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MI: Gun background checks down in Michigan in wake of Trump election
Submitted by: Corey Salo

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The election of a president strongly supportive of gun rights has, paradoxically, led to a drop in gun and ammunition sales, experts say.

In Michigan, FBI background checks for firearm sales are down 20 percent overall for the first three months of 2017 compared to the first quarter of 2016. Michigan background checks are down 25 percent for handguns.

The downward trend began in December, a month after Trump's election, the FBI data shows.

FBI data on background checks is a proxy measure of firearm sales, although not all purchases require such a check.

Gun sellers aren't necessarily unhappy with the trend, said Mark Jacobson, owner of Today's Weapons in Grand Rapids.

IA: State lawmaker calls Iowa Gun Owners group a 'scam'
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Windschitl went on to call out Iowa Gun Owners for being a scam masquerading as a lobbying group. The Republican said Executive Director Aaron Dorr of Iowa Gun Owners has been taking money from members for years, but not actually doing any lobbying.

Windschitl said the group hadn't shown up to committee and subcommittee meetings-- nor had they spoken with lawmakers about the gun bill.

"Did anybody in this room, that is a legislator, raise your hand here today and say Aaron Dorr personally talked to me about this bill House File 517, which he is taking credit for?� asked Windschitl during his speech. �Anybody? Not a hand. Folks, you have been lied to."

OK: Bills To Move Talihina Veterans Center, Expand Gun Rights Fail In Oklahoma Legislature
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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House Bill 2323 would have allowed a citizen 21 or older, without a felony, to carry a loaded gun in their vehicle without a valid handgun license.

eCapitol news director Shawn Ashley said the bill was hotly debated in the legislature.

�A number of members expressed concern that an individual without a Self Defense Act license would not have proper gun training and, therefore, it would create a dangerous situation,� Ashley said in his weekly interview with KGOU.

Senate Confirms Neil Gorsuch To Serve On Supreme Court
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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WYDRA: He will jump right into two areas of the law that Donald Trump actually promised would be a litmus test for whoever he put forward as a nominee to the Supreme Court. That's evangelical religious liberty and gun rights.

JOHNSON: In the next week, the justices will meet privately to decide whether to hear appeals in a pair of gun cases. The first case asks whether the Second Amendment right to keep handguns for self-defense extends outside a person's home. The second covers long-term bans on possessing firearms for people convicted of crimes. And then there's a religious liberty case from Missouri. Ilya Shapiro of the Cato Institute says it's among the most important the high court will hear this term.

Firearms Purchases Still Trending Up Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
We�ve covered � and debunked � the claims that firearms sales are significantly declining under the Trump Administration. The latest FBI report on NICS checks for March 2017 should help put any lingering claims about the �Trump Slump� to bed.

IA: Branstad expects to sign firearms bill following review
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Gov. Terry Branstad said Friday he expects to sign legislation making major changes to Iowa�s firearms laws but he is reserving judgment until he and his staff have time to review the provisions of House File 517 that received final House approval on Thursday.

�Obviously, we want to review it in its final form, but generally I�ve been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and I believe the legislation passed with bipartisan support with a pretty strong margin,� Branstad said in an interview. �I�m inclined to be supportive but I want to reserve judgment until I get a chance to review it in its final form.�

NRA Readies Next Attack Against The First Amendment
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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The National Rifle Association�s news outlet NRATV announced a new �series of messages� against The New York Times that will air on the Fox News Channel beginning Monday. The NRA previewed the ad with the claim that the newspaper has �gone on the offensive to take away your liberties.�

The new NRA ad evidences a new phenomenon since the election of President Donald Trump where the gun group now routinely labels protected speech reporting that it doesn�t like as oppositional to traditional democratic values.

ND: Local Sheriff reacts to new weapons law
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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�I�m not sure, it�s still so new to us,� she said. �Hopefully we�re going to have some training before it goes into effect in August.�

Warner also worries about people traveling into the state, thinking they�re covered by the new constitutional carry law. This law is strictly for residents that have held a North Dakota Department of Transportation issued license or ID for one year, it doesn�t apply to those traveling from out of state to North Dakota.

�You have to have lived here for a year and have a valid North Dakota license or id card,� she said.

SD: Gun Bills Raise Controversy On Veto Day In Pierre
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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March 27 was Veto Day at the State Legislature. We sustained all five vetoes that Gov. Daugaard had sent us.
The �gun bills� were probably the most controversial. House Bill 1072, the �constitutional carry� bill, would have allowed anyone who satisfies the current requirements for a concealed carry permit to �pack� without first acquiring a permit. Gov. Daugaard�s veto message points out that in the past three years several hundred people have been denied permits because of mental illness or violent or drug-related crimes.

Left-Wing Gun Group Warns It�s �Ready to Rumble�
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Last week we wrote about the experience that Phoenix News Times journalist Stephen Lemons had while attempting to cover a left-wing open carry march, and asked if we were edging towards a civil war.

Mr. Lemon managed to synch up with one of the representatives of the group of communists, anarchists, and amusingly titled �antifascists� (who are clearly fascists themselves, right down to their nice brown shirts) this week, and his account provides some interesting information about the militant left wing group.

WI: Permitless concealed carry wouldn't make us safer
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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A new proposal in the state Legislature is making headlines, but not because it would do anything good for Wisconsin.

The proposal wouldn�t improve schools or find a way to fix our state�s crumbling roads. Instead, it would allow anyone to carry a concealed weapon without requiring they first obtain a permit or even take a safety class to do so. The bill would also allow gun owners to carry their weapons on school grounds in some cases.

