[Monkeyleg]

The last couple of days have brought some good news for the CCW effort here. Yesterday a Democrat state senator added his name to the list of co-authors on the bill. Two assembly Democrats have already done so.

Further, three fairly sizeable newspapers in the state have run editorials in favor of the bill. The links to two of them are below.

I'm getting a really good feeling about this!

The editorials:
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2003/09/23/opinion/iq_2458517.txt

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/news/archive/opinion_12408214.shtml

[tommytrauma]

Good news indeed.

Dick, the second article you cited states Those eligible would be Wisconsin residents who are 21 or older, who have completed a 22-hour firearms training course

When I read the text of the bill, I didn't see specifics about the number of hours of training, only that the instructor be NRA or state certified. Has that changed?

[Correia]

22 hour! Holy moly. Is that a typo, or are they serious?

[El Tejon]

"On, Wisconsin, on, Wisconsin, [humming rest of song because El Tejon forgot the words]."

Best of luck to our friends to the Nort, yeah, hey!

[AJ Dual]

Dick,

I know that every vote closer to veto-proof we get is a good thing, but do you think Doyle will just let it pass without signing for the default period?

I think that the Journal-Sentinel is worried he'll do just that and is trying to back him into a corner with the shady wording of last Saturday's headline. Nowhere in the article did he say he would veto, just not sign it. Two very different things.

[Monkeyleg]

Right now the training requirements are the same as last year: an NRA handgun safety course, NRA hunter safety course, NRA self-defense course, proof of military service, or proof of law enforcement service. That could all change, but I don't know where the media is coming up with the 22 hour figure.

As for Doyle, I have to wonder if he isn't waiting to see how the votes stack up before deciding whether to veto. That may be why we're still in a lull, as the powers that be try to garner a two-thirds majority to convince him to let it sit on his desk.

Word has it that one Oshkosh-area Republican who was against the bill is now going to vote for it. The last thing we need is for Republicans to get weak-kneed.

[bedlamite]

Here's one against CCW from the Sheboygan Press:
http://www.wisinfo.com/sheboyganpress/news/archive/opinion_12392120.shtml

It's the typical "We must save you from this terrible peril" tripe I've come to expect from their editorials.

The letters they print seem to be split about 50/50.

[Monkeyleg]

I just wrote a letter to the editors at the Sheboygan-Press, bedlamite.

Get off of THR and onto your word processor, man! Times-a-wastin'!

[xenophon]

Adding more democrats, the more the welcome. I know where the republicans stand, so I'm putting all my efforts towards the democrats and of course Doyle. Just got a letter back from Gov. Doyle the other day saying the usual "it doesn't deter crime", "it is a threat to public safety", "so and so law enforcement agency is against it", and that basically he sees no need to turn back 130 years of legislation. You know, it's the same exact letter word for word from Doyle's office that another member posted here, and in my letter I refuted each of those issues. Oh well, on with the pressure.

x

[AJ Dual]

:eek:

You got that letter too?

What an unbelievable coincedence!

Doyle's office must have gotten both our letters at almost the same time, and they probably decided to just type that one letter back to both of us and make a copy...

:D

But seriously, the letters might at least nudge him to "not sign" and let it pass, rather than outright veto. Paper letter counts for what, 10 callers, and 100 e-mails?

[sturmruger]

Well folks I am back in WI now. I miss living in a state that allows its citizenry to protect themselves. IA is less then perfect, but at least I still had a permit.

I have been writing letters like crazy! I have sent a letter to every member of the State Senate. I am thinking of actually going down to Madison some time to stop in and personally drop some letters off. I am feeling really good about our chances to get this passed. I hope that the legislature can overturn a veto or two before the CCW lands on Doyle's desk. Maybe that will put the fear of God in him. I think if he looks at public sentiment he will see there is a shift here that he cannot avoid. He would be better off letting it pass into law then have the public humility of having his Veto overridden.

[xenophon]

AndrewWalkowiak: Yeah, it felt good to see Doyle's templated concealed carry letter before I even wrote him...addressing every single one of his arguments, yet just getting the same thing back in the mail. I guess he only has one template for both anti's and pro...hrrm, but I don't want to write an anti letter just to find out ;)

x

[Bainx]

We're pulling for you guys in Wisconsin.
Has everyone noticed that this last year has been a tidal wave of "pro-carry" progress nation-wide?
I'm glad to see us winning a few!:)