Monday March 15, 2010 6:30PM

Public meeting at Mei Garden (800 Northway Drive) Old Royal Fork near the Sams Club on Bragaw

We have invited the school board and assembly candidtates. We want them to know we support firearms safety training in school. This is a good time to find out where they stand on 2nd amendment issues. If you have questions for them this will be a great time to ask.

There are several subjects on the agenda. There will be a situation report on the UAA and a report on HB 186. HB 381 is another bill we should support. It strengthens the castle doctrine. We need volunteers to help out on Youth Day at Birchwood Shooting Park in June.

The Sportsmans Warehouse has provided a $25.00 gift certificate for a door prize. Be sure to thank Steve when your in the store.

We are raffling a United States Shooting Team Ruger K10-22. Tickets for the raffle are $5 ea or 5 for $20 so get your tickets Monday. The rifle will be on display at this meeting and the drawing will be at the May 17 meeting. You don't need to be present to win.

The optional buffet is $13.95 if you want to have dinner. 

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1.  More bills headed to Governor's desk

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The following bills passed the Senate and are headed to Governor McDonnell's desk:

HB 109, Delegate Cole, repeals the power for localities to tax and register handguns - 40 to 0!

HB 1191, Delegate Griffith, allows the Circuit Court Clerk to issue CHPs if there are no problems with the application and the judge so authorizes the Clerk  - 32 to 8

HB 505, Delegate Gilbert, repeals the restaurant ban - 25 to 15 (3 new votes of "yes" over the previous vote on SB 334 - Blevins, Yvonne Miller, Watkins finally got on the bandwagon)

HB 885, Delegate Athey, allows for a non-CHP holder to have a gun in a locked compartment or container in a motor vehicle or vessel - 24 to 16

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2.  Let's tell Comcast not to oppose our right to self-defense

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As you might recall, last week a Comcast representative spoke against HB 171 in the Senate Courts of Justice Special subcommittee.  HB 171 was Delegate Pogge's bill that would have allowed a person to have a gun in a locked vehicle on someone else's private property.

The Comcast CEO is Brian Roberts and his office number is 215-258-8960.

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3.  Bill Mims being considered for the Virginia Supreme Court - not a good idea?

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Bill Mims was the interim Attorney General when Bob McDonnell resigned 

to run for Governor last year.   Bill Mims was interviewed earlier 

this week by a joint House and Senate committee in consideration of him being appointed to the Virginia Supreme Court.  When asked about judicial activism, he apparently gave a rather weak answer.

Prior to being the Interim Attorney General, Bill Mims was a state Senator.  If you don't like the fact that CHP holders must keep their handgun fully concealed while sitting in their vehicle on K-12 school property - you can thank the then Senator Mims for that one.

In the Senate Courts of Justice Committee back in 2005, Senator Mims, who was never extremely strong on gun rights, said that handguns must be kept concealed at all times while on K-12 school property because "someone might pull onto school property with a handgun dangling from their rearview mirror otherwise."

That kind of wild thinking can really give us twisted laws and it certainly did in that case.

I have great concerns that the Supreme Court may not be the right place for Bill Mims.

At some point there will be an option for the public to speak on Mims nomination - I will advise when the time comes.

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VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.

(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.

The proposed Firearm Elk Season would reduce available licenses from 605 “any elk” and 760 “antlerless elk” licenses in 2009 to 495 “any elk” and 570 “antlerless elk” licenses in 2010.

The proposed Firearm Prairie Elk Season would see an increase in tags available from 45 “any elk” and 86 “antlerless elk” in 2009 to 50 “any elk” and 86 “antlerless elk” this year.

“While the aggressive harvest approach a few years ago reduced the overall elk population and reduced depredation complaints from ranchers and landowners, the department direction is to increase the elk population in some areas and that process includes the reduction of licenses another year,” said GFP Chief of Terrestrial Resources Tom Kirschenmann.

The GFP Commission is also proposing the Black Hills Bighorn Sheep Season, which will retain 5have five "any bighorn sheep" licenses available, but extending the season from Nov. 30-Dec. 31.

The Commission will keep the season closed on mountain goats in South Dakota.

The Commission will take final action on the proposed Elk Seasons and Bighorn Sheep Season at its April 8-9 meeting at the Crossroads Hotel in Huron.

Information on season proposals is available on the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info under the headings “About Game, Fish and Parks” and “GFP Commission.”

Residents who would like to provide written comments on the proposals may do so up until 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 7.   The comments may be mailed to Game, Fish and Parks Commission, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D., 57501, or e-mailed to wildinfo@state.sd.us . All comments must have the sender’s full names and address in order to be included in the public record.

Comments may also be presented in person at the GFP Commission meeting during the public hearing, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT on Thursday, April 8.