Coalition of sportsmen unloads on gun control bill

by Jon Ralston Fri, 05/24/2013 - 18:11

UPDATE:  This came out shortly after the original-- whoops:

 

 
Date: May 24, 2013, 4:00:08 PM PDT
Subject: SB 221 correction
 
After consultation and responses to the email that I just sent out about SB 221, it was pointed out that several of the claims I made may not be true.
 
EXEMPTIONS AND AMMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN INTO THE BILL ALLOWING FOR TRANSFER OF A FIREARM UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCE,
 
Exemptions for several of the items I mentioned have been written into the bill and I quote, Page 18, 8. A temporary transfer of a firearm that occurs while in the presence of the owner of the firearm.
 
That has been interpreted as allowing the loaning of a gun or having a friend put a gun in storage for you.
 
The claim that I put forth that you can not teach a child to shoot may have been misinterpreted by me. Again I quote, Page 18, C. While hunting, fishing, target shooting or trapping if:
 
1. The hunting, fishing, target shooting or trapping is legal in all places where the person to whom the firearm is transferred possesses the firearm: and
2. The person to who the firearm is transferred holds all licenses or permits required for such hunting, fishing,  target shooting  or trapping.
 
I interpreted that as not allowing a child that has not gone through hunter safety and does not have a license to shoot as being prohibited from shooting and being handed a gun. This was my interpretation and it was pointed out to me that this is wrong, a child does not necessarily have to have license or permit and thus would still be able to be taught.
 
The best thing for all to do is to read the regulation, and make these determinations for your self.
 
The Coalition for Nevada's Wildlife always wants to be the best source of information for the sportsmen and we fight tirelessly for your right to hunt and shoot. We feel a responsibility to always get it right and not to mislead or in this case misinterpret any thing that is passed along to you.  
 
This time I may have gotten it wrong on several points. This does not mean that you should support this bill, much of this bill is still oppressive and wrong.
 
Please read the bill for your self, it is 26 pages long and full of verbiage that may be difficult to interpret, I obviously misinterpreted portions of this and for that I again apologize.
 
Your link to the bill is below.
 
 
Tom Smith

 

 

 

 

A group of hunters and sportsmen from across Nevada has issued a call to arms to defeat state Sen. Justin Jones' background checks/mental health bill.

Calling it "terrible legislation" that will create a "de facto gun registry," they sent this to their sizable list:

 

Coalition for Nevada’s Wildlife

P. O. Box 70143

Reno, Nevada 89570

 

 

May 24, 2013                                    CALL TO ACTION!

Sportsmen:

            SB 221 has passed the Nevada State Senate and now goes to the Assembly side with only a week left in the Legislative session.  This is terrible legislation for all gun owners requiring background checks for transfers (not only ownership) of firearms between private individuals.  While the bill makes attempts at excluding,

·      gifts between family members

·      transfer upon death by wills or trusts

·      loans during hunting

·      a temporary transfer in the presence of the owner, etc.

it still requires a background check through a licensed dealer who is required to keep and maintain records.  So the proponents will have succeeded in making a de facto gun registration law.  Both the private seller and buyer have to appear before a licensed gun dealer to initiate the background check.  Anyone violating these provisions is now criminalized and is prohibited from possession a firearm for a period of two (2) years.  Here are some additional talking points from the NRA:

De Facto Firearms Registry

This legislation is a de facto registry in the sense that all firearms transfers must go through a licensed dealer, even a concealed firearms permit holder who is not subject to the background check must have the transfer conducted through a licensed dealer. That dealer must record that transaction as though he were selling a firearm out of his own inventory and maintain those records. Registries have been subjected to abuse in the past and could provide an avenue for abuse in Nevada.

 Fees

This bill could subject citizens who wish to engage in a private party transfer to an unspecified amount of costs associated with the transfers. The bill authorizes a fee of not more than $30 for a background check; however the bill is silent as to whether a dealer may charge for bringing the firearm into his inventory or other associated charges. It should be noted that NICS (National Instant Check System) which the dealer will access for the background check is free.

 

Lack of Outreach to Citizens

This bill does not have any provisions that provide for outreach to Nevadans and dealers of the new change in law. This is important so average citizens are not turned into criminals overnight for something that has long been legal. Imagine the neighbors who have sold and traded firearms with each other could now be engaging in an illegal activity unbeknownst to them.

 Ineffective

Background checks have not proven to be effective. Person who are denied purchasing a firearm based on a check are rarely, if ever prosecuted. It’s worth noting that submitting false information on a federal firearms form is a felony. In 2010 the FBI denied 72,659 of the total 14,409,616 checks run. Of those denials only 62 of these cases were prosecuted and only 13 resulted in a conviction. The reason, according to Vice President Biden, is that “we simply don’t have the time or the manpower to prosecute everybody who lies on a form, checks a wrong box, that answers a question inaccurately.” Unfortunately that means that persons who are caught through a background check are turned away to obtain a firearm somewhere else rather than being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

 Unenforceable

It’s unclear how this bill could be enforced. It seems the likely scenario of when an “illegal” transfer would be discovered is after a firearm has been confiscated or obtained by law enforcement.

 

            Research has shown that in each of the tragic shooting rampages (Newtown, etc.) that someone knew ahead of time of the shooter’s intentions, but did not come forward to officials.  Fear of hurting the eventual shooter’s reputation was the most common reason given.  I would much rather make these “should-be” informants accessories to the crime, rather than criminalize honest gun-owning citizens.  We continue to give away our freedoms in the perception of public safety.

