Time to push – HB 228
March 14, 2009
It’s now time to push on HB 228, our Self Defense bill.
HB 228 will be up for public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, March 17th, at 8 AM. Come if you can!!
If you can be there to speak for HB 228, please review my suggestions for testimony before a legislative committee.
Whether you can be there or not, it’s time to fire up the message machine. Send messages to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee asking them to please support HB 228, AS IS.
The best way to make sure messages get to Committee members is to use the Legislature’s Online message form. The next best way is to phone the message center at 444-4800. Probably the least assured way to get messages to committee members is via email using the email addresses found HERE. This is less reliable because some legislators don’t have email, and many others only check their email once in a coon’s age.
A few law enforcement administrators have been saying nasty stuff about HB 228. You may read what they’ve said and our responses HERE. They’ve also said that their job, “public safety” is more important that your ability to defend yourself, “private safety.” You may read my treatment of that issue HERE.
Whatever, get your comments in! Get all your pro-gun friends to send in comment too. This is important! Keep the comments short and keep them polite!
BTW, HB 246, our Montana-made guns bill, passed out of House Appropriations Committee yesterday by 20-0.
Thanks!!!
Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com
People Think Obama Should Oppose Wolf Delisting Because Bush Supported It
March 14, 2009
It appears maybe Barack Obama will have his recent statement that all his decisions will be based on science tested immediately. Shortly before leaving office, the Bush administration once again announced plans to remove protection of the gray wolf. Upon Obama’s taking over the White House, an order was sent out suspending all pending actions by the Bush administration. This included the wolf delisting proposal.
Ken Salazar took over at the Department of Interior and recently it was announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would proceed with the proposal Bush and then Sec. Dirk Kempthorne had devised. Needless to say this angered a lot of people who, it seems, just assumed that Obama would oppose delisting because it was a Bush initiative. Read more
Government Ordered Destruction Of All Military Spent Brass
March 13, 2009
*Important Update* Appears DOD has reversed this ruling.
From:
SurplusNews@govliquidation.com
[
mailto:SurplusNews@govliquidation.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 5:34 PM
To: rlepage@usa.net
Subject: Important Notice to Scrap Metal Buyers!
http://www.govliquidation.com
Dear Valued Customer:
Please take a moment to note important changes set forth by the Defense Logistics Agency:
Recently it has been determined that fired munitions of all calibers, shapes and sizes have been designated to be Demil code B. As a result and in conjunction with DLA’s current Demil code B policy, this notice will serve as official notification which requires Scrap Venture (SV) to implement mutilation as a condition of sale for all sales of fired munitions effective immediately. This notice also requires SV to immediately cease delivery of any fired munitions that have been recently sold or on active term contracts, unless the material has been mutilated prior to sale or SV personnel can attest to the mutilation after delivery. A certificate of destruction is required in either case. Read more
LE support for HB 228 needed!
March 12, 2009
Our Self Defense bill, HB 228, will have its public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee NEXT TUESDAY.
We REALLY need letters of support from current and former law enforcement officers. Please help us round up this support per the message below.
Gary
================
Dear Pro-RKBA Law Enforcement Friend,
We need your help.
HB 228 before the Montana Legislature will clarify many gray areas and voids in Montana law about when and how a person may possess and use a firearm for self defense without fear of prosecution. This is our “Self Defense” bill.
This bill is hotly opposed by a few law enforcement administrators and prosecutors in Montana – the same crowd that opposes any “gun bills” that move citizens in the direction of freedom and self sufficiency.
We are actively seeking letters of support for HB 228 from current and former law enforcement, better from Montana folks but helpful from anywhere. We’d love to have a letter supporting HB 228 from you.
Of course, you’ll want to know what HB 228 incudes and accomplishes. You can read my summary of the impact of the bill sections by clicking HERE. You can read the actual text of the current version of the bill HERE . You can read the disparaging stuff said about HB 228 by law enforcement administrators and the responses to those claims by MSSA and the NRA HERE.
