<h1> <center> Governors Strengthen and Weaken Gun Laws </center> </h1>

The GVP Report - August 20, 2013
In The News ► Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation that requires background checks on all gun sales, including private guns sales both online and in person.  The new law also requires gun owners whose weapons are lost or stolen notify police within 72 hours of discovering the guns are missing. ► New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed 10 gun bills into law including disqualifying people on the federal terrorist watch list from owning guns and increasing penalties for illegal gun possession. ►However, New Jersey Gov. Christie vetoed a ban on .50-caliber rifles and gutted a proposal overhauling the state's gun permit system. "One person with one of these guns [.50 caliber] and incendiary armor piercing bullets could knock down a chemical plant and kill hundreds of people," said Bryan Miller, Heeding God's Call. ► A new law signed by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley allows people 18 to 20 years old to obtain concealed weapons permits. This has caused problems at local gun shops because you must be 21 to buy a gun from a licensed dealer. The sheriff has received "several complaints" that some of these young people with ccw permits were "being belligerent" about not being able to buy a gun from a dealer. ► The Oregon Supreme Court upheld a Portland ordinance that prohibits the carrying of loaded guns in public places by those without a permit.  The court pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court Heller ruling that said the Second Amendment right is not absolute. ► Associated Press reporters in Montana have been subject to online threats after seeking the names of concealed weapon permit holders. The AP sought the information "as part of our long-standing mission to assure transparency and accountability in government." ► The prosecution is expected to rest this week in the trial of Army Maj. Nidal Hassan, accused of a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas that left 13 people dead and 32 people injured. ► Florida prosecutors are not filing homicide charges against a 17-year-old who fatally shot a community choir director in the face, citing the state's Stand Your Ground/Shoot First law.  Prosecutors concluded that even though the teenager possessed the gun illegally, and even though his friends escaped the confrontation by simply walking away, the teen is immunized by Florida law. Community Support ► 70-year-old Tom Harvey and his wife have been standing outside the White House for the past eight months holding signs asking for stronger gun laws. Person after person, from around the U.S. and from all over the world, gives them a thumbs-up or says "thank you for what you're doing." ► Tara Haelle, Parents Against Gun Violence, Chicago Violence is Bad - Very - But Gun Problem is Bigger than One City. Chicago is not at the top of the pack of U.S. cities with the highest firearm homicides per capita. And when you step out and look at the U.S. murder profile, the picture is quite bleak, especially for the young. ► Edgar Allen Beem, The Forecaster, Southern Maine, Insecurities About School Security. Many school security measures are essentially feel-good and about as effective as ducking under your desk in a nuclear attack. Ironically, increased school security may make parents feel good, but their children feel less safe. ► Brian Beutler, Salon.com, What I Learned From Getting Shot. It turns out that even if a bullet only causes minor internal damage, doctors have to cut you wide open to make sure they're not missing anything dangerous or fatal. ► As gun owners across the nation declared Starbucks Appreciation Day at Newtown Starbucks, an open carry gun event was shut out.  To avoid the demonstrators, the store closed early "out of respect for Newtown and everything our community has been through." ► Rep. Stacey Newman, The Turner Report, St. Louis, Missouri, Thoughts on Gun Violence. Instead of silence from the gun manufacturer's lobby after the next mass shooting, what if there was a sincere effort for collective responsibility? What if one firearm company expressed concern and locked hands with citizens to do everything possible to avoid additional gun deaths? ► Activists staged a "die-in" against Stand Your Ground/Shoot First laws outside of the American Legislative Exchange Council's (ALEC) annual conference in Chicago. ALEC has helped to push Shoot First laws in states across the country. What the Gun Lobby is Doing ► The Atlantic Magazine, Colorado's Gun-Control Recall: A Sign of Things to Come for Reformers? The Giron and  Morse recalls could turn out to be an expensive and mainly symbolic vote against two officials, but their backers are hoping for more.  They want to send a signal to other politicians that it's just not worth the trouble to limit guns - even if you can win a recall. ► Jon Caldera, Colorado Independence Institute, tells a group that if they succeed in knocking out Morse in the upcoming recall election "there will be a shudder, a wave of fear that runs across the country" and state legislators will say "that's not going to happen to me, I will not take on those gunnies." ► Time Magazine, Inside NRA University: The Gun Group Takes Supporters to School.  The NRA holds seminars for college students to learn the facts and fallacies of the gun debate, as defined by the NRA. ► Mother Jones, George Zimmerman's Biggest Defender: A Racist with a Criminal Past. Frank Taaffe, Zimmerman's unofficial media emissary, is a convicted criminal who recently appeared on The White Voice, a virulently racist podcast. He has given hundreds of interviews in support of Zimmerman, ranging from the New York Times to Fox News to CNN.		Blogs Josh Sugarmann, Violence Policy Center, NRA Video Promotes Ted Nugent's Fave Hobby: Shooting Feral Pigs From Helicopters Joan Peterson, Common GunSense, The Risks of Guns in Public Baldr Odinson, Ceasefire Oregon, Meet Rockne Newell: Another "Law Abiding" Gun Advocate Turned Mass Murderer Cathie Whittenburg, OhhShoot Blog, Woman unintentionally shoots and kills her best friend at birthday party Advocacy ► Brady Campaign is joining in the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, Saturday August 24th in D.C..  Volunteer to help at the march. ► Iowans for Gun Safety joined with Mayors Against Illegal Guns No More Names bus tour stop in Des Moines. ► CeasefirePA took part in a Women's Roundtable to Discuss Gun Violence.  Participants included state legislators, domestic violence groups and community members. ► Connecticut Against Gun Violence honored Gov. Dan Malloy for his leadership in passing tough gun control legislation. ► Ceasefire New Jersey and Moms Demand Action held a press conference to urge Gov. Christie to sign all the gun bills that had been approved by the state legislature. ► Americans for Responsible Solutions released a new report, Anatomy of an Internet Sale that shows how easy it is to buy a gun through a private sale with no background check. ► Coalition to Stop Gun Violence has released a new psa, Stand Up to "Stand Your Ground" - A Petition for Trayvon. ► Georgia Gun Sense Coalition held a protest against the policies of the gun rights group Georgia Carry outside their conference in Smyrna, GA. ► Toby Hoover, Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, commented on the rise in concealed weapons permits in Ohio. She pointed out that even with the latest spike it is still a very small percentage of the population who has a permit. Worst of the Week 44-year-old Erbie Bowser of DeSoto, Texas is a former special education teacher and a onetime dancer for the Dallas Mavericks' male dance team. He is charged with killing four people, including this ex-wife and estranged girlfriend. The violent rampage began when Bowser walked into the Dallas home of his estranged girlfriend, Toya Smith, shot and killed Toya and her 17-year-old daughter and injured her 14-year-old son and a 17-year-old family friend. Bowser then went to his ex-wife's house. He shot and killed his ex-wife Zina and a 28-year-old friend and wounded two boys, ages 11 and 13. Bowser had run out of ammunition by the time police arrived.