One gets the impression listening to some folks in the state legislature that Arizona wants every baby born in the state (legally) to own an automatic weapon….no regulations whatsoever on gun ownership.

But maybe the  impression Arizonans aren’t willing to accept reasonable regulation of guns is not true.

Arizonans may in fact be more moderate than the news accounts of state legislative efforts to allow guns on college campuses….

A new poll by the bipartisan coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns found that 83 Percent of Arizonans and 75 Percent of Gun Owners Support Requiring All Gun Buyers to Pass a Background Check – no matter where they buy the gun or who they buy it from.

In other words…gun shows would have to require background checks.

Other results of the poll:

 91 percent of Arizonans and 91 percent of gun owners support requiring federal agencies to share information with each other about suspected dangerous persons or terrorists, in order to prevent them from buying guns.

 88 percent of Arizonans and 86 percent of gun owners support fully funding the NICS Improvement Act, the law passed after the Virginia Tech shooting to prevent people with a history of mental illness from buying guns.

 77 percent of Arizonans and 72 percent of gun owners support requiring gun dealers to notify state and local police when someone fails a background check when buying a gun.

 85 percent of Arizonans and 85 percent of gun owners support prohibiting people on the terrorist watch lists from purchasing guns.

 75 percent of Arizonans and 71 percent of gun owners support tracking bulk purchases of semi-automatic assault rifles, the weapon of choice of Mexican drug cartels.

 69 percent of Arizonans and 56 percent of gun owners oppose proposals to allow carrying concealed guns on college campuses.

 75 percent of Arizonans and 72 percent of gun owners oppose state proposals to allow carrying of concealed guns in government buildings, including courthouses and the state legislature.

 Arizonans Support Closing Loopholes and Gaps in the Background Check System

 82 percent of Arizonans and 78 percent of gun owners support a law to require background checks for all guns sold at gun shows.

 83 percent of Arizonans and 75 percent of gun owners support requiring all prospective buyers to pass a background check, no matter where they buy the gun and no matter who they buy it from.

Press Release:

 

POLL:  ARIZONANS – INCLUDING GUN OWNERS –

OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT FIXING GUN BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM

83 Percent of Arizonans and 75 Percent of Gun Owners Support Requiring All Gun Buyers to Pass a Background Check –

No Matter Where They Buy the Gun or Who They Buy it From

Strong Majorities of Arizona Gun Owners Support Tougher Laws to Keep Guns Out of the Hands of Dangerous People

While Protecting Rights of Law-Abiding Citizens

75 Percent of Arizonans and 72 Percent of Gun Owners Oppose State Proposals to Allow Carrying a Concealed Gun in Government Buildings, Including Courthouses and the State Legislature

FixGunChecks.org Campaign and more than 250,000 Americans Urge President and Congress to Fix Background Checks

The bipartisan coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns today announced the results of a statewide poll demonstrating overwhelming support among Arizonans for measures designed to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, including fixing glaring loopholes background check system. 

The survey by American Viewpoint found deep support for provisions contained in the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011, introduced today by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY).  The legislation, modeled on a proposal by more than 550 mayors in the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition, would create stronger incentives for states to submit records to the National Instant Background Check System (NICS) on individuals who are prohibited from purchasing firearms. The bill would also require federal agencies to certify that they are sharing information about prohibited purchasers and require all gun buyers to pass a background check, with narrow exemptions. 

Full results for the polls are available here: http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/downloads/pdf/poll_slides_2011.pdf

The poll questionnaire is available here: http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/downloads/pdf/poll_questionnaire.pdf

 ”This isn’t just about public opinion, it’s about saving lives and making our families safer,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva. “There’s a reason 83 percent of Arizonans and 75 percent of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check. The loopholes that gave Jared Loughner easy access to deadly weapons have no place in civil society, and ending them will make this country a safer place to sleep at night. Background checks are a simple law enforcement tool to ensure that gun buyers are not a threat to public safety, and opposing them puts one far outside the mainstream. This is a bill whose time has come, and I will strongly support it in the House.”

Tucson shooter Jared Loughner had a history of drug abuse that led military recruiters to reject him in December 2008.  According to U.S. Army sources, he was eventually rejected from enlistment after admitting that “he smoked marijuana to such an extent” that they decided they were “not going to accept a habitual drug abuser into the Army.” 

