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NJ: N.J. girl in Arizona Uzi accident not 9-year-old competitive shooter from Franklin Township, father says
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Dan Roberts has been fielding calls all morning from people concerned his daughter Shyanne was the 9-year-old New Jersey girl who killed a firearms instructor with a fully-automatic weapon at an Arizona shooting range Monday.
Shyanne � a highly trained competitive shooter who turns 10 on Thursday � was not the girl in the Arizona accident, Roberts said, but whoever the girl is, she should not be held at fault, he added. ...
Charles Vacca, 39, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, died Monday, a short time after being airlifted to a hospital in Las Vegas, authorities said.

SUBMITTER'S COMMENT: Hats off to Ms. Caffrey for her sensitive handling of this tragic story.

MSNBC�s Joe Scarborough Unleashes Tough Comments About the Second Amendment and the Founding Fathers Following Tragic Shooting Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
MSNBC�s Joe Scarborough unleashed this morning over a 9-year-old girl�s accidental killing of her Arizona shooting instructor, calling it �sick� that the child was allowed to use an automatic weapon. The �Morning Joe� host also said that he can�t imagine the Founding Fathers would have envisioned that kids would use these guns under the guise of the Second Amendment.

CA: No Waiting to Buy a Second Gun in California
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Californians who already own guns don't need to wait out the state's 10-day waiting period to buy more firearms, a federal judge ruled, calling extra background checks unconstitutional.

Plaintiffs challenged the Golden State's 10-day waiting period to buy firearms, and other related restrictions, only as they apply to gun owners who already have gone through background checks or are licensed to carry concealed weapons, not for first-time purchasers.

...

He stayed his ruling for 180 days to allow the Legislature to rewrite the law. A status conference is scheduled for Dec. 8

UT: Out of state group threatens to sue Utah cities and counties over gun laws
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Municipalities across Utah are taking a second look at their gun ordinances to make sure they are in line with state law.

Sandy City Council amended ordinances to make it legal to carry a gun at city parks and other recreational facilities.

The changes were already in the works, but a letter from a national group threatening to sue the city sped up the process.

The Second Amendment Foundation is taking aim at local gun laws state by state.

ID: Adams eyes gun laws
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Coeur d'Alene's law against discharging weapons in city limits doesn't grant an exception to people using a gun in self-defense.

State law does, though, and - according to legislation passed in 2008 - all of the state's firearms laws supersede any passed by local government.

An effort by Coeur d'Alene City Councilman Steve Adams to bring city law in line with state law didn't garner any support Monday at a meeting of the city's General Services Committee.

Councilwoman Amy Evans and Councilman Ron Edinger also voted against Adams' attempt to overturn the city's ban on weapons at parades, festivals or any public assembly in Coeur d'Alene.

Democrats Hate Big-Money Special Interests, Unless They�re On Their Side� Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
The Daily Beast�s anti-Second Amendment crusader Cliff Schecter is full of praise for Microsoft founder, billionaire Bill Gates, because Gates wants to force every gun transaction in Washington State to go through a government check.

DE: Dover police: Weekend shooting was self-defense Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Dover police say a weekend shooting that left a New Jersey man dead was self-defense. Authorities had issued an arrest warrant for 32-year-old Shamarr Willingham of Dover after 33-year-old Yusif Lamb of Montclair, New Jersey, was fatally shot Sunday on Kirkwood Street. But after speaking with Willingham, investigators determined that he shot Lamb in self-defense.

The 10 most practically significant � yet potentially legally vulnerable � restrictions on availability of guns for self-defense
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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There are many gun control laws in the United States, and people have lots of constitutional arguments for or against them. But which of those laws actually (1) substantially interfere, as a practical matter, with self-defense, and yet are (2) practically vulnerable? Bans on so-called assault weapons, for instance, strike me as unwise, but they don�t themselves practically interfere with self-defense in a substantial way: people remain free to have guns that are just as effective for self-defense. Bans on gun possession by people who have recent violent felony convictions do practically affect lots of people, but they will pretty clearly be upheld, given the language on the subject in D.C. v. Heller.

