Here's the response I got from Len Mirra (we had several phone conversations and email exchanges) - basically throws GOAL under the bus, says it was going to pass anyway so why not vote for it and his opponent is even worse then he is....
I dunno - were the amendments that actually got approved any improvement at all ? For instance I thought the penasties for a false report were actually lowered ?
P
"I'm a member of GOAL and I received the same email that I'm guessing you received; it's full of lies and distortions. They continue to send these emails because it results in increased donations and memberships. Their recent emails are nothing more than fund drives, playing upon the current emotional climate.
The original bill was very flawed and that's why the language was changed in two separate committees, and then changed again on the day it was passed, so it's totally untrue to say our amendments were not accepted. It's even more of a lie to say it doesn't recognize due process. One of the main changes was to actually improve due process over current laws. Right now a police chief can confiscate your license and your guns on mere supposition; he can deem you "unsuitable" based on his own opinions. This ERPO law requires a person to appear before a judge, and produce credible evidence, before an ERPO can be used. Additionally, it provides additional avenues for appeals, and time limits on having a hearing. We also changed the wording so that a court can have discretion to order an ERPO for "up to" a year instead of a blanket one year order. We also expressed concerns over a person using false allegations to have an ERPO served, so we put in penalties for anyone who does that.
As I explained to you before, this bill had broad support and was going to pass regardless of what a small number of us said or did. So we had two choices: we could make a symbolic vote against the original bill and end up with a deeply flawed law, or we could work with the majority and get the bill improved so that due process and gun rights are better protected. I chose the latter and I think it's a bold faced lie to say this is a gun confiscation bill. Also keep in mind that even the NRA supports ERPO laws when the changes we made are included.
NRA's Gun Violence Restraining Order Support: A Good Move | National Review
You have every right to be a single issue voter, but please bear in mind that I have a far left opponent who would not only vote for the original version of this bill but will also support another bill coming up that would ban all semi-automatic weapons. Please keep that in mind as she also supports sanctuary cities and a sanctuary state. I'm sure you know where I stand on those issues."