear these arguments more often as the two sides spar over just how... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
American Pro Athletes Who Carry Guns Are Begging for Trouble
Kansas City Star (Missouri), Column
3 May 2008
When you're a high-profile-millionaire anything, gun-toting does not enhance your safety. It jeopardizes it. Indianapolis Colts receiver Marvin Harrison learned that lesson last week. I hope members of the Kansas City Chiefs are paying attention. Harrison has spent the past decade crafting a relatively impeccable reputation as a Hall of Fame receiver and private, community-minded role model. A decade of work just might... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Must Reject Bill to Allow Guns in Restaurants, on Public Transport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Opinion
2 May 2008
In a letter to Gov. Sonny Perdue, Woodstock Mayor Donnie Henriques opposes House Bill 89, which would allow permitted gun holders to take their weapons in public parks, restaurants and on public transit. Here are excerpts: In this legislative session our elected delegates addressed many issues with typical spirit and competency and I am again honored to be associated with the men and women who dedicate their lives to public office.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan Launches Campaign to Prevent Civilians Carrying Guns
International News (Karachi)
2 May 2008
ISLAMABAD -- The Ministry of Interior Wednesday directed all provincial governments to launch an immediate focused campaign against display, brandishing and carriage of small weapons, says a press release. The ministry underscored the fact that vast majority of the killings and casualties are directly attributable to the use of small arms, which are easy to carry and conceal therefore the provincial governments have been directed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Shows Gun Lobby is Wrong: Tough Gun Laws Curb Shootings
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Editorial
1 May 2008
The gun lobby contends that Georgia will be a safer place if Gov. Sonny Perdue signs House Bill 89, which allows those with permits to carry concealed weapons on MARTA trains, in state parks and in restaurants that serve alcohol. But, of course, those lobbyists offer no facts to support their position, only the bumper-sticker argument that when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Fortunately, that statement... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Some Floridians Earned Hidden Handgun Permits 'Firing' Toy Plastic Guns
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
30 April 2008
Some of the 500,000 people holding concealed-weapons permits in Florida qualified by using toy guns. Recent complaints to state officials pointed out that almost anyone who wants to carry a handgun to the movies, mall or church can do so. The shortcomings they cited include training that allows firing bullets without gunpowder, and passing students for merely pulling the trigger once or twice without ever loading or unloading a... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Industry Can Learn from Scuba Divers: Certify Firearm Owners
Christian Science Monitor, Opinion
29 April 2008
DALLAS -- The Supreme Court will issue a major interpretation of the Second Amendment in coming weeks. But even as both sides in the gun debate await the D.C. v. Heller ruling, the gun industry should set its sights on a different target: certification. It should develop and adopt a private licensing and certification program fashioned on the highly successful scuba diving industry model to provide safety, legal, and marksmanship... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Barack Obama Lists the Tighter Gun Control Measures He Supports
Chicago Sun-Times
25 April 2008
In a sit-down interview with the Sun-Times, White House hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday he has been following with great concern the gun violence that has plagued the city in recent weeks. "The news has just been heart-breaking," Obama said after a speech to union members at McCormick Place. "I've asked my staff to contact the Chicago Police Department, and I'm going to put in a call to the mayor just to find out just what is... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Bill to Allow Hidden Handguns on Trains, Buses and in Restaurants
Los Angeles Times
25 April 2008
ATLANTA -- Scores of Atlanta's law enforcement, transit and business leaders joined Mayor Shirley Franklin on Thursday to urge Gov. Sonny Perdue to veto a bill that would allow Georgians to carry concealed handguns onto trains and buses and into restaurants that serve alcohol. "This is not about the right to bear arms," Franklin, a Democrat, said at a news conference at City Hall. "This is about public safety ... There is a direct... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgians Wake up to Law Encouraging Guns in Eateries, Public Transport
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
25 April 2008
Three weeks after is slipped through the legislature, a bill to permit licensed owners to carry concealed firearms in parks, on public transportation and in booze-serving restaurants has resulted in a delayed storm of protest urging Gov. Sonny Perdue to veto the measure. MARTA bus drivers already have 1,000 signatures on a petition demanding bulletproof shields, should HB 89 be signed into law. The Georgia Restaurant Association,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
More and More US States Pass Laws to Conceal Hidden Handgun Permits
USA Today
25 April 2008
South Carolina last week became the latest in a growing number of states to make the names of people who have a license to carry a concealed weapon a state secret. Five other states might not be far behind in a battle that pits a public policy of open government against the right of people to keep their gun ownership records private. Bills that would make concealed gun permit records confidential have been introduced in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Needs Handgun Owner Licensing, Better Background Checks
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), Opinion
25 April 2008
Recent efforts to pass gun-control legislation in Pennsylvania have fallen flat -- to no one's surprise, probably. Laws that have passed either will have little effect on reducing gun violence (setting up a registry for lost or stolen handguns) or will likely be declared unconstitutional by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (the bills passed by Philadelphia City Council). What can a legislator from the Philadelphia suburbs, one who... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Corporations Have No Right to Keep Guns Away From the Workplace
Tampa Tribune (Florida), Opinion
25 April 2008
While clowning around with my grandchildren one day, I suddenly shouted, "Look at the sky, it has turned from blue to green." Try as I might, I could never convince them that it was true, because they could see and couldn't be fooled. So it is with Robert Levy's column ("Employers Must Pull The Trigger," Our Opinion, April 22). Levy claims that our right to have firearms locked in our cars in a parking lot is not about... ( gunpolicy.org )
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