Legislative Update - Action Alert July 29, 2008

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Legislative Update - Action Alert July 29, 2008

Below is a brief legislative update. GOAL members are reminded that the legislative session ends Thursday, July 31, 2008 at Midnight so quick action is needed to successfully pass the following bills!

Governor's Fee Increase Proposal

Tuesday night the House of Representatives took up the Governor's 2008 Supplemental Budget Proposal H.5022 (formerly H.4971). As our members know, it was in this bill that the Governor proposed to more than double firearm license fees and firearm dealer fees. Thanks to the actions of Rep. Denis Guyer, and nearly 60 co-sponsors, the House Committee on Ways & Means removed the four fee raising sections prior to the bill being released to the floor for a vote. This was a great victory for lawful gun owners. However the House did not stop there.

When the bill came to the floor for a vote, Rep. George Peterson filed an amendment to lower FID card and LTC fees to $40.00 and extend non-resident licenses to $100 for six years. We are happy to announce to our members that the amendment passed by nearly 40 votes! (GOAL will post the corrected roll call when it is available.) The bill will head to the Senate tomorrow, Wednesday, July 30, 2008. GOAL is urging all of our members to contact their local Senators and urge them to support the reduction in license fees.

S.1401 "AN ACT prohibiting the confiscation of lawfully owned firearms during a state of emergency"

Tuesday the Massachusetts Senate passed GOAL's Katrina bill filed by Senator Richard Moore. The bill was passed by the Senate without a roll call. S.1401 will head to the House on Wednesday, July 30, 2008. GOAL members are urged to contact their local Representatives quickly and ask them to pass S.1401 "AN ACT prohibiting the confiscation of lawfully owned firearms during a state of emergency"
 
The house votes to lower license fees by 60% and the senate passes the Katrina bill. Seriously, can someone tell me what state I woke up in this morning?

Two steps in the right direction after years of running in the wrong direction. Maybe people are waking up. Just one concern I have, is this an attempt to appease us so we don't feel threatened this election year?
 
WRT fees, any idea if the Senate will go along, or if the governor will veto this bill?
 
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Voters never get anything unless it is to appease us.

Exactly - all this does is make me wonder how big of a shoe is going to drop somewhere down the road.

Maybe this is a desperate attempt to keep some taxpayers in the state of MA to pay off the bills. If the politicians had any brains in their head whatsoever they would realize that people who can afford - and are willing to pay, $100.00 license fees - are more than likely upper income folks - who are pissed off at the way the state is going and may be looking to move out.

Once the license fee drop becomes official at $40.00 we should encourage as many people as possible to get their license - the more people we expose to the stupidity of MA gun laws the more of a constituency we have to get those changed as well.

The other lesson from all of this is - money ALWAYS talks.
 
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If the license fee drop becomes official at $40.00 we should encourage as many people as possible to get their license - the more people we expose to the stupidity of MA gun laws the more of a constituency we have to get those changed as well.

The other lesson from all of this is - money ALWAYS talks.

FYP. This is not a done deal. The bill goes to the senate today and then to the governor's desk, where he could elect to use his veto.
 
Meaning the leadership knew there was enough support for it that they didn't want to put anyone's name on record?
 
Searching online has brought no news about the vote that was suppose to happen yesterday. Hoping to hear some good news.
 
even if he vetos it... can't the house and senate still override his veto?

thought we had the whole 2/3's rule... basically meaning that the Governor can't call all the shots if 2/3's of the house and senate pass a bill.
 
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