Any of these facts should have prohibited Loughner from buying a gun for at least one year.  But less than a year later after the military turned him away, he was able to buy a shotgun after passing a background check conducted by the NICS.  A year after that, in November of 2010, he bought another gun-a Glock that he used to kill 6 people and injure 13 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ).

The national gun background check system has serious flaws.  In part because Congress has failed to fully fund the system, millions of records of prohibited purchasers (including criminals, drug abusers, domestic violence offenders and the mentally ill) are still missing from the NICS database.   Arizona has submitted only 5,036 mental health records and only one drug abuse record to the NICS database. 

There is also no federal law requiring background checks for “private sales” by someone other than a licensed dealer.  Around 40 percent of U.S. gun sales are private sales completed at places like gun shows, in parking lots or over the Internet.

The Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011 would provide tough incentives to states to ensure that all records of prohibited buyers are included in the background check system, and that all purchasers have a background check, with reasonable exceptions.

“Debates since the Tucson shooting, ranging from the tone of politics to the gun culture in Arizona, have been conducted in general terms and give the impression of sharp divisions,” said pollster Bob Carpenter of American Viewpoint, which conducted the survey.  “However, our poll today shows that when you get down to the policy details, Arizonans, including gun owners, unite behind their support for proposals ranging from improving reporting of mental health records into the background check system, reporting bulk purchases of assault rifles, and requiring background checks on all gun sales. When you get past controversy and turn to specifics, even gun owners agree that there many places where gun laws need to be fixed.”

The polls were released as the National Drive to Fix Gun Checks campaign truck continues its two-month journey across the United States.  The campaign is holding events in cities across the country with local mayors, families of local gun violence victims and others to harness the growing momentum for reform.  The truck is led by Omar Samaha, whose sister was killed in the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.  Around 250,000 Americans have signed petitions calling on the President and Congress to fix the gun background check system.  The campaign site can be found here:  http://www.fixgunchecks.org/

Support for Getting Records of Dangerous People into Background Check System and Requiring Background Checks for Every Gun Sale

 91 percent of Arizonans and 91 percent of gun owners support requiring federal agencies to share information with each other about suspected dangerous persons or terrorists, in order to prevent them from buying guns.

 88 percent of Arizonans and 86 percent of gun owners support fully funding the NICS Improvement Act, the law passed after the Virginia Tech shooting to prevent people with a history of mental illness from buying guns.

 77 percent of Arizonans and 72 percent of gun owners support requiring gun dealers to notify state and local police when someone fails a background check when buying a gun.

 85 percent of Arizonans and 85 percent of gun owners support prohibiting people on the terrorist watch lists from purchasing guns.

 75 percent of Arizonans and 71 percent of gun owners support tracking bulk purchases of semi-automatic assault rifles, the weapon of choice of Mexican drug cartels.

 69 percent of Arizonans and 56 percent of gun owners oppose proposals to allow carrying concealed guns on college campuses.

 75 percent of Arizonans and 72 percent of gun owners oppose state proposals to allow carrying of concealed guns in government buildings, including courthouses and the state legislature.

 Arizonans Support Closing Loopholes and Gaps in the Background Check System

 82 percent of Arizonans and 78 percent of gun owners support a law to require background checks for all guns sold at gun shows.

 83 percent of Arizonans and 75 percent of gun owners support requiring all prospective buyers to pass a background check, no matter where they buy the gun and no matter who they buy it from.

 Poll Methodology

 This poll was part of a five-state bi-partisan polling project sponsored by Mayors Against Illegal Guns and managed by Momentum Analysis. The Arizona poll was conducted between February 16 and February 17, 2011 by American Viewpoint, a Republican polling firm.

 About American Viewpoint

 American Viewpoint is one of the most widely respected public opinion research and strategic message consulting firms in the United States. Founded in 1985 by Linda DiVall, the company has established a national reputation for outstanding quantitative and qualitative research in politics, corporate affairs, public policy and government relations. American Viewpoint has advised Republican campaigns and groups, including McCain-Palin ’08, Bush-Cheney ’04, the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Senator Roy Blunt and Senator Johnny Isakson.  Corporate clients have included AT&T, CBS News, International Paper and Pfizer.

