It seems that the turnout for yesterday’s hearing in Olympia was excellent
The debate before the Senate Committee on Higher Education touched on everything from the Second Amendment to last year’s fatal mass shooting at Virginia Tech.
Neither measure is likely to go anywhere in this year’s short legislative session, said Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds, the committee chairman. He suggested the sponsors work out their differences and come back next year.
From what I understand about dotgov speak, that is language that basically states “We won’t have a vote on this because it’ll pass and the one I co-sponsored won’t and I don’t want to give the full Senate a chance to make this lawâ€
After going through the media scare tactic of listing campus shootings that have happened over the past couple years, the article continues
The hearing attracted a handful of college students, including some from the UW, who testified in favor of concealed weapons on campuses.
Trip Volpe, a UW student who has a concealed weapon permit, called the policy against weapons on campus ineffective and added “there’s very little anyone can do to stop a person with a gun in hand and murder in their hearts.”
During the current session, Gov. Chris Gregoire requested a bill aimed at improving campus safety, but it did not touch on the gun issue. Idaho’s Legislature is also considering a bill similar to Roach’s.
Pro-gun backers showed up in force, handing out buttons opposing the gun-banning bill. They argued that people who want to use guns to hurt people would not care about weapon bans.
“I want to make sure the record reflects that Virginia Tech was a gun free zone, and results (were) painfully predictable,” said Brian Judy, testifying for the National Rifle Association. “Only the victims were gun free.”
He’s right, and the reporter knows it, so they close the article by giving the gun bigots the scaremongering last words
“Well-intentioned people who have firearms and want to save the day often end up adding to the violence of the situation or becoming victims themselves,” said Kristen Comer, executive director of Washington Cease Fire. “Any time we start to get into the area of vigilante justice, it’s a bit precarious.”
Ahh, how wonderful that they always fall back on the stereotypical platitude that any person who wishes to take up their human right of self defense are vigilantes.
Ms. Corner, you disgust me.
So, a draw in Washington State for the time being. If the excellent Senator from Auburn, Pam Roach, has anything to do about it, we will be seeing more of SB 6860 in the future.
But, now all the Idahoans have business to take care of along this very same line.
And Marylanders have a new issue to deal with
Two Maryland lawmakers, both Democrats, have introduced a bill that would bar anyone under the age of 13 from getting a hunting license. Critics say there is no justification for establishing a minimum age.
House Bill 655, sponsored by State Delegates Barbara Frush and Virginia Clagett, would prohibit the Maryland Department of Natural Resources from issuing a hunting license to anyone under the age of 13. Future hunting license applications would require the applicant’s date of birth.
Right now, the State of Maryland issues “junior licenses” to children under 16 who pass a firearms and hunter safety course.
I’m not quite clear, but are they taking away Hunter’s Safety courses in favor of just giving anyone over the age of 13 a license? I certainly hope not, for it would be just about the most ignorant thing I’ve ever heard.
And as Rob Sexton of the US Sportsman’s Alliance said in the linked article, this is a direct attack on the future of the hunting sports. The USSA have done studies showing that after the age of twelve, interest in getting into hunting drops dramatically.
Seems to me as though some Maryland state delegates have also read those studies.
What would a vigilante firefighter be? I doubt that Ms Comer would consider a vigilante to be someone who was at the site of the fire when it broke out and used a fire extinguisher while calling the Fire Department.
A Vigilante is someone who goes out and hunts down a suspect who has left the scene of the crime, and administers punishment at a time and place different from when and where the crime occurred.