The Senate Judiciary Committee met this morning, February 16, 2011, to discuss three bills before it; SB29, SB88, and SB126. The most interesting of the three was SB126 which revises certain provisions relating to permits to carry concealed firearms.
The bill was introduced by Senator James A. Settelmeyer (R – Capital Senatorial Dist.) and Senator John J. Lee (D – Clark County 1) in a bipartisan effort to bring Nevada into alignment with other “Shall Issue” states regarding conceal carry permits. Under existing law, a person who applies for a permit to carry a firearm concealed is required to list each specific semiautomatic firearm to which the permit will pertain, however does not need to list each specific revolver. Nevada is the last state in the union to require individual weapons qualifications.
There are apparently 49,000 CCW permit holders in Nevada, and the requirement that each semiautomatic firearm be added to an individual’s permit places a burden on authorities, as well as on citizens. Frank Adams, the Executive Director of the Nevada Sheriffs and Chiefs Department spoke in support of the bill.
While introducing the bill, Senator Lee stated, “Any semiautomatic firearm should be treated as any revolver,” after schmoozing the committee members and Chairwoman Valerie Wiener by stating they were the most handsome committee he had seen.
Seventeen citizens, representing themselves and pro-second amendment organizations, spoke up in support of the bill, including Las Vegas’ own Bob Irwin, owner of the Las Vegas Gun Store; Robert Ruppert, an active member of the Clark Country Republicans; and Gabriel Raviv, a gun rights attorney. Raviv, who had some concern regarding certain wording in the bill, was invited to work on drafting an amendment to the bill addressing his language concerns.
Lynn Chapman, of the Nevada Families Eagle Forum, also spoke in support of SB126 stating, “We feel this is a liberty issue.”
Only one citizen came forward to disavow the bill; James Brown of Gardnerville, who conjured up the Tucson shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords as necessitating stricter gun control laws. Brown inaccurately stated that Nevada is one of the few states who allow concealed weapons, when in fact, according to the NRA-ILA; there are 40 Right-to-Carry states: 37 have “shall issue” laws (as does Nevada); two states have fairly-administered discretionary-issue carry permit systems; and Vermont, Alaska, and Arizona allow conceal carry without a permit.
SB126 is still being worked on by the Senate Judiciary Committee, and updates will occur as information arises.
Comments
How about fixing (expanding) your list of reciprocity states? I don't see why Nevada has to be so restrictive in terms of the licenses it honors.
Equal protection under the law should mandate that all states recognize out of state permits.
Thanks for an excellent article! I hope this passes.
Also Nevadans, please over turn the dumb law preventing adults with ccw's from carrying on a College campus, I know a woman who works at UNR who has been stalked but she cant carry on her way home! The law didn't prevent that Biela guy from raping girls on campus ( he used a gun )
somebody punch James Brown of Gardnerville in the side of the head, what a lame ass
Where I agree that Mr. Brown spoke out of ignorance, albeit his right to do so, the idea that we should wish head-punches on everyone we disagree with is the antithesis of the discourse that our great country was founded upon. Surely we would be a society in concussion if head-punching was appropriate.
Brown is a dumb a** transplant from Southern California.
Nevada is NOT the last state to require individual listing of firearms on the CCW License - California makes you list all of them, including each revolver.
NY requires each and every firearm listed on your permit, each gun can only be added to one permit in some juristictions. (as in you and your wife cannot co-own a firearm)
In reference to listing individual firearms, I believe the original comments were directed towards "shall issue" states. California is NOT a shall issue state.
In reference to "campus carry," standby, there is a bill coming. We'll need EVERYONE'S support.
In reference to Mr Brown, well, much (if not all) of his testimony simply was NOT factual. This reiterates the need to educate. Logic and FACTS are on our side.
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