Shooting Range Death Sparks National Safety Concern
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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A rash of safety questions erupt across the nation after a 9-year-old girl accidentally shoots and kills a firearms instructor at an Arizona shooting range on Monday.

The young girl was firing an uzi, an automatic submachine gun that is known to have a wild physical recoil.

When the girl fired, the gun recoiled over her head and fatally shot the instructor.

Accidental firearms deaths usually occur outside the shooting range, but the tragedy reveals there are precautions even the experts should take, especially when working with children.

Hunter Cayll: no hands, no sweat Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Meet Hunter Cayll. Despite having no hands this guy decided that wouldn�t prevent him from becoming a shooter. For love of the sport and self-defense he�s worked around his shortcoming to be a practical-tactical 3-gunner. His friends call him �Nubbs� and he�s the poster kid for why training matters and how much of a difference actively working on your shooting skills can make.

CA: Debate over the Second Amendment goes on
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Assembly Bill 1591 (AB 1591) is a case in point. Introduced by Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian (R - Paso Robles), the bill requires courts to electronically notify the Department of Justice that a person has been deemed ineligible to own or possess a firearm due to his or her mental status within one day of that finding.

Sensible legislation aimed at keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals or the mentally ill deserves wide support. Consequently, AB 1591 passed both houses of the Legislature with unanimous support and was subsequently signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.

CA: California May Let Families Remove Guns Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
California is considering passing a law that would grant families and law enforcement officials the right to ask judges to remove firearms from loved ones likely to act violently. The bill passed the state senate 23-8 and already passed the assembly, but it must be voted on again with amendments. if it passes, it will be sent to Gov. Jerry Brown to be signed into law.

DC: D.C. tries to reinstate overturned handgun ban
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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The District of Columbia asked a federal judge Monday to reconsider his July ruling that overturned D.C.�s ban on possessing handguns in public.

U.S. District Judge Frederick Scullin Jr. �failed to conduct the analysis required by controlling law, and relied on flawed, non-controlling decisions from other jurisdictions� when he declared D.C.�s public handgun ban unconstitutional, according to the city�s lawyers.

D.C. lawyers cited the District�s �unique character� as justification for the handgun ban.

LA: Louisiana Ban on Guns Ruled Unconstitutional, Monentary Damages Pending
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana has struck down the City of Baton Rouge�s ban on the possession of firearms or other weapons in places that sell alcohol, and their parking lots.

The lawsuit was filed under Section 1983. The court granted default judgment to the plaintiff. A permanent injunction was ordered against enforcement of the ordinance, which was passed in 2012.

AZ: Anti-Gun Democrat Loses in Deep Blue Open Seat Primary Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Mary Rose Wilcox is a career politician from Phoenix� South side who runs a Democrat political machine that has been compared to Daley�s in Chicago. She was running in the Democrat primary for a congressional seat in the deep blue safe seventh district of Arizona, one of the few Arizona districts that is safe for Democrat candidates.

Anti-gunners missing the mark, again
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Yesterday�s Los Angeles Times reported that relatives of three Isla Vista killing spree victims are pressing California lawmakers to approve new gun control legislation, while the Gun Free Zone blog on Tuesday publicized a snit that Moms Demand Action has with the National Rifle Association over a critique in its magazine regarding MDA founder Shannon Watts.

This morning, MDA Deputy Director Jennifer Hoppe sent an e-mail fund raising request that also blasts the NRA�s magazine piece on Watts, and the message should leave gun rights activists shaking their heads with laughter. In the e-mail, Hoppe asserts �The NRA�s leadership has a long history of sexism��

WA: Gates� $1M donation to gun control fires up the grassroots
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As reported before in this column, according to the language on Page 7 of I-594, �The background check requirement applies to all sales or transfers including, but not limited to, sales and transfers through a licensed dealer, at gun shows, online, and between unlicensed persons.� On Page 6, the term �transfer� is specifically and clearly defined to mean �the intended delivery of a firearm to another person without consideration of payment or promise of payment including, but not limited to, gifts and loans.�

WA: Gottlieb challenges Gates to debate gun control measure
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Two days after the Seattle Times announced that Bill and Melinda Gates have donated $1 million to the Initiative 594 campaign, Bellevue gun rights advocate Alan Gottlieb, who opposes the measure, has today publicly challenged the billionaire Microsoft founder to a public debate.