 About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

 Since its inception in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 mayors to more than 550. Mayors Against Illegal Guns has united the nation’s mayors around these common goals: protecting their communities by holding gun offenders and irresponsible gun dealers accountable, demanding access to trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat illegal gun trafficking, and working with legislators to fix gaps, weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other prohibited purchasers to get guns.

See Arizona Republic version of story.

One gets the impression listening to some folks in the state legislature that Arizona wants every baby born in the state (legally) to own an automatic weapon….no regulations whatsoever on gun ownership.

But maybe the  impression Arizonans aren’t willing to accept reasonable regulation of guns is not true.

Arizonans may in fact be more moderate than the news accounts of state legislative efforts to allow guns on college campuses….

A new poll by the bipartisan coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns found that 83 Percent of Arizonans and 75 Percent of Gun Owners Support Requiring All Gun Buyers to Pass a Background Check – no matter where they buy the gun or who they buy it from.

In other words…gun shows would have to require background checks.

Other results of the poll:

 91 percent of Arizonans and 91 percent of gun owners support requiring federal agencies to share information with each other about suspected dangerous persons or terrorists, in order to prevent them from buying guns.

 88 percent of Arizonans and 86 percent of gun owners support fully funding the NICS Improvement Act, the law passed after the Virginia Tech shooting to prevent people with a history of mental illness from buying guns.

 77 percent of Arizonans and 72 percent of gun owners support requiring gun dealers to notify state and local police when someone fails a background check when buying a gun.

 85 percent of Arizonans and 85 percent of gun owners support prohibiting people on the terrorist watch lists from purchasing guns.

 75 percent of Arizonans and 71 percent of gun owners support tracking bulk purchases of semi-automatic assault rifles, the weapon of choice of Mexican drug cartels.

 69 percent of Arizonans and 56 percent of gun owners oppose proposals to allow carrying concealed guns on college campuses.

 75 percent of Arizonans and 72 percent of gun owners oppose state proposals to allow carrying of concealed guns in government buildings, including courthouses and the state legislature.

 Arizonans Support Closing Loopholes and Gaps in the Background Check System

 82 percent of Arizonans and 78 percent of gun owners support a law to require background checks for all guns sold at gun shows.

 83 percent of Arizonans and 75 percent of gun owners support requiring all prospective buyers to pass a background check, no matter where they buy the gun and no matter who they buy it from.

Press Release:

 

POLL:  ARIZONANS – INCLUDING GUN OWNERS –

OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT FIXING GUN BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM

83 Percent of Arizonans and 75 Percent of Gun Owners Support Requiring All Gun Buyers to Pass a Background Check –

No Matter Where They Buy the Gun or Who They Buy it From

Strong Majorities of Arizona Gun Owners Support Tougher Laws to Keep Guns Out of the Hands of Dangerous People

While Protecting Rights of Law-Abiding Citizens

75 Percent of Arizonans and 72 Percent of Gun Owners Oppose State Proposals to Allow Carrying a Concealed Gun in Government Buildings, Including Courthouses and the State Legislature

FixGunChecks.org Campaign and more than 250,000 Americans Urge President and Congress to Fix Background Checks

The bipartisan coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns today announced the results of a statewide poll demonstrating overwhelming support among Arizonans for measures designed to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, including fixing glaring loopholes background check system. 

The survey by American Viewpoint found deep support for provisions contained in the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011, introduced today by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY).  The legislation, modeled on a proposal by more than 550 mayors in the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition, would create stronger incentives for states to submit records to the National Instant Background Check System (NICS) on individuals who are prohibited from purchasing firearms. The bill would also require federal agencies to certify that they are sharing information about prohibited purchasers and require all gun buyers to pass a background check, with narrow exemptions. 

