NY, other states sue US over printable guns
Story here. A little late. The issue was over removal of restrictions on internet availability of the code to print the receivers, and as I recall the code is now hosted at several overseas sites. So the suit is probably vulnerable to a motion to dismiss for mootness and lack of standing (inability to provide relief, hence no case and controversy).
Of course, if the only object is to garner some publicity and create appearances -- by the look of the Twitter comments, that is succeeding.
Seattle shootings: "political correctness is killing people."
"The two suspects in this downtown shooting have been arrested 44 times with 20 convictions and 21 times with 15 convictions. Marquise Tolbert, the one with 20 convictions, had three felonies last year alone. You tell me how someone with three felonies in 2019 is walking around free and able to engage in a shootout that kills a woman and injures a bunch of other people, including a 9-year-old kid. Both Tolbert and William Tolliver, the other suspect, are just 24 years old. They both have previously been arrested and charged with drive-by shootings and unlawful possession of a firearm in 2018. So the courts knew full well that these were gun-toting gang members. Why did our justice system let them walk free?"
The area's Congresscritter opines:
"I pledge to continue doing everything I can to fight the gun lobby and its Congressional allies who stand in the way of commonsense gun safety and gun violence prevention measures."
RIP, H. L. Richardson
Founder of GOA, NRA director, political writer.
Thoughts on Bloomberg
At the Daily Beast.
"Bloomberg, who's quickly moved up in national polls on an unprecedented tsunami of spending and despite sitting out the Democratic debates, represents, in a way never seen in modern American politics, the melding of oligarchal power with political willfulness. His campaign remains a wild long shot, but ask New York City how that can play out--and how difficult it is to dislodge this oligarch once he's in office, even when the law demands that he leave."
NRA elections
Got my ballot issue today, and learned that Tucsonan Judi White is running. If anyone has links to other candidates' webpages, please post in the comments.
UPDATE: White supremacist spotted near Virginia gun rally!
You can see his picture here. To be fair he's not yet admitted which of the two he was.
Rally in VA: media reminds us what they think of us
Story here. Don't portray it as a popular gathering in support of a constitutional right, portray it as a white nationalist/neo-nazi rally.
Everytown is of course priming the pump. On Friday it sent out an email to reporters. Excerpts follow.
"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 17, 2020
**MEDIA BRIEFING CALL ADVISORY**
TODAY, JAN. 17, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. EST -- REGISTER HERE FOR DIAL-IN INFO.
MEDIA CALL TODAY: EVERYTOWN, MOMS DEMAND ACTION, FAITH LEADER TO HOLD CALL IN ADVANCE OF JANUARY 20 GUN EXTREMIST RALLY IN RICHMOND
In November, Virginia Voters Flipped Both Chambers of the Virginia General Assembly to a Gun Sense Majority; Yesterday, the Virginia Senate Passed Bipartisan Legislation to Close Dangerous Gaps in Virginia's Background Check Laws
Far-Right Leaders, Including Organizers From the Charlottesville 'Unite the Right' Rally, Are Promoting and Reportedly Will Attend the January 20 Rally
. . . . . .
NEW YORK - Today, at 11:00 A.M. EST, Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action will host a call with Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action; former federal prosecutor and Managing Director of Litigation and National Enforcement Policy at Everytown, Eric Tirschwell; Courtney Champion, a volunteer with the Virginia chapter of Moms Demand Action, and a Virginia-based faith leader discussing the gun extremist rally scheduled for January 20 in Richmond, Virginia.
On the call, national and Virginia Moms Demand Action leaders will cover all aspects of the rally, where gun extremists - including out-of-state militia groups and far-right leaders - will descend on the Virginia General Assembly, hoping to intimidate lawmakers into rejecting the democratic will of the people who, by wide margins, voted to flip Virginia's General Assembly to a gun sense majority for the purpose of passing common-sense gun safety laws.
Speakers on the call will also discuss the ties between this rally and organizers of the deadly 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville.
. . . . . . .
According to new reporting by The Daily Beast, far-right leaders involved in the deadly 'Unite the Right' rally are promoting and attending the upcoming gun extremist rally. The report compounds preexisting fears that the January 20 rally in Richmond is on a collision course to becoming another Charlottesville - but this time, with more guns. Yesterday morning, the F.B.I. "arrested three men suspected of being members of a neo-Nazi hate group, including a former reservist in the Canadian Army, who had weapons and discussed traveling to a pro-gun rally next week in Richmond, Va., in anticipation of a possible race war," according to new reports from The New York Times."
And on a linked page:
"Far Right Activists From 2017 Charlottesville 'Unite The Right' Rally Are Joining Monday's Virginia Gun Extremist Rally in Richmond
The Daily Beast: "Charlottesville Banned These Far-Right Activists, but They're Bringing Their Guns to Richmond"
According to new reporting by The Daily Beast, far right leaders involved in the deadly 'Unite the Right' rally are promoting and attending the upcoming gun extremist rally in Richmond on January 20th. The report compounds preexisting fears that the January 20th rally is on a collision course to becoming another Charlottesville - but this time, with more guns.
"The event has also drawn militia groups from across the country, and plenty of internet chatter that Monday could kick off the 'boogaloo'--far-right slang for a violent American revolution or civil war. It's also drawn in at least four people and organizations who were in Charlottesville on the day of the 'Unite the Right' rally when white supremacist James Alex Fields killed counter-protester Heather Heyer with his car."
Next Monday's gun extremist rally is an attempt to intimidate lawmakers into rejecting the democratic will of the people who, by wide margins, voted to flip Virginia's General Assembly to a gun sense majority for the purpose of passing common-sense gun safety laws.""
Second Amendment sanctuaries now beginning in NC
Captain's Quarters has the report. Six counties so far, by his count, with more readying.
Lawsuit filed over Virginia governor's ban
GoA and Virginia Civil Defense League as plaintiffs, governor and chief of capitol police as defendants. Yes, as predicted in comments, the governor's power is limited to emergency "shelters," and he's claim the entire 44 acre, wide-open, capitol grounds are somehow an emergency shelter.
VA governor to ban guns at 2A rally
Governor Northam has plans, yes, plans. An armed society is a polite society, so I'd expect this to be the most orderly and polite assembly in ages. I'd certainly be researching just what are a governor's powers to declare an emergency and outlaw otherwise legal behavior during it.
UPDATE: he did it. He "said he wants to avoid a repeat of violence that erupted at a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville...." Really? Then he should ban cars, the only instrument used to kill in that rally.
Gen. Flynn moves to withdraw guilty plea
Story here. The story (and most others) says that he withdraws his plea. Actually, he moves to withdraw it. The court can agree, or reject it. But I am sure he has a powerful argument. And a powerful advocate!
Gallup poll
Gun policy second most important issue. Of course, there may be plenty who consider it important because they oppose gun control... 46% of Demos and 26% of Repubs rank it as important, and the latter number likely reflects this (and likely some of the former one, too).
What is an AR-15 receiver?
Some interesting thoughts on an emerging legal problem. Bottom line: the upper does a better job of meeting the regulations' very general definition, and there is no specific regulation that says the lower is the receiver.
The obvious solution is a regulation that says the lower is the receiver, but I suspect the agency will be worrying about opening a can of worms, and so won't promulgate such a reg unless forced by circumstances to do so.