Gottlieb issued his challenge Wednesday morning, demanding that Gates �Put his mouth where his money is!�

�It�s one thing to be for background checks,� said Gottlieb, who is chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and a leading spokesman for Initiative 591. �But, I-594 is poorly written bad law, and all the money in the world won�t make it better.�

Smith & Wesson Beats on Q1 Earnings, Down on Lower Outlook
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. reported first-quarter fiscal 2015 (ending Jul 31, 2014) earnings from continuing operations of 26 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. The number was, however, lower than the year-ago earnings of 40 cents per share as sales remained weak.

The company's share price plunged 11% during after-hours trading yesterday on the lowered guidance due to high inventories of modern sporting rifles industry-wide.

CO: Colorado Gun Groups Will Appeal Ruling Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
The Colorado Farm Bureau and others will appeal to the 10th Circuit a federal judge's June ruling that found Colorado's new gun regulations constitutional. Colorado Outfitters Association et al. filed an Entry of Appearance with the 10th Circuit on Aug. 12.

Dueling West Coast gun control initiatives
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Can big donations shore up shoddy gun control state legislation? No, insists Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, a 650,000-member grass-roots organization based in Washington state. Mr. Gottlieb opposes Initiative 594. The proposed legislation will be on the public ballot in the fall and would require background checks for all gun sales and transfers in Washington � gun shows and private transactions included.

UT: Sandy dumps city gun laws
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Sandy City has repealed its laws restricting carrying guns in public places.

Council members Tuesday night unanimously approved the ordinance changes, so that it no longer will be a violation of city code to pack a gun in a park, on a trail, golf course or in any other city recreational facility.

The amendments are being adopted now at the demand of a national gun-rights organization, the Second Amendment Foundation, which recently put Sandy on notice that its gun laws are illegal because they go beyond what is authorized by Utah law.

OK: Gun-rights groups say more and more women are locking and loading
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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More women than ever own guns.

Nearly 79 percent of firearms retailers reported an increase in female customers between 2011 and 2012, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation. From this surge in popularity comes classes, specialized apparel, custom firearms, shooting-group memberships and conferences for women.

Women also have become the sellers, the lobbyists and the business owners.

DC: Judge having spoken, D.C. officials consider allowing residents to carry guns
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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One month after a federal judge�s ruling, District officials have conceded that the city�s long-standing ban on carrying guns in public must be scrapped and replaced with a new law that will allow at least some law-abiding city residents to bear arms on city streets.

With only a 90-day stay of the ruling in place, the effort to write a new law is on a fast track, but it remains fraught with political, legal and policy complications. Among the issues to be resolved: Will the city allow only the open carrying of arms, �concealed carry,� or both? Will �sensitive areas� near national landmarks or government buildings be deemed gun-free zones? And to what extent will non-resident gun owners be permitted to bring their weapons into the city?

CT: Anti-Gun Reporter Is Out Of A Job� In Connecticut? Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
We wrote about the toxic anti-gun attitude of WFSB reporter Kate Rayner in April, when she attempted to smear a justified self-defense case as an act of road rage.

CT: Gun Sculpture's Goodwill Message To Grace Bushnell Park
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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A new sculpture will be unveiled in Bushnell Park in Hartford on Wednesday, Sept. 3. The design of the sculpture, made of 3,000 pounds of steel and wood, is two hands shaking.

It's a message of goodwill and peaceful cooperation, a harmonious message, especially when compared to the the steel and wood's original use. They were 2,000 illegal firearms purchased in gun buyback operations in New York, New Jersey and Detroit.