 

            Finally, criminals don’t abide and don’t care about these requirements.  All the legislature is doing is penalizing and even criminalizing the honest citizen.  These silly requirements in no way reduce crime or keep guns out of the hands of criminals.  We cannot help but question the motives of legislators favoring such laws.  Do they really mean well, are they simply misinformed, or are they part of a larger agenda to disarm the American public?

 

            We need all hunters and gun owners to weigh in on this issue.  We have only two remaining chances to defeat this bill; in the Assembly next week and finally by a veto by the governor.  The vote in the Senate was strictly along party lines so we may have to rely upon a veto by the governor.  Contact information is as follows:

 

1.            Governor

            Telephone:   (775) 684-5670                        Mailing:               Governor Brian Sandoval

            Faxing:            (775) 684-5683                                                Capital Building

                                                                                                            S. Carson Street

                                                                                                            Carson City, NV 89701

            E-Mail:  Go to his website nv.gov:

·      At bottom left, under Executive, click Governor

·      This opens Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval page

·      Point cursor at Contact in the brown bar under Sandoval’s picture

·      You will see Email The Governor

·      Click on “Email The Governor” and fill in the required fields in bold.

 

2.            Assembly E-mail   -- you have two options and can do both if you want.

 

A.    Email your opinion to the Secretary for the Assembly at assembly@asm.state.nv.us   BUT YOU MUST include the following request “PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY”.

B.    Email each representative directly.  Their contact information is below.  You can highlight the entire list and copy-and-paste into the email Address line. (If you have Gmail and you do not see the addresses appear, you might have to click on the Subject line.)

 

 To copy-and-paste into an email:

·      With your mouse cursor pointed at the top left edge of first name on the list, left click and hold down the left button and move it down through the far right edge of the last name in the list.  This will highlight the entire list in blue.

·      Then right-click in the middle of this highlighted group of names.  A drop-down menu will appear.  Left-click on “Copy”.

·      Proceed to your email box to send a new email.

·      Right-click in the “To” line, then left-click Paste in the drop-down menu.  You should see the full list of names/addresses appear. (If you have GMail and do not see the addresses appear, you may have to click on the Subject line.

 

“Andrew Martin" <Andrew.Martin@asm.state.nv.us>,

 "Andy Eisen" <Andy.Eisen@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Cresent Hardy" <cresent.hardy@asm.state.nv.us>,

"David Bobzien" <david.Bobzien@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Dina Neal" <dina.neal@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Ellen Spiegel" <Ellen.Spiegel@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Elliot Anderson" <elliot.anderson@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Harvey Munford" <Harvey.Munford@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Heidi Swank" <Heidi.Swank@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Hickey, Pat" <pat.hickey@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Ira Hansen" <ira.hansen@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Irene Bustamante Adams" <irene.bustamanteadams@asm.state.nv.us>,

"James Healey" <James.Healey@asm.state.nv.us>,

"James Ohrenschall" <James.Ohrenschall@asm.state.nv.us>,

"James Oscarson" <James.Oscarson@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Jason Frierson" <jason.frierson@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Jim Wheeler" <Jim.Wheeler@asm.state.nv.us>,

"John Ellison" <john.ellison@asm.state.nv.us>,

"John Hambrick" <john.hambrick@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Joseph Hogan" <joe.hogan@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Lucy Flores" <lucy.flores@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Lynn Stewart" <Lynn.Stewart@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Maggie Carlton" <maggie.carlton@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Marilyn Dondero Loop" <marilyn.donderoloop@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Marilyn Kirkpatrick" <marilyn.kirkpatrick@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Melissa Woodbury" <melissa.woodbury@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Michele Fiore" <Michele.Fiore@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Mike Sprinkle" <Mike.Sprinkle@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Olivia Diaz" <olivia.diaz@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Paul Aizley" <paul.aizley@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Paul Anderson" <Paul.Anderson@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Peggy Pierce" <Peggy.Pierce@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Pete Livermore" <pete.livermore@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Randy Kirner" <randy.kirner@asm.state.nv.us>,

Richard Carrillo" <richard.carrillo@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Richard Daly" <skip.daly@asm.state.nv.us>,

 "Teresa Benitez Thompson" <teresa.benitezthompson@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Tom Grady" <Tom.Grady@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Tyrone Thompson" <tyrone.thompson@asm.state.nv.us>,

"Wesley Duncan" <Wesley.Duncan@asm.state.nv.us>,

"William Horne" <William.Horne@asm.state.nv.us>, 

 

            We also ask everyone to cast a vote on the legislative hot line.  To do so:

 

·      Go to the legislative website  -   leg.state.nv.us

·      At far right side of this window, see  “ 77th (2013) Session”

·      At bottom of this list click on Share Your Opinion on Legislative Bills

·      Under Bill Information and Opinion, Or type bill name here, type SB221

·       Immediately to the right, “click on the button” Get Bill Information (or you won’t be able to submit your opinion later). You will see a brief synopsis of the bill below.

·      Your View – Vote For or Against

·      Any comments? Not required but you can type your comments here.

·      Under Constituent Information enter your name, address, etc.

·      Click Submit

 

            Please forward this to all sportsmen and gun owners.  We need your immediate response!

 

Thanks!

 

Larry Johnson, President

Coalition for Nevada’s Wildlife

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