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NEWTON — More and more people are getting permits to carry concealed weapons, both around the state and in Harvey County. According to figures released by the state attorney general, there were 12,408 permit applications in the just finished fiscal year of 2012, up from 9,148 in 2011. Since the law was enacted in 2006 allowing concealed carry in Kansas, there have been more than 44,000 permits issued. Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said he has noticed an increase locally in people wanting permits to carry concealed weapons. “We are getting about 15 applications per month,” Walton said. “Just this...

Asking yourself why no concealed carry permit holder was present to stop the shooter? Maybe this is why: Aurora, Co 1. "Dangerous weapon" includes firearm 2. Revocation of license for furnishing a firearm to a minor or someone under the influence. 3. Window displays cannot include firearms with barrels less than 12 inches long. 4. Unlawful to carry concealed "dangerous weapon" 5. Unlawful to discharge firearms, unless by law enforcement on duty or on shooting range. 6. Unlawful to possess firearm while under the influence of intoxicant 7. Unlawful to have loaded firearm in motor vehicle. 8. Unlawful for a...

“Headquartered in Plano, TX, Cinemark Holdings, Inc. is a leader in the motion picture exhibition industry with 459 theatres and 5,181 screens in the U.S. and Latin America as of March 31, 2012,” their website reports. Cinemark owns the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, scene of last night’s mass shooting. Cinemark doesn’t allow anyone other than law enforcement officers to carry legal firearms in their theaters. (more at the site)

The Government Accountability Office has just issued a report on concealed carry in the United States that says there are at least 8 million active concealed carry permits, and anti-gun California Senator Dianne Feinstein immediately said the report is proof that national CCW reciprocity would endanger the lives of police and private citizens. Gun Rights Examiner obtained a copy of the 90-page GAO document, which details differences in state requirements to obtain a concealed carry permit or, as they are called in Washington State, a concealed pistol license (CPL). Late Thursday afternoon, the Department of Licensing told this column that...

New GAO report demonstrates reciprocity gun legislation would endanger lives of citizens, law enforcement Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the results of a new GAO study she requested on concealed carry legislation that underscores the dangers of gun reciprocity legislation introduced in the Senate. The bills require states to recognize gun permits issued by other states, including those with weaker gun control policies. The two concealed carry reciprocity bills (S. 2188, S. 2213) require nearly every state to accept the concealed carry gun permits issued by other states—regardless of the permit standards in either state. Senator Feinstein has placed...

THIBODAUX – Maybe it was the weight of things in his pants that caused them to sag enough to get a policeman’s attention. A 16-year-old was walking in the middle of the road with his pants drooping below his underwear when an officer approached him. Police said the officer several times told the teen to take his hands out of his sagging pants and hold his hands up. He refused, so the officer did a pat down, allegedly finding a handgun and five bags of marijuana. That’s when the boy tried to run but pants falling down his legs made...

Last week, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that for one to be found guilty of possessing a firearm illegally, prosecutors must prove that the individual was aware that he/she was breaking the law. The case, State v. Ndikum (Minn. July 11, 2012), involved a Minneapolis immigration and family law attorney, Christian Chi Ndikum, who was arrested for bringing his loaded Ruger revolver into the Hennepin County Family Justice Center in early September 2009. Ndikum told local authorities that he had no idea that the gun was in his briefcase; his wife testified that she put the gun in the bottom...

Was Rudolph Dean, Jr. acting in self defense when he reportedly shot at another man in January in Rockingham County? Several people in the Valley say he was and now they want justice. More than 1,000 people have signed a petition to get Dean out of jail on bond. Dozens of those people gathered in Court Square Wednesday to voice their concerns. Cindy Carr took the podium to talk to the community about why they are upset. Carr said Dean used his gun in self-defense and should not have to stay in jail for that before his trial. She said...

I was leaving work the other night, and it dawned on me, I really wish I had my gun on me right now. Lest you think I was being a bit paranoid, the job I’m speaking of is my work as a professional musician, playing at a club. For my solo act, I’ve got to pack and move a P.A., guitars, keyboard, and assorted effluvia, loading these expensive pieces of equipment in and out every gig. It usually works out that I’m one of the last guys out of the venue, hence the desire for a gun. The loading areas...

