Democrats introduce bill to ban large capacity magazines

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

"I blame the gunman for the first 10 bullets; I blame the law for the next 21 bullets." – Lawrence O'Donnell

When the federal assault weapons ban was allowed to expire several years ago, it included a provision banning large capacity magazines that also expired. It was a large capacity magazine that contributed to the carnage of the tragedy in Tucson.

Democrats in the Arizona Legislature are now doing something about it. Arizona bill would ban large-capacity magazines:

Legislation to ban large-capacity gun magazines like the one used in the Jan. 8 mass shooting in Tucson has been introduced in the Arizona Legislature.

The bill was introduced late Monday by Rep. Steve Farley of Tucson and 19 other Democratic lawmakers.

The legislation would generally ban magazines with more than 10 rounds. Authorities have said the Tucson shooter opened fire with a magazine that had more than 30 rounds in it before he was subdued.

Farley says the lack of a large-capacity magazine might have reduced the scope of the Tucson tragedy.

Of course, this AP article included the obligatory "fair and balanced" statement from lobbyist John Wentling, vice president of the Arizona Citizens Defense League, who said "the proposal is misguided and unconstitutional." Bullshit.

While the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized an individual right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, the court expressly declared that reasonable restrictions on gun ownership are "presumptively lawful" in District of Columbia v. Heller. This lazy reporter simply took his obligatory "fair and balanced" statement from a gun lobbyist and reported it without any fact checking of the statement.

The gun lobby always takes an absolutist position for unrestricted gun ownership, a position not supported in law or the Second Amendment. Since the Heller decision, courts across the country have rejected the argument of the gun lobby that the Second Amendment enshrines their "any gun, anywhere, any time" unrestricted agenda. What part of "well regulated" do they not understand?

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Conservatives always apply the "cafeteria plan" to the Constitution, picking and choosing only those provisions with which they agree and simply ignore or use legal sophistry to try to explain away out of existence (such as the "militia" qualifier in the Second Amendment above) provisions with which they disagree.

The fiancée and family of Gabe Zimmerman will join Assistant House Minority Leader Steve Farley Tuesday at a press conference on the House Lawn at Noon to support his bill to ban large capacity ammunition clips.

Kelly O'Brien, the fiancée of Gabe Zimmerman, appeared on Good Morning America to say that the Arizona Legislature should limit the sale of high-capacity magazines for for guns. Gabe Zimmerman's Fiancée Calls for Smaller Bullet Magazines:

Nearly one month after she lost her fiancé Gabe Zimmerman to a bullet in a Tucson, Ariz. parking lot Kelly O'Brien called on the Arizona state legislature to pass a bill that would reduce the amount of bullets in a magazine to 10.

“I absolutely support it…And it is so sad to see 19 people gunned down in just 15 seconds by one of these extended capacity clips," O'Brien said on "GMA."

I asked her if she thought passing that law would limit constitutional rights under the Second Amendment. But O’Brien compared it to free speech and yelling “fire” in a crowded theater, saying that “everything within reason should have limits.”

“As you know Jared was stopped when he ran out of bullets. And I believe, even if not Gabe, other people could have been saved that day,” O’Brien said. “And absolutely more people could have not had the injury and stuff that they had to sustain.”

I hold out little hope of success for passage in this radical Republican dominated Arizona Legislature. On Monday, with little discussion, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to let individuals bring their guns into most public buildings. Arizona bill allowing guns in most public buildings heads to full Senate:

SB 1201 would scrap the existing policy which presumes that these buildings are off limits to weapons once the operators post a "no guns'' sign at the door. Instead, any government that wanted to keep out guns would have to have armed security guards and screen all entrants with metal detectors.

And cities, counties and government agencies would be powerless to overrule that.

* * *

Nothing in the legislation alters existing laws which currently keep individuals from carrying their weapons onto school or community college campuses. But there are measures awaiting legislative action to permit those which state permits — which remain available — to bring their guns into both places.

* * *

The 6-2 vote, which sends SB 1201 to the full Senate, is the latest in a series of measures liberalizing (sic) Arizona's gun laws.

I would argue that the media villagers should start using the correct descriptive adjective: "radicalizing."

Last year, for example, Arizona became only the third state in the nation to allow anyone to carry a concealed weapon without a state permit which entails a background check and some training. And they stripped cities of their last vestige of any right to impose restrictions of their own, like keeping guns out of parks.

Lawmakers have previously voted to permit guns where alcohol is served, though armed patrons must promise not to drink.

Many of these measures, like this one, have been sponsored by Senate President Russell Pearce.

There is a recall petition circulating to recall Sen. Russell Pearce. Please contribute your time, efforts and money to this cause. Do it now. This icon of all that is wrong with Arizona has to go.