July 9, 2010:

"Easy Path" Walks A Rough Path

SLED recently revised the process for renewing a CWP in a way that would make it less convenient than it had been, and more expensive than permitted by law. Since SLED is under the control of the Governor, GrassRoots asked its members, and especially its CWP Instructor members, to contact Governor Sanford's office and complain. Large numbers of you did, and many also called their elected representatives. Meanwhile, both GrassRoots V.P. & Legislative Director Rob Butler and GrassRoots Executive Officer Bill Rentiers were in contact with the Governor's office explaining the legal and practical reasons for our complaints.

GrassRoots is pleased to report that SLED has rescinded the changes. We first told you this would happen in our July 7 e-mail "Message from the Governor's office". Its now official. SLED has posted the following announcement on its web site at http://www.sled.sc.gov/cwp.aspx?MenuID=CWP:

NOTICE

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) will not be implementing the Digitized Fingerprinting Concealed Weapon Permit (CWP) program as was previously announced. SLED personnel will continue to seek efficiency measures Division-wide, including the CWP program. SLED appreciates the patience demonstrated by each CWP applicant as SLED Regulatory personnel attempt to address CWP application turnaround times during these challenging economic times.

GrassRoots thanks Governor Sanford and his staff for hearing our concerns and helping rescind the changes. We also thank our members who called the Governor and their elected representatives. The events of the past few days demonstrate how, when we work together, we can bring about good results for gun owners, CWP holders, and GrassRoots members.

May 5, 2010:
GrassRoots leadership attended a Senate Subcommittee hearing where H. 3585 was on the agenda, but H. 3585 was carried over until a future meeting.

May 4, 2010:
GrassRoots leadership attended a House Judiciary Committee hearing where H. 3298 was discussed. Rep. Rutherford proposed an amendment to also allow CWP holders to store a firearm under the seat of a vehicle.

May 3, 2010:
GrassRoots sent out an Action Alert asking gun owners to contact each member of the Senate Subcommittee where H. 3585 sits and tell them "I strongly urge you to kill H. 3585! GrassRoots GunRights speaks for me." Please click here to read the GrassRoots Action Alert on H. 3585.

April 22, 2010:
GrassRoots leadership attended the Senate Subcommittee on H. 3585. GrassRoots delivered a copy of this letter to each member of the Subcommittee. The Chairman of the Subcommittee (Sen. Knotts) halted the meeting after 15 minutes and announced the meeting would reconvene at 11:00am in the Senate conference room adjoining the Senate gallery. The hearing did not reconvene at 11:00am, but was rescheduled until immediately after adjournment of the Senate. The hearing was later canceled entirely.

GrassRoots leadership also attended the House General Laws Subcommittee on H. 3659.

April 15, 2010:
GrassRoots attended the House Criminal Laws Subcommittee where H. 3659 (a bill which would turn many law-abiding citizens into felons and define certain firearms as "assault weapons") was on the agenda. H. 3659 bill did not get discussed before the meeting ended. GrassRoots delivered a copy of this letter to each member of the Subcommittee.

April 14, 2010:
The House General Laws Subcommittee met today and passed H. 3298 (a bill to allow a gun to be stored under the seat of a car) with the GrassRoots proposed language adopted at the Subcommittee's March 2009 meeting.

The Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Subcommittee met to discuss S. 1271 (a bill to allow a person to use a firearm to kill an animal out of season if in self defense or defense of others). GrassRoots suggested Subsection C of S. 1271 be deleted entirely. The Subcommittee voted to strike Subsection A(3), Subsection B and Subsection C entirely. Read S. 1271 here

March 18, 2010:
GrassRoots delivered this letter to each member of the House Judiciary General Laws Subcommittee and to the cosponsors of H. 3994 (a bill to allow possession of firearms in private vehicles in places set aside for private vehicles). The letter rebutts the Chamber of Commerce position on H. 3994 and shows why the Chamber of Commerce should support H. 3994.

Please click here to read the GrassRoots Action Alert on H. 3994 and follow the instructions to contact lawmakers.

March 2, 2010:
Certain SC politicians want to pass a law (H. 4112) to allow THEM (but not you) to carry a self-defense firearm anywhere in the state if they possess a CWP.