Timing: HB 228 will be at public hearing before the Montana Senate Judiciary Committee on March 17th, so we really need whatever you can offer soon.
Format: A supportive comment from you may be addressed to “Members, Montana Senate Judiciary Committee.” It may be emailed to mssa@mtssa.org. Your comment can be either in the body of an email, or attached as a .pdf or .doc file. The Subject line in your email should be: “Comment, HB 228″ to make sure I don’t miss it. It should state your qualifications and experience as a law enforcement officer and some brief reason(s) why you think HB 228 is a good idea for Montana and should be supported by Senators on the Committee. I am compiling a file of such letters and will make sure they get to Committee members. Your comment, if provided, WILL be in the public domain.
Thanks loads for any help you care to give us.
Best wishes,
Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com
To Catch A Wolf – Part V
March 11, 2009
To Catch a Wolf, Part I
To Catch a Wolf, Part II
To Catch a Wolf, Part III
To Catch a Wolf, Part IV
If we are ever to consider “catching” a wolf, we need first to understand it. This has become a difficult task, especially here in the United States because most who advocate for wolves, seemingly those with all the money and resources to do so, aren’t at all interested in telling the truth about this animal. Why is it that in efforts to discover the truth about this large and sometimes vicious predator, advocates mount bigger campaigns to counter those truths with lies, information designed to mislead the public?
In the West we love our stories about Nikki: Dog of the North and Jack London’s other creation of Call of the Wild. In our romantic fantasies we want to be friends with canines that are portrayed as our best friends, cute and cuddly. The reality is wolves are none of these and there are many other myths that we have been programmed to believe as true. Read more
Wolf bill scheduled 3/17
March 11, 2009
Dear MSSA Friends,
MSSA’s “Montana Wolf Recovery Act” has been scheduled for public hearing before the Senate Finance and Claims Committee on Tuesday, March 17th, at 10 AM.
This is a likely conflict problem since our Self Defense bill, HB 228 and our Resolution about guns in National Parks, HJ 14, are scheduled for public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the same morning. We will try to get SB 183 scheduled for later in the morning so interested persons can attend both hearings.
Messages to Senate Finance and Claims Committee members about SB 183 should focus on the Fiscal Note attached to the bill. Your comments might cover one or more of these items:
1) The actual costs of implementing SB 183 will be less than the Fiscal Note indicates. FWP padded the Fiscal Note because they oppose the Legislature’s proposed policy under SB 183. FWP wants to determine Montana’s policy about wolves rather than allow the Legislature to do so.
2) The cost of not passing SB 183 is horrendous – loss to Montana’s wildlife resource, loss to Montana’s hunting heritage and culture, loss to Montana’s agricultural industry, loss to Montana’s communities and commercial sector from decline in hunting, loss to FWP in plummeting license sales for nonexistent game, and more. Although many of these losses don’t show up in the state budget, the people of Montana will pay them nonetheless.
3) The trend analysis of wolf delisting projects continued failure. Every promise to delist wolves has been a failure. Continued failure is projected. Wolf advocates already have their lawsuit prepared to block proposed delisting.
4) Proposed delisting will not render effective state wolf management sufficient to save Montana game herds because it relies on the federally-mandated Montana wolf management plan. The federal conditions imposed on Montana in the existing plan will not allow salvage of Montana’s game herds and hunting heritage.
5) Hunting of wolves won’t help. Hunting of wolves has nowhere reduced wolf population growth as long as a sufficient food supply for wolves exists. The delisting plan in effect will force an end to human hunting, or a drastic curtailment of hunting.
Plan on getting your comments to F&C Committee members no later than this weekend. For information about how to reach legislators, see:
http://www.progunleaders.org/Legislative%20Process/
Anyone who cares about hunting in Montana should make time to show up at the hearing, or get comment to Committee members in support of SB 183. We have gotten SB 183 written and introduced. Whether or not it passes the F&C Committee is now in your hands. Act now! Show up, and/or send messages to Committee members.
Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com
To Catch A Wolf – Part IV
March 10, 2009
To Catch a Wolf – Part I
To Catch a Wolf – Part II
To Catch a Wolf – Part III
To Catch a Wolf, Part V
Before we venture into some of the Scandinavian countries to examine how they dealt with wolves and wolf problems, let’s visit for a moment right here in the United States. It is believed that several subspecies of wolves inhabited much of the U.S. at one point in time.
Teddy Roosevelt went to great pains in some of his writings of the late 1800s in describing the different kinds of wolves he encountered all across the nation. He related colors, sizes, characteristics and habitats of any of these predators he came in contact with. One thing Roosevelt tells us is that even though he believed that man’s efforts to get rid of wolves certainly had a significant affect, he was convinced there was something more than man’s effort at hunting, trapping, poisons, etc. that wiped out wolf populations. Read more
Montana’s Wolf Recovery Act: An Exercise In “We The People”?
March 9, 2009
I’m sure the majority of Americans know absolutely nothing of Montana Senate Bill 183, the Short Title being, “Montana Wolf Recovery Act”. As I understand the proceedings, the bill is up for second reading in Committee as small items get tweaked.
The Montana Wolf Recovery Act may be a preview of more of what is to come in this country as more and more people are becoming completely fed up with the shenanigans that go on in Washington and the takeover of environmentalism. Just today I posted a YouTube video of a reporter in the U.S. Senate building asking Senator Charlie Rangel to explain his current tax cheating, among other things. His response, “Why don’t you might your own god damn business!” It’s this sort of tyranny that is beginning to get to the people. It’s supposed to be “We the people” not mind your own god damn business. Read more
RKBA week in Montana – next week
March 7, 2009
This is your reminder that our official week to celebrate the right to keep and bear arms in Montana begins next Monday.
Here is the official state statute about this, one of the 50 pro-gun and pro-hunting bills MSSA has gotten through the Montana Legislature:
1-1-224. Observance of right to keep and bear arms. The week beginning the first Monday in March is an official week of observance to commemorate Montana’s valued heritage of the right of each person to keep and bear arms in the defense of his home, person, or property or in aid of civil power. During this week, all Montanans are urged to reflect on their right to keep and bear arms and to celebrate this right in lawful ways.
So, I hope you have plans to celebrate next week and/or the following weekend.
Best wishes,
Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com
HB 246 Hearing Monday – Action needed
March 6, 2009
You should remember that MSSA’s Montana-made guns bill, HB 246, passed the House on Second Reading by a vote of 64-36. However, HB 246 was re-referred to the House Appropriations Committee to consider the Fiscal Note attached.
In that Fiscal Note, the Attorney General said he’d have to hire outside legal counsel to being the vetting lawsuit in federal court required by HB 246, at a cost of $60,000. This despite that there are 252 attorneys working for the Montana executive branch, with about 50 attorneys working for the Attorney General.
The House Appropriations Committee will hold a public hearing on HB 246 Monday morning March 9th, at 8 AM. Be there if you can to speak in favor of HB 246, or send messages to Committee members asking them to support HB 246. Short messages work best.
The names of Appropriations Committee members are HERE . The Online message form to send messages to legislators is HERE . This is really the best way to get messages to legislators, since many of them don’t check their email. Or, you can leave a message by calling 444-4800.
Purpose. HB 246 declares that any firearms made and retained in Montana are not subject to ANY federal control or regulation under the power of Congress to regulate commerce among the states (the “commerce clause” of the U.S. Constitution). The purpose of HB 246 is to set up a legal challenge in federal court to Congress’s commerce clause power. If we win that legal challenge, then we get to make our own guns here in Montana unfettered by any federal rules.
Thanks for your help.
Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com