Full results for the polls are available here: http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/downloads/pdf/poll_slides_2011.pdf

The poll questionnaire is available here: http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/downloads/pdf/poll_questionnaire.pdf

 ”This isn’t just about public opinion, it’s about saving lives and making our families safer,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva. “There’s a reason 83 percent of Arizonans and 75 percent of gun owners support requiring all gun buyers to pass a background check. The loopholes that gave Jared Loughner easy access to deadly weapons have no place in civil society, and ending them will make this country a safer place to sleep at night. Background checks are a simple law enforcement tool to ensure that gun buyers are not a threat to public safety, and opposing them puts one far outside the mainstream. This is a bill whose time has come, and I will strongly support it in the House.”

Tucson shooter Jared Loughner had a history of drug abuse that led military recruiters to reject him in December 2008.  According to U.S. Army sources, he was eventually rejected from enlistment after admitting that “he smoked marijuana to such an extent” that they decided they were “not going to accept a habitual drug abuser into the Army.” 

Any of these facts should have prohibited Loughner from buying a gun for at least one year.  But less than a year later after the military turned him away, he was able to buy a shotgun after passing a background check conducted by the NICS.  A year after that, in November of 2010, he bought another gun-a Glock that he used to kill 6 people and injure 13 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ).

The national gun background check system has serious flaws.  In part because Congress has failed to fully fund the system, millions of records of prohibited purchasers (including criminals, drug abusers, domestic violence offenders and the mentally ill) are still missing from the NICS database.   Arizona has submitted only 5,036 mental health records and only one drug abuse record to the NICS database. 

There is also no federal law requiring background checks for “private sales” by someone other than a licensed dealer.  Around 40 percent of U.S. gun sales are private sales completed at places like gun shows, in parking lots or over the Internet.

The Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011 would provide tough incentives to states to ensure that all records of prohibited buyers are included in the background check system, and that all purchasers have a background check, with reasonable exceptions.

“Debates since the Tucson shooting, ranging from the tone of politics to the gun culture in Arizona, have been conducted in general terms and give the impression of sharp divisions,” said pollster Bob Carpenter of American Viewpoint, which conducted the survey.  “However, our poll today shows that when you get down to the policy details, Arizonans, including gun owners, unite behind their support for proposals ranging from improving reporting of mental health records into the background check system, reporting bulk purchases of assault rifles, and requiring background checks on all gun sales. When you get past controversy and turn to specifics, even gun owners agree that there many places where gun laws need to be fixed.”

The polls were released as the National Drive to Fix Gun Checks campaign truck continues its two-month journey across the United States.  The campaign is holding events in cities across the country with local mayors, families of local gun violence victims and others to harness the growing momentum for reform.  The truck is led by Omar Samaha, whose sister was killed in the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.  Around 250,000 Americans have signed petitions calling on the President and Congress to fix the gun background check system.  The campaign site can be found here:  http://www.fixgunchecks.org/

Support for Getting Records of Dangerous People into Background Check System and Requiring Background Checks for Every Gun Sale

 91 percent of Arizonans and 91 percent of gun owners support requiring federal agencies to share information with each other about suspected dangerous persons or terrorists, in order to prevent them from buying guns.

 88 percent of Arizonans and 86 percent of gun owners support fully funding the NICS Improvement Act, the law passed after the Virginia Tech shooting to prevent people with a history of mental illness from buying guns.

 77 percent of Arizonans and 72 percent of gun owners support requiring gun dealers to notify state and local police when someone fails a background check when buying a gun.

 85 percent of Arizonans and 85 percent of gun owners support prohibiting people on the terrorist watch lists from purchasing guns.

 75 percent of Arizonans and 71 percent of gun owners support tracking bulk purchases of semi-automatic assault rifles, the weapon of choice of Mexican drug cartels.

 69 percent of Arizonans and 56 percent of gun owners oppose proposals to allow carrying concealed guns on college campuses.

 75 percent of Arizonans and 72 percent of gun owners oppose state proposals to allow carrying of concealed guns in government buildings, including courthouses and the state legislature.

 Arizonans Support Closing Loopholes and Gaps in the Background Check System

 82 percent of Arizonans and 78 percent of gun owners support a law to require background checks for all guns sold at gun shows.

 83 percent of Arizonans and 75 percent of gun owners support requiring all prospective buyers to pass a background check, no matter where they buy the gun and no matter who they buy it from.

