"Emergency Powers" Is No Excuse To Disarm Citizens
-- Insist that your rights be protected just when you need them most

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Wednesday, February 22, 2006


Good News!

Following egregious examples of anti-gun misbehavior by the New
Orleans police during the "state of emergency" there, an Arizona
state senator has introduced legislation to insure the same thing
doesn't happen in The Grand Canyon State.

SB 1425 -- introduced by Sen. Dean Martin (Dist. 6) -- would change
state law to prohibit the confiscation of firearms and ammunition
during a state of emergency. The bill has passed out of committee by
a vote of 5-2, and it could be taken up by the full Senate at any
time.

You may recall that during the Hurricane Katrina debacle, video
documentation surfaced showing that officials were disarming
law-abiding gun owners who were doing nothing more than keeping their
self-defense firearms available to protect their property and loved
ones. (You can view this disgusting footage at
www.gunowners.org/notb.htm on the GOA website.)

Gun owner outrage led to the courts in Louisiana insisting that the
practice cease -- after the fact -- but to keep it from happening
again, officials need to be specifically prohibited from even TRYING
it. Most states have "emergency powers" laws, and THAT is the hook
anti-gun officials use to take away your guns just when you need them
most.

Sure, we can argue till we're blue in the face that the Second
Amendment alone protects against such outrageous government behavior.
Consider, however, that a state law specifically prohibiting any
official from confiscating firearms in an emergency isn't something
that is subject to debate... it's the law.

SB 1425 would change the law of Arizona to specifically make this
kind of egregious activity illegal. The bill has moved out of
committee, and could be taken up by the full Senate at any time.
That is why your senator needs to hear from you today.

This year, one of GOA's highest priorities at the state level is to
address the problems with so-called "emergency powers" across the
country. GOA-supported bills that will make it absolutely certain
that no state official could disarm the citizenry during an emergency
are currently pending in several states.

It all started when GOA supplied video footage to Rep. Steve Scalise
of Louisiana, after he had received reports of disarmament. The
video was shown in conference during a Special Session of the
legislature dealing with Katrina fallout, and the result was a 97-0
vote REQUIRING the legislature to decide on GOA-approved legislation
during Louisiana's normal session later this spring.

Meanwhile, the national movement is growing steadily. Similar bills
can be found in states like MS, NH, AK, VA, OH, and others... with
several bills being introduced by legislators who are GOA members.

An opportunity like SB 1425 cannot be left to the whims of
politicians and the popular press -- gun owners have to make the
difference as anti-gun and media scrutiny continues to increase.

ACTION: Please contact your state senator and ask him to support SB
1425. You can use the pre-written letter below -- and your senator's
e-mail in the roster that is provided -- to help direct your comments
to him.

You can find out who your state senator is by using the GOA Legislative
Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm and then typing
your zip code into the Elected Officials box.  After that, click on the
highlighted "state" link to see who your state senator is.


----- Pre-written message -----

Dear Senator,

Now that SB 1425 has passed out of committee, I urge you to support
when it comes before the full Senate. This bill is extremely
necessary, as it would prohibit the unlawful and unconstitutional
confiscation of firearms during a "state of emergency."

The bill would outlaw police misbehavior such as the outrageous
conduct in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, which was soundly
rebuked by the courts.

Please work to make certain that no anti-gun amendments are allowed
on this important bill.

Unlike some parts of the country, we in Arizona value the right to
keep and bear arms. Again, please reinforce this right by supporting
SB 1425.

Sincerely,



*****************************************************************

Arizona Senate

Name      Dis  E-mail              Phone (602) Fax (602)

Bennett    01  [email protected]     926-5584  926-3429
Hale       02  [email protected]        926-4323  417-3160
Gould      03  [email protected]       926-4138  417-3165
Harper     04  [email protected]      926-4178  417-3154
Flake      05  [email protected]       926-5219  417-3223
Martin     06  [email protected]      926-5284  417-3163
Waring     07  [email protected]      926-4916  417-3150
Allen      08  [email protected]       926-4480  417-3155
Burns      09  [email protected]       926-5993  417-3225
Gray       10  [email protected]        926-3376  417-3253
Leff       11  [email protected]        926-4486  417-3170
Blendu     12  [email protected]      926-5955  417-3168
Miranda    13  [email protected]     926-5911  417-3171
Brotherton 14  [email protected]  926-4485  926-3429
Cheuvront  15  [email protected]   926-5325  417-3149
Aguirre    16  [email protected]     926-3830  417-3145
Mitchell   17  [email protected]    926-4124  417-3164
Johnson    18  [email protected]     926-3160  417-3151
Jarrett    19  [email protected]     926-5288  417-3161
Huppenthal 20  [email protected]  926-5261  417-3157
Tibshraeny 21  [email protected]  926-4481  417-3152
Verschoor  22  [email protected]   926-4136  417-3222
Rios       23  [email protected]        926-5685  417-3167
Cannell    24  [email protected]     926-4139  417-3156
Arzberger  25  [email protected]   926-4321  417-3146
Hellon     26  [email protected]      926-4326  417-3159
Garcia     27  [email protected]      926-4171  417-3162
Aboud      28  [email protected]       926-5262  417-3166
Soltero    29  [email protected]     926-5342  417-3169
Bee        30  [email protected]         926-5683  417-3147

*****************************************************************

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Bah thats exactly the reason law abiding people keep guns. When the cops run off to save their own butts.

just another reason 2 have a backup i guess, that or a swat team "dead cold hands comes to mind"