Free Republic

92% favor allowing carrying guns in public. http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/poll-do-you-think-people-should-be-allowed-carry-guns-public

A drug deal was going down in a WalMart parking lot.  Some of the participants were not happy with the deal.  They could not use the criminal justice system, so they used guns.  Shots were exchanged between occupants of two cars in the lot.  The WalMart parking lot was not in New York or New Jersey.  This WalMart was in Augusta, Maine, and in Maine, responsible and honest people can legally carry guns.  Two honest and responsible gun carriers stopped the shooting. The shooting in the Maine WalMart was between New York residents, and it involved Heroin.  The four...

Following the mass shooting in Orlando, guns have again become a hot-button issue. Nevada gun laws, along with open carry laws, allow people to carry a firearm almost anywhere they like. That might include the Las Vegas Strip, clubs and bars. It’s not just handguns. The law protects rifles and the like as well. “It covers everything. I’ve never seen a reason to carry a rifle down the road, but if it became a prudent thing to do, I would do it,” said David Stilwell, owner of Las Vegas’ Gun Butler. Openly carrying firearms doesn’t require a permit, and signs...

On the same day, Governor Ducey signed two bills that help to restore Second Amendment rights in Arizona.  HB 2338 stops educational institutions from banning the legal possession or carry of firearms on public right of ways that pass near or through the educational institution. From cqstatetrack.com: I. NOtwithstanding section 15-341 and subsection D of this section, the governing board of an educational institution may not adopt or enforce any policy or rule that prohibits the lawful possession or carrying of a deadly weapon on a public right‑of‑way by a person or on or within a person's means of...

Before the NRA meeting, it was well known that open carry would not be discouraged.  I entered Freedom Hall at the Louisville Kentucky Expo center this morning, as people were registering.  Within a minute, I had spotted three open carriers, and managed to get pictures.  From nraam.org: Firearms Carry Policy During the 2016 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, lawfully carried firearms will be permitted at Annual Meeting venues including the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC), KFC Yum! Center Arena, and Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC) in accordance with Kentucky law. Firearms and knives will be prohibited in any areas temporarily...

On the way to Wisconsin from Dallas, I had a minor automotive mishap.  I was on Highway 151, just across the Mississippi, and the Wisconsin border, when the battery light came on.  I had considered changing out the battery in Arizona when I left, but thought it could take one more trip.  I was wrong.  Things started going crazy with the sensors and instruments a few miles later, but I managed to take the first exit and ended up in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Dodgeville, trying to diagnose the problem.  The parking lot seemed like a decent place...

The Oklahoma legislature has passed HB 3098, the bill to restore permitless open carry to Oklahoma.  The bill passed the House  73 to 15, and the Senate 37 to 9.  Unless it is stopped in conference committee, it will be sent to Governor Mary Fallin.  Two years ago, in 2014,Governor Fallin, (R) Oklahoma, vetoed a number of bills in what has been described as a “tantrum” on the 29th of April. The legislature overrode one of the bills.  It is unclear if Governor Fallin would veto HB 3098, which passed with veto proof majorities.  I have read the bill,...

Legal open carry of modern handguns was partially restored to Texans on January 1st, 2016.  I was visiting Texas at the time and open carried a bit, but the cool weather in January made concealed carry more practical.  I returned to Dallas in April, to visit family and a new grandchild.This morning, on my aerobic exercise run, I was running west on Rosemeade Parkway.  A black and white police SUV approached on the other side of the boulevard, but did not slow down, and continued on its way without any sign of interest in me.  It was very near...

On April 20, the Oklahoma Senate voted 37-9 to pass legislation recognizing that the Second Amendment is a sufficient open carry permit. The legislation, HB 3098, had already passed in the House by a vote of 73-15. According to News 9, the Senate passed the bill via “a procedural move that forces the bill into conference committee” for one final look before it heads to Governor Mary Fallin (R). If changes are made to the bill while in committee, it will be brought back to the Floor for another vote. The decision to return to committee came after some senators...

In 2015, the Texas legislature passed a change in Texas statutes that prohibited government entities from posting signs to ban people who legally carried guns in areas where they are not banned by Texas law.  From the Texas statute 411.209: (a)  A state agency or a political subdivision of the state may not provide notice by a communication described by Section 30.06, Penal Code, or by any sign expressly referring to that law or to a concealed handgun license, that a license holder carrying a handgun under the authority of this subchapter is prohibited from entering or remaining on...

