Gun owners’ patience and persistence was rewarded on Saturday and yesterday, as the Texas House of Representatives led by Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) gave approval to a wide range of pro-gun legislation while the NRA Annual Meeting was underway in Houston.  Most of these bills passed overwhelmingly, in spite of repeated attempts by anti-gun members of the minority party to kill some of these measures by raising parliamentary “points of order” against them for alleged violations of House rules.  Many violations are procedural in nature, involving the committee process and committee reports.  Thanks to the meticulous work of House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee Chairman Joe Pickett (D-El Paso) and his staff, none of the points were sustained, and debate and votes on the bills were allowed to proceed on the House floor.

Last Friday, Governor Nikki Haley (R) signed an important mental health reform, House Bill 3560, into law.  This new law takes effect on August 1, 2013.

Yesterday, the Colorado Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology voted 3-2 to postpone indefinitely, House Bill 1306.

Legislators in both the state Senate and House are under extreme pressure to exempt Chicago and Cook County from any “shall-issue” mandate in the concealed carry law that a federal court has ordered to be adopted by June 9.  Any exemption for Chicago and Cook County could easily deny 40% of Illinois’ population “shall-issue” right to carry, and put gun owners state-wide at risk of felony prosecution if they happen to travel across Cook County or Chicago lines.  Please contact your state Senator and Representative TODAY and urge them to support equal right to carry laws for ALL Illinois residents.

On Thursday, May 16 at 10:00 a.m., Bill 20-170, the “Firearm Insurance Amendment Act,” will be heard by the DC Council Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs.  Sponsored by Councilor Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), B20-170 would require D.C. residents to purchase liability insurance, of no less than $250,000, before they are allowed to purchase a firearm.  

An armed man wearing a hood entered Bonaci Fine Jewelers in Kent, Wash. and attempted to rob the store. The store’s owner responded to the attack by retrieving a gun and exchanging gunfire with the criminal, causing the robber to flee. In an interview with local media, Kent Police expressed their belief that the criminal was struck twice during the incident. Additionally, Sgt. Jarod Kasner made clear to reporters that “people have the right to protect themselves.” 

It's only been a few weeks since the Senate struck down a measure aimed at expanding background checks for gun buyers, but Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D Nev., says his party is already a "couple" votes closer to the support needed to approve the legislation.Reid, speaking in an interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal, was optimistic that the Senate would ultimately be able to pass the so called Manchin Toomey amendment, a bipartisan compromise that was hammered out after weeks of negotiations, and which fell five votes short of passage in last month's vote."Joe Manchin called me yesterday," Reid said, according to a video posted on the Huffington Post. "He thinks he has a couple more votes."

One of the principal sponsors of defeated gun background check legislation says he isn't giving up on getting a bill passed.

The Republican led House on Monday night tentatively approved a bill that would expand where concealed weapon permit holders can carry or store their pistols, while lengthening penalties for crimes committed with a gun.

The Texas House of Representatives on Monday gave final approval to a proposal to allow concealed handgun license holders to carry guns into buildings on college campuses.The proposal, which was approved on a vote of 102 41, would allow public colleges and universities to opt out of allowing guns in buildings after consulting with students, faculty and staff. Private colleges and universities could opt in.

A late amendment to a bill mandating universal background checks for gun purchases in Nevada has given the effort renewed life in the state Legislature.

Four gun control bills have hit a wall in the Oregon Legislature.Senate President Peter Courtney said Monday the bills won't get a vote on the Senate floor because there isn't enough support for them to pass.

It's May, and for most seniors in high school, thoughts turn to final exams, getting a date for the prom and graduation. For David Cole Withrow, an 18 year old senior at Princeton High School in Princeton, N.C., his final days will be spent dealing with a suspension, an arrest record and a felony charge in criminal court.Mr. Withrow, who goes by "Cole," is not a criminal. He's an Eagle Scout and an honor student. He has a college scholarship, and he has been accepted at both Campbell University and East Carolina University. So far, so good.Mr. Withrow arrived at Princeton High on April 29 just as he would on any other school day -- until he realized that he inadvertently left a pair of unloaded shotguns in his pickup, secured there after he went skeet shooting the day before.

Last week, the Maine Joint Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee held work sessions on numerous bills that, if passed and enacted into law, would detrimentally impact your Second Amendment rights.  Several of the most egregious and onerous pieces of legislation were tabled by this Committee. However, anti-gun legislation will still be advancing to the floor of the Maine Senate.

H.R. 1825 recognizes the rightful place of recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting on Federal lands, supports Executive Order 13443 that directs Federal land management agencies to facilitate the expansion and enhancement of hunting on Federal lands, and ensures sound scientific management of wildlife and their habitat.

What police are calling a fight in Oceanside, Calif. escalated when one man stabbed another man with a large knife. The attack was witnessed by several people in a nearby restaurant, some of whom went to the scene to help the stabbing victim. One of the witnesses who rushed to the scene was a concealed carry permit holder. The permit holder drew his gun, halted the knife-wielding criminal’s attack, and held the attacker until police could arrive.  Unfortunately, the stabbing victim died from his wounds. 

Assembly Bill 711 is scheduled to be heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, May 8.  It is crucial that you call AND e-mail members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and your Assemblyman respectfully urging them to OPPOSE this egregious anti-hunting bill.  Contact information for members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee can be found here.  Contact information for your Assemblyman can be found here.

Some North Carolina lawmakers want to give concealed weapon permit holders more places to carry or store their pistols.

In speech after speech at the National Rifle Association's annual convention here this weekend, its top leaders and political allies blasted President Obama and other gun control advocates, warned against "all out, historic attacks" on the constitutional right to possess firearms, and issued a rallying cry to members to become a political force in next year's midterm elections and the 2016 presidential race.

President Barack Obama and national media are demonizing law abiding gun owners in the wake of recent violent acts, National Rifle Association leaders and political allies said on Friday at its first convention since the Connecticut school massacre."Our freedom is under attack like never before," Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said during a leadership forum. "When a deranged criminal murders innocent children, they blame us."