Dianne Feinstein Places Hold On Controversial Concealed Weapon Bills 18APR12

I really hate the "hold" filibuster used in the Senate, but turn about is fair play and in this instance one brave Democrat, Sen Diane Feinstein D CA is using the tactic of the gop / tea-baggers to stop this bad legislation from coming to the floor for a vote. I actually think it would be better if she stayed on the floor of the Senate holding up this legislation, rallying the American public who is opposed to this legislation and showing the nation just how extreme the nra has become, but if this results in a defeat of these bills and a big defeat for the nra so be it! Way to go Sen Feinstein, thank you!!!!!

WASHINGTON -- Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Tuesday placed a hold on two controversial pieces of legislation that would force states that allow the concealed carrying of guns to recognize each other's permits.
Feinstein informed party leadership that she would oppose the quick passage of two concealed carry reciprocity bills that critics argue would cause a "race to the bottom" in terms of concealed weapon law in the United States. The senator cited the shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teenager killed in Florida, as one of the reasons she was applying the legislative brakes.
"Besides putting domestic violence victims in danger, the concealed carry reciprocity bills would also create potentially life threatening situations for law enforcement officers," Feinstein wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).
"In recent weeks, our nation has witnessed tragic gun violence in Sanford, Florida and in Oakland, California, which is only a short drive from my home. Notably, George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, had been issued a concealed carry permit under Florida law, even though he had previously been subject to a court order for domestic abuse of his ex-fiancée. Congress should heed the warnings of law enforcement and not force states to recognize the permits issued to individuals by other states."
In putting a hold on both bills, the "National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2012," and the "Respecting States' Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2012," Feinstein is denying them the easiest avenue of passage: unanimous consent.
The hold does not eliminate the possibility of passing the bills through regular order, with 60-vote requirements to start and end debate. But it's unclear whether enough support actually exists in the Senate. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), for instance, has said he would oppose the first bill, which cleared the House of Representatives in November with 43 Democrats supporting it and only seven Republicans voting against it.
If, in fact, both bills stall in the Senate, it would constitute a rare defeat for the gun rights lobby, which has had a series of legislative wins on both the state and federal level. And for that, Feinstein's hold gave fellow gun control advocates a rare reason to gloat.
"We hear regularly that senators of both parties are getting tired of being ordered around by the gun lobby, and forced reciprocity is exhibit a," emailed Mark Glaze, the director of the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns. "It has nothing to do with the second amendment and everything to do with replacing individual state decisions about public safety with the NRA leadership's wish list."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/18/dianne-feinstein-concealed-weapon-bill_n_1434798.html?utm_source=Alert-blogger&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email%2BNotifications

Tennessee's "Guns-in-Bars" Sponsor Jailed for Drunk Driving with Gun & Interstate Concealed Carry Bill Heads For A Vote 13OKT11

THE government will legislate permission for drunks to carry concealed guns from state to state but still won't permit their constituents to bring their gun with them when visiting the government officials who pass these insane laws in their offices. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, and so these nra ass lickers in the U.S. House should face the same risk they are mandating for the rest of us. You can e mail your Representative and tell them to vote NO on H.R. 822, the National Right-to Carry Reciprocity Act here https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
From The Brady Campaign and Huffpost....

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Guns-in-Bars Sponsor is Caught Drunk Driving with Loaded Gun   This just proves that guns and alcohol don’t mix. On Tuesday night, Tennessee State Representative Curry Todd was jailed and charged with drunken driving and possession of a handgun while under the influence. Rep. Todd was the sponsor of the guns-in-bars legislation passed in Tennessee in 2009. According to Rep. Todd, drinking with your gun is something that no responsible handgun owner would ever do. In fact, it is prohibited under the Tennessee guns-in-bars law. The law "was only to let law-abiding (sober) citizens carry their licensed weapons into family restaurants to protect all the patrons against any would-be robbers or other armed assailants." What a hypocrite! (Or are we being too kind?) Guns and alcohol don’t mix. Donate today to keep up our fight in the states where the NRA continues to push dangerous bills like this. I would like to say "thank you" to law enforcement for apprehending the NRA's beloved Rep. Todd before anyone was hurt. We must use his shining example to help us stop the efforts of NRA-owned politicians in the push for more guns everywhere. Your Brady Campaign continues to fight against laws like guns-in-bars and other bad legislation that puts you, your families, and your communities at risk, and we need your help to continue our life-saving work. If this is the type of poster boy that the NRA wants to use as a "law-abiding gun owner" to push dangerous ideas in state legislatures, we need to work twice as hard to stop it. Donate today. Sincerely, Brian Malte Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence P.S. We hear it so many times that people under the influence don’t make the best decisions. Representative Todd proves that. Help us continue our work in the states. Interstate Concealed Carry Bill Heads For A Vote WASHINGTON -- The arrest of a pro-gun-rights Tennessee lawmaker on charges of possession of a handgun while under the influence has provided a short-term boon for headline writers. The lawmaker, after all, had sponsored legislation to allow guns to be carried into bars and was, by all accounts, quite intoxicated upon arrest. But for all the irony, the news seems destined to have almost no repercussion or impact on policy. In fact, gun laws in Tennessee and other states seem likely to grow a touch more lax. On Thursday or Friday, the House Judiciary Committee will mark up the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, legislation that would require the various states that allow the concealed carrying of guns to recognize each other's permits. Gun control advocates have called the idea a veritable 'race to the bottom' in terms of concealed carry legislation, more or less forcing states to respect laws made by other states no matter their standards. Backers have said it would make the law for carrying concealed weapons from state to state no different than what states do with driver's licenses. The bill dictates, precisely, that a person "carrying a concealed handgun" legally under his or her state law "shall be permitted to carry a handgun subject to the same conditions or limitations that apply to residents of the State who have permits issued by the State or are otherwise lawfully allowed to do so by the State." With 244 co-sponsors, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act will not only make it through committee but seems poised to have a solid showing on the House floor as well. "It should have strong support," said a spokesman for Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), who introduced the bill. But that might be because scant attention has been paid to it. Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen was the lone Democrat on the Judiciary Committee to co-sponsor the bill. After The Huffington Post contacted him about it on Wednesday afternoon, however, he dropped his support. "He took his name off the bill and does not plan on supporting the initiative," emailed his spokesperson Michael Pagan. He did not return an email asking why. With the legislation set to move forward, gun control advocates are hoping that a wider spotlight might produce a few more Cohens. The coalition Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter emailed out a petition this week, authored by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, that urges President Obama to speak out against the legislation. "We need the Obama administration to send a strong signal that it will side with America’s mayors and police chiefs in preserving our ability to protect our local communities," the petition reads. "This law (H.R. 822) would override the standards of individual states and set a new standard at the 'lowest common denominator.' Dangerous people, including sex offenders and domestic abusers, could get a permit in one state and then carry hidden, loaded guns nationwide." Ramsey, a source with the mayoral group tells The Huffington Post, is the first law enforcement official in the nation who has publicly come out against the legislation. Meet Rep. Curry Todd: he is a state legislator beloved by the NRA, who says trust "law-abiding citizens", yet he exemplifies irresponsible gun owners. Donate Facebook Forward