Morton, Ill. — Another shot in November at passing legislation approving concealed carry in Illinois is what State Rep. Mike Unes, R-East Peoria, is hoping for. Unes was appointed to co-chair the Firearm Public Awareness Task Force this past legislative session. The 23-member task force was created under the passage of House Resolution 550. Duties and findings The task force’s duties included analyzing data from states that have concealed carry laws with the specific intent to evaluate how the enactment of concealed carry would benefit public safety in Illinois. “The task force has completed formal meetings. A final report is...

So holds yesterday’s State v. Ndikum (Minn. July 11, 2012). It’s a statutory construction case, akin to Staples v. United States (1994), and not a constitutional case. But because the decision whether to read a required mental state into a statute — here, the decision whether a ban on “possess[ing] a pistol … in a public place … without … a permit to carry” applies only to knowing possession — often turns on a judgment about whether the underlying conduct is the sort of unusual and especially dangerous activity that the legislature can be presumed to have criminalized on a...

I saw a couple of people (including InstaPundit) citing this Utne Reader article, which reports that “Texas Department of Public Safety data show that the fastest-growing group of concealed handgun owners in the state has been, for at least five years, black women” (and also tells the story of the author, one of those black women). And, as I always like to do, I decided to check the statistics for myself. I don’t think the race and sex of who owns guns and who has carry licenses is particularly important for evaluating concealed carry laws, but such demographic phenomena still...

Every day, about 300 applications pour in to the Department of Justice headquarters in Madison from people who want a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Jamie Besaw is one the people planning to get a permit. "We have five daughters," Besaw said. "I'd like to feel like that I can protect me and my family and my kids. That's the biggest thing." He and about two dozen people recently attended a concealed carry training class in Shawano County. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says right now, most applications are being turned around in less than two weeks. "What we're...

Demand for out-of-state licenses proves need for passage of HB495 by Chad D. Baus Although Ohio's concealed handgun license law has been in place since April 2004, it appears the folks at the Lucas County sheriff's office are just now discovering some of the finer details of the law. From The Toledo Blade: Lucas County sheriff's deputies recently responded to a call of a man with a gun. What they encountered took some sorting out: The jogger was a local man with a gun under his shirt who produced an Ohio driver's license and a concealed-carry permit issued from the...

Open carry of firearms in the United States is a source of regular debate among Second Amendment advocates. Some people see open carry as a social or political statement, while others merely see it as a convenient way to carry a self defense tool. Depending on who you talk to, you can get anything from zealot-like support to Brady-ish condemnation of exposed carry. Even if you don’t personally think open carry is a good idea, I believe there are some good reasons to consider it. For example, in some states obtaining a concealed weapon permit is not a reasonable option,...

Charlotte, NC --(Ammoland.com)- NRA-backed House Bill 1647 and Senate Bill 489 must be signed by Governor Jay Nixon (D) by July 14. If enacted into law, these bills will represent a significant advance in the preservation and protection of Second Amendment rights of Missouri’s residents. Please contact Governor Nixon TODAY to express your support for these important pro-gun bills. House Bill 1647, championed by state Representative Jeanie Riddle (R-20) and state Senator Mike Kehoe (R-6), contains several self-defense improvements important to Missouri’s gun owners. HB 1647 lowers the Right-to-Carry age requirement from 21 to 18 years old for active duty...

One in 40 Minnesota adults now has a permit to carry a handgun, and there's no consensus on whether we're safer. It's become another thing Pat Cannon makes sure he has on him each morning before heading out the door of his south Minneapolis bungalow. Wallet? Check. Keys? Check. Handgun? "Actually, the gun usually goes on with the pants," said Cannon, who tucks his loaded Ruger .357 Magnum revolver into a holster he conceals inside his waistband. He positions it far enough forward on his right hip so that he can drive comfortably, but far enough back so that the...

A judge said Thursday that George Zimmerman appeared to be preparing to flee when he transferred funds out of his name just before his bond hearing, but his plan was “thwarted.”

The number of concealed weapons permits issued in Cowlitz County has surged by 300 percent in the last six years, keeping pace with a statewide trend seemingly fueled by a rising fear of criminals and gun control legislation. Last year, 1,097 more permits were issued in Cowlitz County than in 2006, according to the state Department of Licensing. Statewide, the number of permits has jumped by nearly 64,000. These figures include renewals of the five-year permits. Many other states are reporting a sharp uptick in concealed weapons permits, among them Ohio, Iowa, Florida and Texas. A spike in concealed weapons...

