—– Original Message —–
From: “Neal Knox” <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2000 11:05 AM
Subject: Colorado Gun Bills Pass House

> Feb. 15 Neal Knox Report — Anti-gun Colorado legislators tried to
use
> yesterday’s discovery of two murdered Columbine High School
> students at a fast food shop to tack additional gun bills to a
> package being considered by the House.
>
> It didn’t work. What was finally passed was basically the
> same package of bills approved on third reading Friday, including
> one formally reinstating the Colorado “Insta-Check” system which
> prohibits purchase of a gun by someone merely arrested for certain
> offenses.
>
> According to press reports the Senate will consider an
> amendment to allow persons with arrest records to prove themselves
> not disqualified, but late last night Len Horner, an activist
> with the Firearms Coalition of Colorado told me that is how the
> House bill presently reads. Len says they will be pushing a
> Senate amendment to eliminate the “presumed guilty if
> arrested” provision.
>
> On Friday the Colorado House killed the governor’s bill
> requiring background checks on all sales at gun shows.
>
> The nine bills finally approved yesterday include prohibiting
> straw man purchases, using juvenile records for background checks,
> stiffening punishment for felons possessing guns, prohibiting
> cities from suing gunmakers for criminal misuse of their products,
> adding firearms storage requirements and prohibiting handgun
> ownership by minors.
> ———
>
> Yesterday USA Today reported a growing backlash against the
> recent Connecticut law allowing police to seize legally owned
> firearms on the basis of a report that the owner may be a danger to
> himself or someone else.
>
> There are indications that the law is being used often rather
> than rarely, and that it is being abused, just as opponents predicted.
> ———
>
> Tomorrow the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence and the
> American Bar Association will hold a seminar to “Set the Record
> Straight on the Second Amendment” at the National Press Club.
>
> What prompted the seminar is the upcoming Fifth Circuit
> argument on the Emerson case, in which Federal Judge Sam Cummings
> struck down a Federal gun law because it violates the individual
> right guaranteed by the Second Amendment.
>
> The speakers represent only one side of the issue, naturally.
> But you can anticipate a string of editorials and columns
> regurgitating what will be said there.
> ———
>
> Prof. John Lott, now at Yale Law School, is poking holes in
> another favorite myth of the anti-gun crowd — that campaign
> contributions amount to buying votes.
>
> In an op-ed article in yesterday’s Washington Times he
> outlined a new study correlating retiring Congressmen’s votes to
> their earlier votes, and compared to contributions from
> organizations whose positions the representatives had supported.
>
> He statistically concluded that voting patterns didn’t change
> as retirement neared, and that organizations make contributions to
> elect or re-elect lawmakers who already agree with their positions.
>
> As the one who set the guidelines for the then-new NRA
> political action committee in the 1978 Federal election –
> guidelines that are still largely followed — I can attest that
> Prof. Lott is precisely correct.
>
> There is no attempt or expectation to buy loyalty by either
> NRA or — I’m confident — by HCI.
>
> However it is not unusual for lawmakers to adopt NRA’s
> position prior to deciding to run because they know they could not
> win their district or state if they “weren’t right on the gun
> issue.”
>
> They sometimes switch their position when (1) they decide they
> are adequately politically entrenched to reverse their stance;
> (2) when they are retiring (which happens, though rarely); or
> (3) when they run statewide or nationally.
>
> Examples that leap to mind in each category are:
>
> (1)Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Tex.),
> Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.);
>
> (2)former Sen. John Danforth (R-Mo.);
>
> (3) Illinois Gov. George Ryan (R), Vice President Al Gore (D).
> —————–
> A few days ago I reported that Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore
> is raffling off a Les Baer Premier II .45 as the “SB341 Hoffman
Special,”
> named for Sen. Barbara Hoffman and her bill to prohibit
> raffling guns.
>
> Since proceeds will be used to fight Gov. Parris Glendenning’s
> “Smart Gun” and other gun bills, several folks wanted to know how
> to get raffle tickets.
>
> John Josselyn of AGC tells me tickets are $5 each or five for
> $20 from Box 20102, Towson, MD 21284-0102.
> [email protected]
>
> BTW, Glendenning met a few days ago with Ugo Beretta, who
> runs the family company, including the Maryland Beretta plant. The
> Gov. recently offered a $3 mill grant “to Maryland companies” to
> develop “Smart Gun” technology IF his bill passed.
>
> Ugo said “No Thanks,” not if it was tied to “gun control.”
>
> Bravo, Ugo!
>