 Poll Methodology

 This poll was part of a five-state bi-partisan polling project sponsored by Mayors Against Illegal Guns and managed by Momentum Analysis. The Arizona poll was conducted between February 16 and February 17, 2011 by American Viewpoint, a Republican polling firm.

 About American Viewpoint

 American Viewpoint is one of the most widely respected public opinion research and strategic message consulting firms in the United States. Founded in 1985 by Linda DiVall, the company has established a national reputation for outstanding quantitative and qualitative research in politics, corporate affairs, public policy and government relations. American Viewpoint has advised Republican campaigns and groups, including McCain-Palin ’08, Bush-Cheney ’04, the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Senator Roy Blunt and Senator Johnny Isakson.  Corporate clients have included AT&T, CBS News, International Paper and Pfizer.

 About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

 Since its inception in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 mayors to more than 550. Mayors Against Illegal Guns has united the nation’s mayors around these common goals: protecting their communities by holding gun offenders and irresponsible gun dealers accountable, demanding access to trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat illegal gun trafficking, and working with legislators to fix gaps, weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other prohibited purchasers to get guns.

While the state slides into bankruptcy our illustrious state legislature is busy trying to pass “birther” bills, repeal the 14th Amendment, and now loosen state gun laws even more.

You didn’t realize our state’s gun laws were liberal enough?

Guess again. Now the Second Amendment crowd wants to make sure you can carry your Glock19 with hundreds of bullets on college campuses and into government office buildings.

Arizona is turning into Tombstone?

You betcha.

Actually, at this point the state needs to go all the way and legalize the ownership of automatic weapons and silencers.

 There’s a coyote been coming into my yard killing my chickens that I want to send to coyote heaven…but it would be really nice if I got throw a hundred rounds at it and not wake up my neighbors.

Hey… how about allowing us to keep automatic weapons we find in the desert or take away from drug cartel goons?  I actually know people who have found discarded AK 47s near the border.

Maybe the only way to get anyone in Phoenix to reconsider turning Arizona into Yemen is for all the liberals and progressives in the state to buy guns and start practicing. Note that most Second Amendment folks are Republicans and liberals favor gun control. Ought to scare the heck out of the conservatives if all the liberals in the state start packing heat.

Note—I own guns and know how to use them…but I really think we need to regulate what kind of fire power people are wandering around carrying in urban areas and that folks need a whole lot more training about firearms use than they currently are required to have.

One of these days the scene at the Safeway at Ina and Oracle Road on January 8th will seem like childsplay when a bunch of heavily armed citizens start blasting away at each other down at the state capitol mall.

This from the Arizona Republic….

New Arizona legislation aims to loosen gun laws

by Alia Beard Rau on Jan. 31, 2011, under Arizona Republic News

Arizona solidified its reputation last year as one of the most liberal gun states in the nation after the Legislature passed a law allowing people to carry concealed weapons without a permit.

This year, gun-rights advocates hope to push Arizona to the top of the list by passing a “Firearms Omnibus” bill that would make Arizona the second state in the nation to require universities and communities to allow guns on campus and one of 10 that permit guns inside public government buildings such as the state Capitol. The bill to permit guns in public buildings is one of the most comprehensive gun bills proposed so far this session. It also addresses several other issues, including concealed weapons and allowing residents to seize government property if their gun rights aren’t observed.

Opponents say the all-encompassing gun bill would endanger the public and make it more difficult to prosecute people who shoot guns into the air or lie to police officers about whether they are carrying a concealed weapon.

Supporters of the bill say it is needed to ensure safety in public facilities.

The legislation is one of more than a dozen firearms-related bills proposed in Arizona this year.

Arizona isn’t alone in the effort to loosen gun restrictions. Lawmakers from many other states are pushing weapons laws – some in reaction to acts of violence like the shooting near Tucson, and some because of the more-conservative makeup of their legislatures following the November election.

What it does
Senate Bill 1201, sponsored by Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, would do a number of things, including:

-Allow people to carry firearms into all government-run facilities and many public events. The only places or events that could ban firearms would be those that post the correct sign, provide firearm lockers and have armed security and a metal detector. The law would apply to university classrooms, city buses and community festivals that get government permits. It would not apply to K-12 schools.

-Change the wording of last year’s concealed-weapons law to require an individual to answer “truthfully” when a law-enforcement officer asks whether the person is carrying a concealed weapon. The current wording requires the person to answer “accurately.” Law-enforcement officials say the change could give leeway to a person who, for example, forgets a gun in a bag and inaccurately tells an officer he or she isn’t carrying one.

-Change the wording of Shannon’s Law to make it a crime to “knowingly” discharge a firearm within city limits. It’s currently a crime for someone to discharge a firearm with “criminal negligence.” Bill opponents said the change would mean people could be convicted of violating this law only if the prosecution could prove they knew that shooting the gun could result in someone’s death or injury.

-Allow people to sue if they feel they were illegally stopped from carrying a firearm into a government facility or event. If a person wins the lawsuit and the government agency doesn’t pay within 72 hours, the person has the right to seize as payment “any municipal vehicles used or operated for the benefit of any elected office holder” in the relevant government agency.

Gun climate
Gun-rights advocates found enormous success in Arizona last year in passing legislation, thanks primarily to a supportive Legislature and a conservative governor.

Gov. Jan Brewer has consistently supported Second Amendment issues.

During her first year in office, she signed a bill allowing loaded guns in bars and restaurants, as well as another that prohibits property owners from banning guns from parking areas, so long as the weapons are kept locked in vehicles. Last year, she signed the concealed-carry bill into law, along with another bill that exempts guns made and kept in the state from federal regulation.

Only Utah has fewer gun restrictions than Arizona, according to a scorecard released last year by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a group that advocates gun restrictions. Utah is the only state that allows concealed weapons on college campuses.

Even with the gun-friendly environment, bills to allow guns on college campuses in Arizona failed to get through the Legislature last year.

But in November, voters elected more Republicans to the state Legislature, giving the party a supermajority in both chambers. Gun bills are expected to have even more success this year.

Fourteen lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors of SB 1201, including Senate President Russell Pearce, R-Mesa. There are also two other bills that propose to allow guns on university and community-college campuses.

A spokesman for Brewer said her office would not comment on the legislation “unless and until it reached the governor’s desk.”

Primary goal
The Arizona Citizens Defense League, a grassroots gun-rights group, brought SB 1201 to Gould.

Group spokesman Charles Heller calls it the “secure-buildings bill.”

“We’ve been working on doing this for a long, long time,” he said. “I don’t think anybody at the Citizens Defense League has any objection to disarming in a secure place. None of us has desire to carry in a place that’s prohibited. But if you’re going to prohibit it, make it secure.”

And if a government agency isn’t willing to secure the establishment, he said, “don’t disarm the victims.”

“You set up a slaughter,” he said.

Gould did not return a call seeking comment.

Bill opposition
Lobbyists on both sides of the issue said the details of SB 1201 are still being negotiated and amendments that change or eliminate some pieces of the legislation may be proposed.

The bill has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Gould chairs. No hearing has been scheduled.

“We want to really work with the sponsor of the bill to get some changes,” said Sahuarita Police Chief Jack Harris, who is president of the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police. “There are some things we think are really problematic, but I think we can get these things fixed.”

Harris said he was concerned that the changes in the wording of Shannon’s Law and the concealed-carry law would hinder prosecution.

He also said penalties for officials and law-enforcement personnel who may violate the rules are too tough. In addition to allowing an official’s vehicle to be confiscated, the bill makes it a Class 5 felony for any officer or official who violates the law and forbids any public money from being used in their legal defense.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, called the bill “crazy.”

“This is absurd,” Sinema said. “Arizona already has the second-most-liberal gun laws in the country.”

She said it was disconcerting that lawmakers would consider allowing people to bring weapons into public buildings.

“Weapons in courtrooms in which defendants are being tried? In probation hearings? In the state Capitol?” she said. “This is problematic.”

This from the Arizona Daily Star….

Sales of guns, including Glocks, soar across US

….A national debate over weaknesses in state and federal gun laws stirred by the shooting has stoked fears among gun buyers that stiffer restrictions may be coming from Congress, gun dealers say. The result is that a deadly demonstration of the weapon’s power has boosted sales of handguns in Arizona and other states, according to federal law enforcement data.

More….

Hmmmmmm.