Dennis Terry decided to take a different route to the post office Thursday morning, and it’s a good thing he did. While driving on College Avenue near downtown Athens, he saw a man and woman struggling over a bag. When Terry stopped and backed up to see what was going on, he saw the man punch the woman, knocking her to the ground as she still clung to the bag. “I had the windows up but I could hear the first lick he hit her with because it was so hard,” Terry said. Terry didn’t think twice about what to...

ATHENS, Ga. — Three people in Athens have recently used firearms to interrupt crimes, leading police to say it’s preferable to call 911 if possible.

Two northern Ohio newspapers have recently published editorials on House Bill 495, which was passed out of the Ohio House on June 13 by a 59 - 28 margin. The contrast between editorials by The Lima News and The Cleveland Plain Dealer addressing passage of the bill, which seeks to reform Ohio concealed carry law to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and continue a trend toward making Ohio law similar to other states, could not be more stark. First, from The Lima News editorial entitled "Gun bill would align Ohio's law with other states": When Ohio passed a...

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It's good to know your rights!

Guns.com recently published an editorial by long time writer David LaPell about a string of customer complaints regarding Bass Pro Shop’s concealed carry policy. The article concerned carriers being asked to check their arms before entering the store and it created quite a stir online with folks messaging us coming from across the country both verifying and refuting Mr. LaPell’s insinuations that Bass Pro Shops policy, whatever it was, appeared to be arbitrarily enforced by employees depending on the store location and also not readily available to him in print. Well, Bass Pro Shops responded immediately and, as you will...

Contact Governor Nixon and Urge Him to Sign HB 1647 Into Law House Bill 1647, which was passed by both chambers of the Missouri legislature last month and currently awaits Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) signature, has once again come under attack. The Missouri Press Association is working with Missouri Prosecuting Attorneys to undermine your rights by pushing for Governor Nixon to veto this common-sense Right to Carry legislation. Don't let the media and power-hungry prosecutors win this battle. If they do, HB 1647 will not become law, and law-abiding citizens and our active duty military will lose! Contact Governor Nixon...

Last year was a banner year for proponents of gun carrying on college campuses. No fewer than 23 state legislatures saw bills introduced that would allow either faculty or students, or both, to bring firearms onto school grounds. The vast majority of the lawmakers in these states declined to change their current laws on the subject. Rather than giving up the fight, supporters of college carry laws have been rejuvenated by recent school shootings and have brought the issue back around in 2012. In these 10 states across the country, the great debate rages on. 1. Virginia: Looser campus carry...

Last year was a banner year for proponents of gun carrying on college campuses. No fewer than 23 state legislatures saw bills introduced that would allow either faculty or students, or both, to bring firearms onto school grounds. The vast majority of the lawmakers in these states declined to change their current laws on the subject. Rather than giving up the fight, supporters of college carry laws have been rejuvenated by recent school shootings and have brought the issue back around in 2012. In these 10 states across the country, the great debate rages on. 1. Virginia: Looser campus carry...

Michael Schmidt says he has no idea why a man he passed while walking his dog Sunday night turned around and attacked him. "He came up behind, put his left arm over my chest, took his right arm, and slashed my throat from left to right," Schmidt explained. The attack happened at about 11 p.m. Sunday in the 1200 block of West Byron Street. As Schmidt gripped his throat, he said his attacker just stood there for several seconds, watching his victim bleed profusely. "He just had this sneer on his face. I think he was amazed that I didn't...

While the T-SPLOST vote rightly gets most of the attention, the July 31 primaries will also feature a number of ballot questions for both Republican voters and Democrats. We’ve covered a few of them in previous Poll Positions, and today we’re going to resume that series with a bang. No, really. The third question on GOP primary ballots will read: Should active duty military personnel who are under the age of 21 be allowed to obtain a Georgia weapons carry license?

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Whether people should be allowed to carry guns into churches has been a matter of debate, although in Texas, unless the church says otherwise, it's legal to carry a concealed handgun into a place of worship. Come Saturday, not only will people be allowed to carry a weapon onto one church premises, but there will be a class on how to use that weapon. The Heights Baptist Church will hold a concealed handgun class from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, with a break for lunch, church staff said. "I want to be a responsible owner,"...

