In Missouri, Gov. Bob Holden
has lost the support of Anheuser-
Busch because he vetoed a CCW
bill, which the state legislature
enacted by overriding the veto.
Holden said top executives at the
company wanted him to sign the bill
but he refused. Holden announced
he was banning concealed firearms
in state office buildings, even before
the state’s concealed carry statute
takes effect. “Gov. Holden is
showing his vindictive nature with
this ban,†said CCRKBA Chairman
Alan M. Gottlieb. “He knows, yet
refuses to admit, that law-abiding
citizens who legally carry firearms
do not shoot up government
buildings. He also should realize
that by announcing this ban, which
needs to be challenged legally, he is
virtually declaring government
buildings to be ‘free fire zones’ for
criminals.â€
In Washington, D.C., Sen.
Charles E. Schumer of New York
introduced S. 1706, a bill to
“improve†the National Instant
Criminal Background Check
System. It was referred to the Senate
Judiciary Committee. Original
cosponsors are Sens. Lincoln D.
Chafee of Rhode Island, Larry E.
Craig of Idaho, Richard J. Durbin of
Illinois, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah,
Edward M. Kennedy of
Massachusetts, Blanche L. Lincoln
of Arkansas, and John McCain of
Arizona.
In Minnesota, a group of more
than two dozen churches filed suit to
have the state’s CCW law overturned,
contending the law infringes on
religious freedom. “It undermines
our ability to create a safe place of
sanctuary for women, children and
men, those who we serve,†said
Sister Susan Oeffling. She and
former U.S. Attorney for Minnesota
David Lillehaug complain the
concealed carry law denies them
the ability to choose the wording of
signs posted on church property
informing the public that guns are
banned there. They also say the law
illegally prohibits the churches from
banning guns from their parking lots
and from church-owned property
that is leased to others.
Armi, a prestigious Italian gun
magazine, says a new book by
CCRKBA Public Affairs Director John
Michael Snyder is “brilliant†and is a
“must have†volume for those who
believe owning and using guns is
compatible with religious principles.
The book, Gun Saint, tells the heroic
story of an 1860 handgun rescue of
villagers from terrorists by St. Gabriel
Possenti. It describes the author’s
campaign for the saint’s designation
as Patron of Handgunners, as well
as controversy surrounding the
proposal. It is available for $12.95
plus $2.00 by check or money order
from Telum Associates, P.O. Box
2844, Arlington VA 22202, or by credit
card from Amazon.com zShops, ID:
1006K165667.
A federally licensed firearms
dealer in Connecticut is upset the
Google search engine will accept
ads for pornographic websites that
illegally show their materials to
underage children but will not accept
ads from licensed gun dealers selling
a legal product to adults. A
spokesman for Google said last
month that the policy is “part of our
terms and conditions.†Rich Millo,
owner of Valley Firearms in Shelton,
Connecticut, told the Cybercast
News Service that he is “sick and
tired of having the good guys be
discriminated against.†Millo had
subscribed to the Google Ad Words
service to promote his online gun
sales and auctions but then received
an e-mail telling him that it had been
suspended. Millo complained,
“They’ll let porn sites advertise but
not gun sites?â€
The United Mine Workers of
America (NMWA) urged passage of
S. 659, the proposed Protection of
Lawful Commerce in Arms Act which
would protect America’s firearm
manufacturers and dealers from
malicious, predatory third party
lawsuits. An identical measure
already has passed the U.S. House
of Representatives by an
overwhelming margin. In a letter to
U.S. Senators, UMWA President
Cecil E. Roberts encouraged
lawmakers to “cosponsor and
strongly support†the proposal. His
letter emphasized the potential
negative impact of these reckless
lawsuits against the gun industry
and the resultant adverse effects
they would inflict on workers and
their communities. Enactment of S.
659 would protect the industry and,
subsequently, jobs.
