Chicago's Daley Emboldened By Democratic Majority: Mayor Richard Daley and other elected officials renewed their call for stricter gun laws Wednesday, saying Democratic control of the General Assembly could lead to passage of legislation that has foundered in the past. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/illinois/chi-ap-il-gunlaws-daley,1,5480147.story http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/politics/16376973.htm --- CCRKBA vs. Seattle Mayor: The anti-gun agenda unfurled today by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels would not have prevented any of the recent crimes involving firearms in Washington State, including Wednesday morning's tragic incident at Tacoma's Foss High School, said Joe Waldron, executive director of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,40042.shtml --- Meanwhile, In Tennessee...: DA Bill Gibbons wants tougher penalties for crimes committed with guns and for convicted felons carrying guns. He believes a stiffer penalty will act as a deterrent. Same goes for gang related crimes. Gibbons defines gang activity as a criminal act committed by three or more people. (It seems as though "stricter gun laws" in Memphis actually means punishing the people who misuse firearms, not limiting their use by the law-abiding.) http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=5870869 --- Castle-Doctrine Bill For Virginia: Oklahoma and Colorado call it the "Make My Day" law. Florida calls its version "Stand Your Ground." But Delegate Bill Janis (R-Goochland) hopes that after the legislative session convening Jan. 10 Virginians will have a "Castle Doctrine" statute to call their own... http://www.styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=13617 --- Ohio Still Imposes Duty To Retreat: Ohio has recently had some sweeping improvements in our gun laws, but there is room for improvement. In cases like the one mentioned above, Ohio still has on the books "a duty to retreat". This means that under certain guidelines of the law, someone breaks into your home you have a duty to leave your home if possible. http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/article3474.html --- Utah Universities Lobby For Partial Gun Bans: Utah's colleges and universities are trying a new strategy in the debate over guns on campus: They are meeting with the Legislature's staunchest gun rights advocates in an attempt to reach a compromise. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_4940766 http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_003150705.html --- Confusion Over Nebraska Carry Permits: A confusing situation as dozens of people line up to receive the state's first concealed handgun permits. 62 permits were handed out statewide including 27 in Omaha. But other people were turned away even though they thought they were qualified. http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/5077721.html --- First Missouri Concealed-Carry Permits To Expire: A reminder that it's time to renew concealed-carry permit endorsements note that one permit has been revoked in Franklin County in the first three years of the system. http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17664991&BRD=1409&PAG=461&dept_id=33071&rfi=6 --- Rule Three Reminder: A Chicago-area homeowner, who was searching for an intruder in his home, gun in hand, told police that he was so startled when he found the intruder that "the gun went off." The suspected burglar was located when a fire department in a neighboring community reported a man with a gunshot wound. (Rule Three: Keep your finger out of the trigger guard, up on the frame, until your sights are on the target and you're prepared to fire.) http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/195200,4_1_JO03_INTRUDER_S1.article --- Rule Four Reminder: The finding of a grand jury in rural Arizona will be reviewed by the state attorney general's office. A man who had obtained a restraining order against someone who had threatened to kill him fired two shots in the dark at what turned out to be a group of teenage girls playing a prank, hitting one. (Rule Four: Always be sure of your target and what's beyond it.) http://www.willcoxrangenews.com/articles/2007/01/03/news/news1.txt --- Rule Four Reminder, Part 2: An off-duty Houston police officer was arrested early Monday after allegedly firing a gun during a New Year's party, striking a nearby home, authorities said. Ricardo Piņeda, 27, was charged with deadly conduct after the shooting that happened shortly before 12:30 a.m. in the 8800 block of Rustling Leaves, Harris County sheriff's deputies said. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4440300.html --- How Many Rules Violated?: A 20-year-old who accidentally shot his friend in the forehead minutes before New Year's Day wasn't following a key rule of gun safety: Always assume a gun is loaded. Sean Page told investigators he often jokes and plays around with guns and it's common for him and his friends to point the firearms at one another. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/volusia/orl-shooting0307jan03,0,6067546.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-volusia -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .