Date: Sat, 29 Apr 1995 23:15:14 -0700 From: Jeff Chan To: firearms-alert Subject: GOA: ACTION: OK CCW bill fixes/status From: DENNIS.FUSARO@prn-bbs.org (DENNIS FUSARO) Subject: CCW Fight and More #1 To: firearms-alert@SHELL.PORTAL.COM, firearms-politics@cup.hp.com Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 05:22:37 GMT Organization: The Paul Revere Network - (312) 482-9910 Action Memo TO: GOA Members and Supporters FROM: Larry Pratt DATE: April 30, 1995 RE: Oklahoma State Legislation and Activities --------------------------------------------------------------- Here's what is going on in Oklahoma: 1) Sen. Carol Martin still plans to fight for your gun rights by amending it to clean up SB 3/HB 1374 when it comes out of conference committee. The bills are still loaded up with lots of anti-gun provisions. Please act quickly. Sen. Martin's amendment will be the last opportunity to clean up these phony concealed carry bills. Sen. Martin's amendment is designed to protect your rights and safety. 2) Correction -- In the vote in the Oklahoma House on Monday, April 10, 1995 pro-gun forces led by Rep. Charles Key came within eight (8) votes of cleaning up SB 3. The vote was 43 for your gun rights and 58 against. Gun owners need to change 8 votes. The Key amendment would have removed the penalties in SB 3 on law-abiding citizens who choose to carry a gun for self-defense while increasing penalties for crooks who carry a concealed weapon to commit a crime. Your hard work has brought Oklahoma a lot closer to really restoring your right to carry a gun concealed for self-defense -- like Vermont. You are a lot closer than when it started. Gun owners now know who in the House is really pro-gun and who is just posturing. 3) Some anti-gun voices are now saying that your right to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense should be denied because of the Oklahoma bombing. Somehow, they argue, suspect McVeigh would have escaped the massive state and federal dragnet if your right to carry a concealed firearm was restored. Rubbish! These anti-gun voices ignore all the other leads and resources available to the police. Clearly the other suspects were caught quickly using available laws and resources. Let your legislators know that you won't sit idly by and let political opportunist use this tragedy to deny your rights and safety. The fact is that McVeigh's possession of a gun was not necessary for the police to catch him. The threat of terrorism makes armed citizens and self-defense even more important as a deterrent. Call your legislators and remind them of this. 4) The Oklahoma Senate passed (39-0, most Republicans left during the debate and did not vote) a resolution that asks local OK radio stations to take G. Gordon Liddy off the air, and that local sponsors be boycotted. Apparently the resolution was sponsored by Sen. Gene Stipe who is linked to the horrible beating death of a two year old boy. Channel 4 of Oklahoma City has reported on this situation. 6) State Sen. Frank Shurden bragged in the Daily Oklahoman (04/28/95) that his phony concealed carry bill -- SB 3 -- was opposed by so-called "far rightwing groups" because of its many anti-gun restriction. Does this mean that the state of Vermont is filled with "rightwingers" because it's law doesn't penalize law-abiding gun owners like his bill penalizes Oklahoma's law-abiding gun owners? Here's more of what you can do to help: 1) Please read the DIFI on Terrorism and right to CCW posting. 2) Write, FAX and call your legislators. 3) Encourage U.S. Senators -- Inhofe and Nickles -- and your U.S. Representatives -- Lucas, Istook, Largent, Coburn, Watts and Brewster -- to support severe penalties for the perpetrators of the bombing, rather than waging a war on law-abiding citizens. Otherwise in the name of fighting terrorism, H.R. 896 and S. 390 can and will be used by political elitists to target law-abiding groups. Call your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 and U. S. Representatives at 202-225-3121. 4) Continue to urge both your legislators, especially your state Senator, to clean up the conference report language. Urge them to support a motion to re-commit the conference committee report with instructions to rewrite SB 3/HB 1374 using Sen. Martin's and Rep. Key's amendment. 5) Copy, fill out, sign and clip off the following message coupons (next posting). Then send them to your legislators. Or better, write a personal letter. Give the copies to friends or family to mail. Thank you for your help. =========================================================================== Bypassing the bias of broadcast media with the "narrowcast" function of the telephone line's information SuperHiway! The Paul Revere Network with 150+ nodes worldwide! PRNet/HQ in Chicago, IL (312) 482-9940 BBS (312) 482-9910 voice ===========================================================================