This proposal is wrong for the state for so many reasons. But one of the main proponents of it, state Sen. David Craig, R-Vernon, defended the bill recently by suggesting it was a constitutional right that would make the state safer.

FL: House, Senate at odds over controversial �stand your ground� self-defense cases Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
The House and Senate are in a stand-off, for now, about a controversial bill dealing with �stand your ground� self-defense cases. The two chambers have approved different versions of a proposal (SB 128) intended to shift a key burden of proof in �stand your ground� cases from defendants to prosecutors in pre-trial hearings.

TN: Rodeway Inn shooting self-defense
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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A Friday morning shooting at Rodeway Inn has been determined to be self-defense, according to Jackson police.

...

In a news release, police identified the shooter as a 29-year-old man.

The suspect told police that a 48-year-old man attempted to enter his motel room with a handgun. The 29-year-old also had a handgun and shot the man.

Evidence at the scene supported the 29-year-old's statement to police, the release says.

The shooter will not be charged and the investigation is ongoing.

Ruger LCRx Revolver in .357 Magnum, a Five Shot Self Defense Gun ~ Review Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There is 1 comment on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
It seems that every day Ruger comes out with something new and it has another new self defense gun, the Ruger LCRx Revolver .357 Magnum. It is a very lightweight gun and is a 5 shot model. With some of the new ammo available such as Liberty Ammunition which offers a very light bullet. That will cut down on the recoil and still be an effective round for self-defense.

FL: New �Stand Your Ground� rules offer creative opportunities for defendants
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Gun-toting criminals and their defense lawyers will soon have much to celebrate, thanks to the Florida Legislature and the National Rifle Association.

The state�s �Stand Your Ground� law is being rewritten in a way that will make it easier to shoot somebody and beat the rap. Gang members might as well pop the champagne cork now, because it�s practically a done deal in Tallahassee.

Ed.: It's called being innocent until proven guilty.

IA: Iowa Poised to Restore Second Amendment Freedoms
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Iowa is the latest state to pass significant legislation in recent months restoring Second Amendment freedoms. This week Iowa lawmakers sent House File 517, an omnibus bill containing many pro-gun reforms, to Governor Terry Branstad. HF 517 would restore the right of law-abiding gun owners to carry in the capitol and would restore the rights of parents to make decisions about their youth and handguns. The bill also strengthens self-defense rights for law-abiding Iowans.

Ed.: Read the full article for a scorecard of nationwide legislative progress this year thus far.

Gorsuch's SCOTUS Vote Could Soon Prove Decisive on Many Cases
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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One of those issues, pending at the high court for months, is from Gorsuch's home state: Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. A baker claims the state's public accommodations law, which requires him to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple despite his religious beliefs, violates the free exercise or free speech clauses of the First Amendment.

Another petition would draw the justices back into the debate over firearms restrictions. Peruta v. California asks whether the Second Amendment entitles citizens to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense, including concealed carry.

Freedom Wins! Pro-Second Amendment Judge Will Join U.S. Supreme Court
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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On Friday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Neil M. Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Gorsuch�s nomination was heavily backed by the NRA, both because of the pro-Second Amendment views expressed in his judicial writings and his originalist approach to jurisprudence. Justice Antonin Scalia exemplified originalism in his landmark Heller opinion in 2008 that recognized the Second Amendment protects an individual right grounded in the principle of self-defense.

MO: NRA Statement on McCaskill�s Vote Against Gorsuch Supreme Court Nomination
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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In the 2016 elections, Missouri voters made clear that protecting a pro-Second Amendment majority on the Supreme Court was an issue of critical importance by electing President Donald Trump and re-electing U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt.

�The NRA won't let Missouri voters forget that Sen. McCaskill turned her back on their freedoms by voting against a highly qualified, pro-Second Amendment Supreme Court justice,� concluded Cox.

OR: Anti-Gun Bills Scheduled in Committee Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Today, April 7, was the deadline for committee chairs to schedule any remaining bills they intend to move this session. As expected, several anti-gun bills have been scheduled to be heard in the Senate Judiciary committee on April 17 at 8:00am.

WA: Gun Bills on the Move in Olympia Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Today the House voted 97-0 to pass the substituted version of Senate Bill 5552, which seeks to address some of the problems created by the overwhelmingly flawed I-594 law. SB 5552 will go back to the Senate for concurrence. SB 5552 will do the following:

West Virginia Congressman Introduces Important Pro-Gun Legislation
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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On Thursday, Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-WV) introduced the �Protecting the Second Amendment Act,� H.R. 1976. This legislation would amend the Gun Control Act (GCA) to permanently prohibit executive actions like the Southwestern Border states� rifle sales reporting initiative launched under the Obama administration. The bill states that no federal firearm licensee (FFL) could be subject to any generalized or ongoing reporting requirement based on the FFL�s geographic location or on sales of multiple long guns.

NY: �Well-regulated militia� has not been infringed
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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On March 31, The News printed a letter criticizing Gov. Andrew Cuomo�s sponsorship of the SAFE Act. The writer quoted a portion of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, perverting its original intent. The full amendment states: �A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.�

The SAFE Act does not impact in any way the National Guard (present-day equivalent of a �well regulated militia.�) If you are going to quote the Second Amendment, at least have the decency to quote it in its entirety. Otherwise, you are guilty of the hypocrisy that you are accusing Cuomo of.