March 3, 2010
UPDATE: H. 4112 was on the House Judiciary General Laws Subcommittee agenda today. GrassRoots delivered this letter to each member of the House Judiciary General Laws Subcommittee. GrassRoots spoke against the provision in H. 4112 which would enable politicians in the SC General Assembly who possess a CWP to carry anywhere in the state.

The Subcommittee voted to adjourn debate on H. 4112, but this bill is still in play. If you have not yet contacted the members of the General Laws Subcommittee to express your opposition to the special privileges for politicians in H. 4112, please do so now. Click HERE to read the GrassRoots Action Alert about H. 4112 and learn what immediate action you need to take.

February 16, 2010
GrassRoots emailed this letter to each member of the House Judiciary General Laws Subcommittee and to the sponsor of H. 3994 (a bill to allow possession of firearms in private vehicles in places set aside for private vehicles). The letter explains problems with H. 3994 and asks the House Judiciary General Laws Subcommittee to amend the bill to protect gun owners.

February 24, 2010
UPDATE: The House Judiciary General Laws Subcommittee met, but failed to amend the bill as needed to protect gun owners. After expressing concerns that certain members of the Chamber of Commerce wished to speak about H. 3994 but were not present at the time, the Subcomittee voted to adjourn debate on H. 3994 until the next meeting.

February 2, 2010
GrassRoots delivered this letter to each member of the House Judiciary Committee and to each cosponsor of H. 3652. This letter explains the serious problems with H. 3652 and asks the House Judiciary Committee to either recomit H. 3652 to subcommittee for further study, or kill the bill entirely.

Another GrassRoots GunRights victory!

GrassRoots Gorillas attended the Judiciary Committee hearing to impress upon legislators how important H. 3652 was to gun owners. Thanks to GrassRoots GunRights, the bill was sent back to the House General Laws Subcommittee for further study - which is usually how the Judiciary Committee quietly kills a bill. H. 3652 should now die in subcommittee.

As currently drafted, H. 4022 could cause innocent South Carolina gun owners to lose the right to keep and bear arms!

January 24, 2010
If passed as written, South Carolina gun owners who rely on H. 4022 and abide by South Carolina law will still be considered to be in violation of federal law. This means the federal government will still prosecute South Carolina gun owners who abide by South Carolina law. H. 4022 must be amended to better protect gun owners in South Carolina.

GrassRoots GunRights has proposed language to fix the problems with H. 4022. GrassRoots delivered this letter to the sponsor of H. 4022 and to each Senator on the Judiciary Subcommittee reviewing H. 4022. Please read the letter to understand the problems with H. 4022 and the GrassRoots proposed solution.

Click HERE to read the GrassRoots Action Alert about H. 4022.

January 28, 2010
UPDATE: Thanks to GrassRoots GunRights, H. 4022 was tabled for further study. GrassRoots GunRights will be watching in case H. 4022 begins to move again.

What would you do...?

      Imagine you're standing outside your locked apartment building on the welcome mat under the awning. Suddenly two drunken men about 20 yards away decide they are going to beat you up. They charge you while yelling vulgar threats of how they are going to "beat your ass."
     At first, you can't believe this is really happening. Then, you realize it is indeed happening. Unfortunately, those couple of moments of disbelief have allowed the two drunks to close the distance. Now, they are only 10 yards away from you, still charging, and still cursing and threatening you.
     You are a disabled Army veteran. You served in Korea, Mogadishu in Somalia, and Egypt in Desert Storm. But, nothing has prepared you for something like this. Your 30% Army service disability is due to nerve damage in your right leg, which causes foot drop. So, you can't outrun these two aggressive drunks, and you can't hope to win a fight against two healthy young men either. But, even though you have done nothing to provoke them, they aren't giving you a choice on whether there is going to be a fight or not.

These two mean drunks are the ones initiating and forcing a violent encounter. They are predators, and you are now their prey.

You are more afraid now than you have ever been in your entire life. You know these mean drunks are going to cause you serious bodily injury or death because they are still charging and still yelling vulgar threats of how they are going to "beat your ass." You realize you are in a real life nightmare.

Click Here to read the rest of the story.

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Click Here for our Legislation Watch page.

"Easy Path" Walks A Rough Path

Another GrassRoots GunRights victory!

As currently drafted, H. 4022 could cause innocent South Carolina gun owners to lose the right to keep and bear arms!

What would you do...?

Click Here to read the Jason Dickey Appeal Brief.