(WEAU) - The Eau Claire County Board passed a new ordinance allowing loaded guns to be carried in parks. In the past guns were only allowed if there were unloaded and encased. Mike Torud with the Eau Claire County Parks and Forestry Department says people carrying a gun need to have a valid concealed carry permit to do so and cannot shoot guns in the park unless it is in self-defense. Violators can be fined up to about $263. Torud says signs should be up in parks in about the next two weeks.

From time to time the Libertarian News Examiner receives Editorial Ideas to write about. A recent one was "Gun Violence." "According to a National Institute of Justice survey," this Editorial Idea declared, "gun fatalities have steadily risen every year since 2002." While lots of statistics and examples were thrown around by this Editorial Idea no definition of gun violence was offered. Words like homicide, murder and attacks were used but there was no mention of people defending themselves from attempted homicide, murder or attacks. The obviously intended insinuation is that every instance of gun usage is an act of "gun...

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- By a 59 – 28 margin, the Ohio House has passed House Bill 495, sponsored by Representative Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), which will reform Ohio concealed carry law to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and continue a trend toward making Ohio law similar to other states. HB495 makes three changes to current law: * Changes to automatically honor other states licenses, similar to a driver’s license * Eliminates the “demonstrated competency” requirement for 2nd and future CHL renewals, making CHL training similar to a hunting license * Fixes the definition of a “loaded gun” to match the...

Winnebago County's circuit judges responded Monday to an effort by the district attorney there to wear his gun to work in the courthouse. The judges in January banned anyone but on-duty law enforcement officers from carrying a gun in the courthouse without written permission of the judge or court commissioner in front of whom the applicant will appear. District Attorney Christian Gossett and Deputy DA Scott Ceman, in a Monday petition to the Supreme Court, claim the orders exceed the judges' authority and contradict the state's concealed carry law which Gossett and Ceman claim specifically exempts prosecutors from the general...

As an elected district attorney, Christian Gossett is one of the few people Wisconsin's concealed carry law specifically allows to wear a weapon in a courthouse. But the judges in Winnebago County, where Gossett works, have said even he can't take a gun to work without written permission of whatever judge or court commissioner is presiding where Gossett might appear. So Gossett and his chief deputy Scott Ceman - both concealed carry permit holders - have asked the state Supreme Court to declare that the circuit judges have exceeded their authority and for a writ of prohibition to block them...

The number of people permitted to carry concealed weapons in Florida is up 33 percent this year, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture. The data, calculated as of May 31, 2012, shows women being issued more permits than ever before. Every Sunday in Orlando, it’s Ladies Day at The Shooting Gallery Gun Range on West 39th Street near John Young Parkway. At the gun range, News 13 met several women who are already carrying or thinking about carrying a concealed weapon. Some women mentioned the uncertain economy as a primary factor to protect themselves with a concealed handgun. “I...

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The state Justice Department asked legislators Wednesday for permission to spend an additional $788,000 to ensure the agency can keep up with concealed carry applications. The request illustrates yet again the popularity of Wisconsin's concealed carry law. The Department of Justice has been grappling with a deluge of permit applications since the Republican-authored measure took effect in November.

Grass Roots North Carolina's pressure on the GOP regarding HB 111 has caught the eye of the media. The Associated Press' Allen Reed sent out a 4-paragraph report on this issue. He notes, correctly, that the perception is that the Republican leadership is shunting the issue to the side and claiming they just don't have the time. It appears to be have been picked up by a number of papers. The Winston-Salem Journal goes further on the issue quoting Paul Valone of GRNC and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger on the issue. "Do we have to wait until more...

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Concealed handgun permit holders could legally have clips loaded with bullets next to their weapons in their cars under legislation approved Wednesday by the Ohio House. House lawmakers voted, 57-26, for the measure, which also would lift other restrictions in the concealed carry law. The legislation also would free permit holders who are up for a license renewal from going through a competency course in firearms. Current law already requires applicants to undergo a first round of training to obtain a permit. In addition, the legislation would require the Ohio Attorney General to enter into reciprocity agreements...