Open carry of modern handguns has been legal for most carry permit holders in Texas for a few months now.  I was able to open carry during my visit in January. During cold weather, opportunities were limited. With a new grandchild to see, I looked forward to Texas exercise without having to conceal my personal defensive firearm.  I open carried from Arizona to Dallas in Texas.  Interactions on the road were minimal. In Van Horn, Texas, I was able to grab the last motel room in town, just about midnight.  I was carrying in an older, Israeli Fobus holser,...

The NRA annual meeting is fast approaching.  This year it will be in Louiseville, Kentucky, starting on May 20th, 2016.  My colleague, Liston Matthews has inquired and has determined that lawfully carried firearms will be permitted in the Kentucky Exposition Center.  The NRA quite properly requires that attendees follow the law regarding carry in Kentucky.  Here is an explanation of the open carry law From handgunlaw.us(pdf): Open Carry (Without a Valid Permit/License) Open Carry is legal in Kentucky. Not all places listed in the “Places Off Limits” apply to those who are Open Carrying. It is up to you...

AUSTIN (KRLD-AM) – The latest spike in License to Carry gun applications is expected to take Texas past a significant milestone. CHL Licensed Instructor Michael Cargill owns Central Texas Gun Works. He says the 140 percent jump in applications from December 2015 through February is caused by a combination of fears of terrorism brought on by the shootings in San Bernardino and President Obama’s proposed gun control laws. “Then you have the new law that went into effect January the first (Open Carry)…all of that plays into it, and that’s why we’re seeing numbers. For the first time the State...

Gun rights advocates want to be able to bring their firearms under Ohio’s open carry laws to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. A Change.org petition started Monday by “Americans for Responsible Open Carry” calls out the Republican National Committee while pushing the Quicken Loans Arena to reverse their policy on firearms carry on their property for the event. Cleveland, Ohio is consistently ranked as one of the top ten most dangerous cities in America,” reads the petition that is pushing 10,000 signatures just days after it began. “By forcing attendees to leave their firearms at home, the RNC and...

An open carrier in Virgina is reported to have had his handgun stolen in Newport News, on January 29th, 2016.  The location is listed as on the 6000 block of Jefferson Avenue, and is said to have happened about 8 p.m.  From dailypress.com: The victim, a 37-year-old Hampton man, told police he was robbed as he walked across Jefferson Avenue to the lot at the Windsor House after visiting a friend at the Travelers Inn. He was wearing his handgun in a holster, open carry, on his hip, Eley said.The man said he was approached from behind by two...

The award winning Texas BBQ place in Houston, Brooks Place, LLC, offered a 25% discount for open carriers on the first effective day of open carry reform.Brooks says that it is "not a political thing".  I suspect he is right.  It is a business thing.  After the initial surge, the discount was reduced to 10%.  From yourhoustonnews.com: There is a place where Houstonians can get BBQ at a discount simply for exercising their right to openly carry their gun. The BBQ trailer located in the parking lot with ACE Hardware and Kroger on FM 529 is owned and operated...

In January of 2016, on the first day of the restoration of some open carry rights in Texas, I stood in front of the Benbrook Police Station, looking at the recently placed 30.06 and 30.07 signs. I noticed that the signs were not of the required dimensions, so they are likely not enforceable in a court of law.  But police, like fire in the quote attributed to President Washington,  (employed in various forms since the 1500's) are "dangerous servants and a fearful master".  I tread lightly around police, just as I do around high explosives or high powered machinery. ...

Picture from Brave New Books Brave New Books, a book store in Austin, Texas has welcomed open carriers and held a symposium on open carry on January 30th, 2016.  The store is said to be the only book store in Austin that has not banned open carry from their store. From kvue.com: AUSTIN -- Brave New Books is offering a 10 percent discount to all customers open-carrying in their store. The store is also hosting an open-carry symposium on Jan. 30 to help Texas residents learn more about open-carry legislation. Brave New Books is doing more than simply not...

Newport News police are investigating after a man reported he was pushed to the ground and had his handgun stolen late last week. Officers responded to a report of the robbery in the 6000 block of Jefferson Avenue just before 8 p.m. Jan. 29, according to police spokesman Harold Eley. The victim, a 37-year-old Hampton man, told police he was robbed as he walked across Jefferson Avenue to the lot at the Windsor House after visiting a friend at the Travelers Inn. He was wearing his handgun in a holster, open carry, on his hip, Eley said. The man said...

Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla The Florida open carry bill has moved out of Committee in the Florida House.  It will likely be voted on by the full House in the next few weeks.  From cbslocal.com: TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) - A bill that would allow Florida gun owners to openly carry their weapons is headed to a full vote. The bill cleared a committee vote 12 to 4 on Thursday.The next step will be a full vote by the Florida House in the next few weeks.The difficulty lies in the Senate, where Senator Portilla is Chair of the Judiciary Committee...