Gun News

California: Fresno council loosens Right-to-Carry rule

It soon will be easier to get a concealed weapons permit from the city of Fresno. The City Council voted 5 2 on Thursday to rescind 16 year old city requirements that citizens show "good cause" for carrying a concealed handgun -- such as owning a business that handles a lot of cash or being the subject of a documented threat. The new rules allow any citizens who are concerned with their safety to get permits as long as they are over 21 years old, are residents of the city and have no criminal record. The rules mirror policies that have been in place for years at the Fresno County Sheriff's Office.

Read About It: The Fresno Bee (Calif.)

Tennessee: Campus groups petition lawmakers for gun rights

After an armed robbery on MTSU's campus Tuesday night, some students have decided to make a push for more gun rights for students. The robbery occurred Tuesday night just before 9 p.m. at the Scarlett Commons Apartments on MTSU Campus. Police said during the robbery the student and the suspect got into a fight over the gun. At one point the student took control of the weapon, but then lost it to the robber, and was hit in the head. The incident has sparked action by campus groups, like Raiders for the Right to Bear Arms, who have called on lawmakers to allow students the right to carry on campus.

Read About It: WTVF (Nashville, Tenn.)

Expanding hunting on federal land will create jobs & boost economy

U.S. Congressman Paul Broun, M.D. (GA 10) today offered his bill, H.R. 1444 as an amendment to H.R. 2834, the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act during today's Natural Resources Committee legislative markup. Broun's amendment which would require hunting activities to be considered as a land use in management plans for all federal land was passed unanimously and H.R. 2834 was successfully approved by the Committee.

Read About It: U.S. House of Representatives

Texas Railroad Commission Revises Agency Firearm Policy: Employees And Visitors May Exercise Second Amendment Rights on Commission Property!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Recently, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) adopted what can only be described as model state agency policy for employees and visitors who wish to carry firearms. The new policy which was drafted and proposed by Commissioner Barry Smitherman was approved by the RRC on November 8 and took effect immediately.  The revised policy allows employees and visitors who are Concealed Handgun Licensees (CHLs) to carry their legally possessed handgun in Commission parking lots and buildings.  This new policy further allows employees who are CHLs to carry their handgun in a Commission vehicle while on the job.  Lastly, this policy also allows an employee or visitor to keep any lawfully possessed firearm in their personal vehicle while parked on Commission property.  Commissioner Smitherman was inspired in part by a similar permissive policy which has been in effect at the General Land Office since Commissioner Jerry Patterson (author of Texas’s Right-to-Carry Law) took the helm.  This policy goes above and beyond what recently enacted Senate Bill 321 requires of any public or private employer.  It is the hope of the NRA that many more state agencies will consider and adopt policies like the Texas Railroad Commission’s.   NRA to Fight Proposed Obama Administration Ban on Recreational Shooting on Public Lands Friday, November 18, 2011 Fairfax, VA -- The National Rifle Association (NRA) will fight the proposal by the Obama administration and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to drastically restrict recreational shooting opportunities on public lands. The NRA is particularly concerned about the stated motive of this action. A spokesman for the BLM told U.S. News and World Report that the proposed ban was being enacted in response to "urbanites" who "freak out" when they hear shooting on public lands. The spokesman also acknowledged that the impetus for this restriction was not rooted in safety, rather it was introduced to reduce "social conflict.""This proposal is yet another example of the Obama administration's contempt for gun owners and America's shooting sports heritage," said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Active. "Federal lands provide recreational shooters with an affordable means of enjoying their pastime and that is crucial in these trying economic times. This callous Obama administration proposal would drastically diminish recreational shooting opportunities for millions of people across the country. The shooting sports are an important part of our national culture and must be protected now and for generations to come and NRA will lead this fight as we have for 140 years." The section of the announcement that concerns millions of shooters across the country reads: “When the authorized officer determines that a site or area on BLM-managed lands used on a regular basis for recreational shooting is creating public disturbance, or is creating risk to other persons on public lands; is contributing to the defacement, removal or destruction of natural features, native plants, cultural resources, historic structures or government and/or private property; is facilitating or creating a condition of littering, refuse accumulation and abandoned personal property is violating existing use restrictions, closure and restriction orders, or supplementary rules notices, and reasonable attempts to reduce or eliminate the violations by the BLM have been unsuccessful, the authorized officer will close the affected area to recreational shooting." In response to this proposed ban, Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona has introduced The Recreational Shooting Protection Act of 2011. This bill will prevent a ban on recreational shooting from taking effect on BLM lands nationwide. The NRA strongly supports this bill and is working hard to ensure support and passage.