On Tuesday, June 12, the House Committee on State Government and Elections, which is chaired by BFA "A" -rated Rep. Ron Maag, heard testimony on HB495 (Reciprocity & Concealed Carry Modernization). HB495, also known as the reciprocity & concealed carry modernization bill makes three changes to current law: * Changes to automatically honor other states licenses, just like a driver's license * Eliminates the "demonstrated competency" requirement for 2nd and future CHL renewals, making CHL training similar to a hunting license * Fixes the definition of a "loaded gun" to match the commonly accepted definition This was the third hearing...

Wisconsin --(Ammoland.com)- A Milwaukee man will not face any charges after shooting a robbery suspect at a Milwaukee grocery store after an armed robber began waving a shotgun around, according to reports. In fact, despite the Aldi’s store being posted against concealed carry, Milwaukee County’s district attorney praised his actions and no charges have been filed. Nazir Al-Mujaahid told 12 News that when he saw a man holding up a sawed off shotgun threatening a cashier in Aldi’s, he felt justified in drawing and shooting his concealed carry handgun. Al-Mujaahid said he’d only had his permit a short time before...

An ordinance that would prohibit the carrying of a concealed handgun in city-owned parks was pulled from the Russellville City Council's agenda Monday due to a discovered potential change with federal park guidelines. Recreation and Parks Director Mack Hollis requested the ordinance he submitted on behalf of his department's board be pulled, citing in an email the Recreational Lands Self Defense Act of 2011 — a bill that has passed in the House of Representatives and is pending in the U.S. Senate that would prohibit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) from barring weapons otherwise authorized under state law....

ROANOKE, Va.— A Roanoke business woman's gun and where she keeps it has helped her launch another, new business. Eliane Coleman Niemann has owned The Health Shelf, a full service herbal wellness center, for 18 years. She got quite a scare one day in 2009 and thought she was going to be robbed. Nothing happened, but an idea was born. It's called the Apron Gun Holster. "I didn't want my customers to come into a health store and be talking to me about their health, and I'm doing reflexology on their feet and then seeing a pistol on my side,"...

http://biggeekdad.com/2011/10/kellers-riverside-store/

During the fight to pass concealed carry reform in Ohio, raging a decade ago, the list of people offering warning that the sky would fall if we passed a CCW law was long and varied. While I and other pro-gun advocates often pointed out that the successful experience in other states should be an easy answer to all of the "what ifs" and Chicken Little warnings being tossed about, it often seemed as though opponents thought Ohioans were somehow less responsible than residents of bordering states. In those days, reporters had no problems finding law enforcement officers (usually unelected bureaucrats,...

SPRINGFIELD -- The sponsor of a bill that would allow Illinois residents to carry concealed handguns is waiting for a task force to finish its work before calling the legislation for a vote. Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, said lawmakers want to hear what the Firearm Public Awareness Task Force will say about the impact concealed carry might have on public safety. The House created the task force after Phelps’ legislation, House Bill 148, was defeated. The task force’s deadline is Dec. 31, but Phelps said he is ready to call the bill for a vote if the legislature holds a...

Ohio’s castle doctrine law justifies defending yourself without retreating in your home or car. Twenty-nine-year-old Woodrow Edwards III was in his girlfriend’s car when a man he didn’t know lifted the door handle and tried to enter. Edwards then lifted the .40-caliber handgun he was legally carrying. As a result, he was convicted of aggravated menacing. Though only fined $100 and ordered to stay away from the other man, he’s appealing his conviction based on a novel (at least for Ohio) interpretation of the state’s castle doctrine law . . . The case will be the first of its kind...

A gun bill left over from the flurry of gun bills that cleared the General Assembly last year was resurrected Thursday. This one, HB111, would allow anyone with a permit to carry a concealed weapon to bring that gun into a restaurant that serves alcohol, which is currently illegal. The bill also clarifies what part of park property that firearms would be allowed. A law that went into effect in December already allows that, but it gave local governments the option of banning guns from playgrounds, athletic fields and facilities, and swimming pools. Gun-rights advocates say some cities and towns...

A 15-year-old boy was shot in the arm by a relative during a family outing Wednesday at Long's Park, according to Lancaster city police. Investigators said the teen was squirting a "super-soaker type" water gun shortly after 4 p.m. when James Lawoyne Thedford Sr. shot him, hitting the boy's right wrist. Thedford and others took the boy to an area hospital, where he was treated and released, according to Capt. Kent Switzer. The gun believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered from the vehicle that was used to take the teen to the hospital, according to investigators....