Grass Roots North Carolina, P.O. Box 10684, Raleigh, NC 27605 919-664-8565, www.grnc.org, GRNC Alert Hotline: (919) 562-4137
GRNC Alert 5-14-05:
HB 1311 - Call & Email Your House Reps By MONDAY!
HOUSE HOPES YOU WILL TAKE THE WEEKEND OFF
[Analysis] After GUTTING HB 1311, "Domestic Violence Victims Empowerment Act," the House has scheduled it for a vote this Monday, May 16. This is no coincidence that the vote is scheduled for a Monday. They are hoping that you will be too busy doing other things on the weekend to notice.
As noted before, the NC House Judiciary III Committee Tuesday destroyed the integrity of HB 1311, after extensive lobbying by the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association. The sheriffs' keep referring to the power of the office of the sheriff. Perhaps they are too busy focusing on this power to think of what is best for victims of domestic violence. Which is more important, the power of your sheriff, or the lives of innocent women?
ACT NOW TO RESTORE CRUCIAL MEASURES TO THE BILL!
DO YOU 'NEED' A PERMIT?
HB 1311, as drafted by GRNC, would make it mandatory for sheriffs in North Carolina to issue expedited concealed handgun permits to domestic violence victims who are being protected by restraining orders. This innovative bill contrasts sharply with previous "domestic violence"
legislation that amounted to little more than gun registration and confiscation. The much-heralded 2003 "Homicide Prevention Act," for example, actually shepherded a 26% INCREASE in domestic homicide, a 40% increase in murder/suicide, and a 15% increase in gun use in domestic homicide.
The NC Sheriff's Association, however, have forced language saying that a "sheriff *may* issue" instead of "shall issue," meaning a sheriff would be under no obligation to issue permits. Their lobbyist, EDDIE CALDWELL, not only succeed in stripping "shall issue" language, but also another crucial measure--requiring judges to inform victims of their rights to permits--was removed by committee chairman RONNIE SUTTON (D-Robeson, GRNC *). A gutted shell of its former self, HB 1311 now changes virtually nothing from current law. Although sheriffs can issue expedited permits even now, they rarely do.
BATTLE IS NOT LOST YET
However gutless, HB 1311 passed out of committee and now heads to the House floor. Consequently, time remains to amend it by returning the two most crucial critical provisions: "Shall issue" language under which sheriffs must issue permits to qualified applicants, and language requiring judges to inform victims or their rights to permits.
IMPORTANCE OF SHALL ISSUE AND JUDGE NOTIFICATION
It is likely that sheriffs of more rural counties, if not for the issue of liability they are shackled by under current MAY ISSUE law, would probably hasten to allow women this self-protection; BUT THEY DON'T now and it is largely because of these fears. Furthermore does anyone live under the delusion that there are sheriffs elected in more liberal counties that would EVER feel that a woman MAY 'need' to protect herself with a gun? How many judges in today's environment are likely to inform a domestic violence victim of this right if not forced to under the law? These are important questions.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED
-> * CALL & EMAIL YOUR NC HOUSE REP by Monday. It is more important to
CALL, since they are just coming back from the weekend, they may not have the chance to check email before going into session. Leave them voice mails letting them know to pass HB 1311 in its ORIGINAL form before it was gutted at the NC Sheriffs' Associations request. Find your NC House rep by going to: www.grnc.org/contact_reps.htm
-> * Also email AND CALL these members:
Speaker: Speaker James B. Black [email protected] 919-733-3451
Speaker Pro Tempore: Rep. Richard T. Morgan [email protected]
919-715-3010
Special Assistant to the Speaker: Rep. W. Pete Cunningham [email protected] 919-733-5778
Minority Leader: Rep. Joe L. Kiser [email protected]
919-733-5782
Majority Whip: Rep. Marian N. McLawhorn [email protected]
919-733-5757
Minority Whip: Rep. Mitch Gillespie [email protected]
919-733-5862
-> * USE AUTOMATED E-MAIL TO CONTACT ALL HOUSE MEMBERS
grnc.rightswatch.us/alerts/email5_13_05.htm
Or by using this email address: [email protected] Your email will automatically go to ALL members of the NC House.
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE
Subject: HB 1311 Is NOT About Sheriffs' Power
Dear Representative:
HB 1311, "Domestic Violence Victims' Empowerment Act," must pass as it was ORIGINALLY drafted. The current language forced upon this bill by the NC Sheriffs' Association is totally unacceptable.
If the current language mandated by the sheriffs' (which accomplishes no more than current law) worked, we would already be seeing more Joy Burgesses (who successfully defended herself and child using and
handgun) and fewer murder victims like Shennel McKendall.
More likely there would be less violence at all due to the fact that bullies are less likely to target armed victims. Pass HB 1311 as a SHALL ISSUE law and return the language REQUIRING judges to inform these victims of their rights.
Remember, the NC Sheriffs' Association does NOT elect the General Assembly; the PEOPLE do. Rest assured that I will closely monitor activity on this bill.
