Nationally-syndicated columnist
Jay Ambrose, director of Editorial
Policy for Scripps Howard Newspapers,
commented recently on the
Capitol Hill drive by Sens. John Mc-
Cain of Arizona and Joe Lieberman
of Connecticut and others to impose
severe restrictions on gun shows.
“Operators of the shows would be
required to register all vendors,
even those selling books,†wrote
Ambrose. “If a couple of friends
walked in as prospective customers
and made a deal that maybe they
would consummate later and outside
the facility, they would be vendors
under the law. Because operators
would face tough consequences if
they did not comply with the letter
of the law, they might well end up
registering all customers.â€
In a successful effort guided
largely by CCRKBA, California gun
owners have successfully derailed
an outrageous attempt to tax every
bullet and cartridge sold in the
Golden State. A measure that would
have placed the proposed tax on
November’s ballot as a constitutional
amendment was stopped in committee
early last month in Sacramento.
“We’re delighted that the measure
died in committee,†CCRKBA Chairman
Alan M. Gottlieb said. “This proposal,
sponsored by State Sen. Dan
Perata, was a vicious assault on gun
owners, and would have amounted
to a tax on a constitutional right.
Golden State gun owners stopped
a bad idea from becoming bad law.â€
In Exeter, New Hampshire, SIG
Arms, Inc., unable to account for the
whereabouts of every firearm in its
records, sent a letter last month to
current and former employees offering
amnesty for the return of firearms
that might have been “improperly
removed†from the facilities. SIG
Arms Chairman and CEO Herbert
Rudolf wrote that the corporation
conducted an audit to “properly
account for every firearm logged in
to the company’s records. Unfortunately,
our investigation has revealed
that a number of firearms have
been improperly removed from the
company’s facilities without proper
documentation or the company’s
authorization.â€
In Alaska, a gubernatorial candidate
took a campaign break to shop
for a smaller handgun. Complaining
that her .44-caliber Magnum
revolver does not fit into her purse,
Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer, a Democrat,
said she received a permit to carry a
concealed handgun in July and she
wanted a “small, light handgun†that
she could carry while campaigning.
If she wins her party’s nomination,
she could face pro-gun rights U.S.
Sen. Frank H. Murkowski, who some
observers say is expected to win the
Republican nomination.