Respectfully yours,
A Concerned North Carolina Voter
GRNC Alert 5-14-05:
HB 1311 - Call & Email Your House Reps By MONDAY!
HOUSE HOPES YOU WILL TAKE THE WEEKEND OFF
[Analysis] After GUTTING HB 1311, "Domestic Violence Victims Empowerment Act," the House has scheduled it for a vote this Monday, May 16. This is no coincidence that the vote is scheduled for a Monday. They are hoping that you will be too busy doing other things on the weekend to notice.
As noted before, the NC House Judiciary III Committee Tuesday destroyed the integrity of HB 1311, after extensive lobbying by the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association. The sheriffs' keep referring to the power of the office of the sheriff. Perhaps they are too busy focusing on this power to think of what is best for victims of domestic violence. Which is more important, the power of your sheriff, or the lives of innocent women?
ACT NOW TO RESTORE CRUCIAL MEASURES TO THE BILL!
DO YOU 'NEED' A PERMIT?
HB 1311, as drafted by GRNC, would make it mandatory for sheriffs in North Carolina to issue expedited concealed handgun permits to domestic violence victims who are being protected by restraining orders. This innovative bill contrasts sharply with previous "domestic violence"
legislation that amounted to little more than gun registration and confiscation. The much-heralded 2003 "Homicide Prevention Act," for example, actually shepherded a 26% INCREASE in domestic homicide, a 40% increase in murder/suicide, and a 15% increase in gun use in domestic homicide.
The NC Sheriff's Association, however, have forced language saying that a "sheriff *may* issue" instead of "shall issue," meaning a sheriff would be under no obligation to issue permits. Their lobbyist, EDDIE CALDWELL, not only succeed in stripping "shall issue" language, but also another crucial measure--requiring judges to inform victims of their rights to permits--was removed by committee chairman RONNIE SUTTON (D-Robeson, GRNC *). A gutted shell of its former self, HB 1311 now changes virtually nothing from current law. Although sheriffs can issue expedited permits even now, they rarely do.
BATTLE IS NOT LOST YET
However gutless, HB 1311 passed out of committee and now heads to the House floor. Consequently, time remains to amend it by returning the two most crucial critical provisions: "Shall issue" language under which sheriffs must issue permits to qualified applicants, and language requiring judges to inform victims or their rights to permits.
IMPORTANCE OF SHALL ISSUE AND JUDGE NOTIFICATION
It is likely that sheriffs of more rural counties, if not for the issue of liability they are shackled by under current MAY ISSUE law, would probably hasten to allow women this self-protection; BUT THEY DON'T now and it is largely because of these fears. Furthermore does anyone live under the delusion that there are sheriffs elected in more liberal counties that would EVER feel that a woman MAY 'need' to protect herself with a gun? How many judges in today's environment are likely to inform a domestic violence victim of this right if not forced to under the law? These are important questions.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED
-> * CALL & EMAIL YOUR NC HOUSE REP by Monday. It is more important to
CALL, since they are just coming back from the weekend, they may not have the chance to check email before going into session. Leave them voice mails letting them know to pass HB 1311 in its ORIGINAL form before it was gutted at the NC Sheriffs' Associations request. Find your NC House rep by going to: www.grnc.org/contact_reps.htm
-> * Also email AND CALL these members:
Speaker: Speaker James B. Black [email protected] 919-733-3451
Speaker Pro Tempore: Rep. Richard T. Morgan [email protected]
919-715-3010
Special Assistant to the Speaker: Rep. W. Pete Cunningham [email protected] 919-733-5778
Minority Leader: Rep. Joe L. Kiser [email protected]
919-733-5782
Majority Whip: Rep. Marian N. McLawhorn [email protected]
919-733-5757
Minority Whip: Rep. Mitch Gillespie [email protected]
919-733-5862
-> * USE AUTOMATED E-MAIL TO CONTACT ALL HOUSE MEMBERS
grnc.rightswatch.us/alerts/email5_13_05.htm
Or by using this email address: [email protected] Your email will automatically go to ALL members of the NC House.
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE
Subject: HB 1311 Is NOT About Sheriffs' Power
Dear Representative:
HB 1311, "Domestic Violence Victims' Empowerment Act," must pass as it was ORIGINALLY drafted. The current language forced upon this bill by the NC Sheriffs' Association is totally unacceptable.
If the current language mandated by the sheriffs' (which accomplishes no more than current law) worked, we would already be seeing more Joy Burgesses (who successfully defended herself and child using and
handgun) and fewer murder victims like Shennel McKendall.
More likely there would be less violence at all due to the fact that bullies are less likely to target armed victims. Pass HB 1311 as a SHALL ISSUE law and return the language REQUIRING judges to inform these victims of their rights.
Remember, the NC Sheriffs' Association does NOT elect the General Assembly; the PEOPLE do. Rest assured that I will closely monitor activity on this bill.
Respectfully yours,
A Concerned North Carolina Voter