ALEC, Gun Owners of America & the 2nd Amendment

Saw this posted on Think Progress today and I had to say - OH, MY.....

Gun Owners Of America Chief Defends George Zimmerman: Trayvon Martin Was ‘Assailant’

By Alex Seitz-Wald on Mar 25, 2012 at 10:27 am

 Larry Pratt, the executive director of Second Amendment group Gun Owners of America, offered a rare defense of the man who killed Trayvon Martin, saying George Zimmerman was acting in self defense when he shot the Florida teen. As the facts of the case have emerged, everyone from President Obama to RIck Santorum and Rep. Allen West (R-FL) have condemned the killing.

OH, MY.....


American Legislative Exchange Council

PRIVATE SECTOR MEMBERSHIP

1992 Annual Report

Gun Owners of America

American Legislative Exchange Council

ALEC's Private Sector Members

Members and Contributors

1993 Annual Meeting Brochure

Gun Owners of America

ALEC must have gone looking for someone they thought that no one could link to ALEC and the NRA and the disastrous legislation - Stand Your Ground - ALEC Castle Doctrine "model legislation".

So ALEC and Gun Owners of America have a close relationship - kinda like ALEC and the NRA.

But what a lot of people don't realize that ALEC also has a big interest in the second amendment - to most people an unhealthy interest.

1995 ALECs 22nd Annual Meeting.

Tanya Metaksa of the National Rifle Association gave a stirring speech on the imperative to protect the Second Amendment rights of Americans.

The ALEC 1995 Source Book of American State Legislation included the

Resolution to the Second Amendment To The U.S. Constitution

This resolution recommends the rejection of restrictive firearms laws that would limit law-abiding citizens in their exercise of their Second Amendment rights.

Resolution On Semi-Automatic Firearms

This resolution recommends the rejection of local, state, and federal legislation restricting the possession of semiautomatic firearms, and further recommends that criminal justice resources be used for increased punishment and incarceration of violent criminals. (Sourcebook, Vol. I, pg. 236)

Resolution On "Waiting Periods"

This resolution recommends the rejection of local, state, and federal legislation imposing waiting periods before the purchase of a firearm,

August 2007 Inside ALEC

In the states, where the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has been actively working with legislators, there are clear geographic splits. On the pro-second amendment side, mostly in the South and West, the most significant trend has been towards requiring state or local officials to provide licenses to carry a concealed firearm to citizens with no criminal record. Florida was the first of these “shall-issue” states in 1987 and since then 38 more have enacted “shall-issue” legislation. Many of these same states have also enacted legislation, much of it based on ALEC model bills, protecting hunters’ rights, pre-empting local gun control laws, and expanding self-defense legislation under the “Castle Doctrine.”

And an interesting little bit about Andrew LeFevre

2001 Director of the Criminal Justice Task Force, and the Education Task Force

And the author of the 2001 article on paying teachers based on performance), 2008 Report Card on American Education (15^th Edition), and a co-author of the 2001 Report Card on American Education (1976 – 2000 and the 2010 Report Card on American Education

Throughout his career, Mr. LeFevre has written numerous articles about educational and criminal justice issues and interacted on a daily basis with legislators from all across the country discussing education and crime topics. He has testified before numerous state legislatures on key education and crime issues.

Mr. LeFevre has done numerous radio, print, and television interviews on topics ranging from education reform to privatizing government functions and the Second Amendment.

InsideALEC 2008

Emergency Firearms Confiscation Bill

State By Wyoming State Rep. Allen Jaggi (R-18)

I first heard about this issue from Louisiana Henry “Tank” Powell, at ALEC’s Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, last year.

  …  legislation that prevents the state from using natural disaster or emergency as an excuse to confiscate firearms from citizens. .

   …   I then got a copy of Louisiana’s bill from Rep. Powell and sent it to the Legislative Service Office. They checked similar bills in other states and provided me a draft, which was acceptable to law enforcement. Similar laws have already passed in 21 other states. 

   …   I was very pleased with the level of support I received from my fellow ALEC member and from legislators and citizens from around the state. This bill will help Wyoming citizens keep our second amendment rights.

Inside ALEC June 2010 – Article

ALEC Brief Defends Second Amendment

BY CHRIS W. COX, NRA Institute for Legislative Action

Chris W. Cox is the executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action. The NRA is a member of ALEC’s Public Safety and Elections Task Force.

In a few short weeks, the Supreme Court will deliver a decision that will have a great impact on all Americans’ Second Amendment rights. If the Court’s decision is favorable, American gun owners will be on the verge of a major step forward—due in large part to the support of organizations like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and its members.

Gun owners have also had the strong support of state legislators who took action in support of the effort. In December 2009, ALEC’s Public Safety and Elections Task Force passed a resolution which subsequently became an ALEC model and included the following language:

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Legislative Exchange Council affirms that the state legislatures that ratified the Fourteenth Amendment understood the Amendment to incorporate the right of self-defense and the right to keep and bear arms against state and local infringement;

ALEC members’ support for the right to keep and bear arms helps make the case that the decision to incorporate the Second Amendment is not only sound constitutionally, but also sound policy. Most state legislators are willing to work within the Constitution, and don’t fear strong protections for citizens’ rights.

Following up on ALEC’s resolution, ALEC filed an amicus brief in the McDonald case, urging the Supreme Court to reverse the Seventh Circuit’s flawed ruling.

The McDonald case was a biggy – drawing 50 amicus briefs – in addition to ALEC others filing briefs the Cato Institute,  Heartland Institute and of course - Gun Owners of America, Inc.   

In the introduction of the amicus ALEC states:

ALEC is a non-partisan association of over 1,500 state legislators from across the United States and, as part of its duties, has frequently considered and implemented policy statements and resolutions concerning the individuals’ right to keep and bear arms, as well as proposing model legislation concerning gun ownership, use and regulation. ALEC’s fundamental focus in such activities is advancing and protecting the individual right to keep and bear arms against encroachment by state, local and federal lawmakers. Toward that end, ALEC seeks to support application of Second Amendment rights to the states and therefore requests leave to file the instant amicus curiae brief.

Oh my ------ well I guess that puts ALL ALEC legislators and alumni in the same boat with ALEC when it comes to gun rights.  Kinda hard to step away from the issue - when the issue gets HOT - when you are a died in the wool - card carrying member of the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Oh my ------ well I guess that puts ALL ALEC corporate profit sector members in the same boat with ALEC when it comes to gun rights.  Kinda hard to step away from the issue - when the issue gets HOT - when you are a died in the wool - card carrying member of the American Legislative Exchange Council.

And being a card carrying member of ALEC becomes more of an issue when you take into account this writeup from Cato - using the EXACT words from the ALEC amicus brief.

Cato reported ALEC’s McDonald amicus in the following manner

4. American Legislative Exchange Council

Interest: ALEC is the nation’s largest non-partisan individual membership association of state legislators. It serves to advance Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism and individual liberty.

Argument: The Second Amendment is incorporated under the Due Process Clause because the right to keep and bear arms is “necessary to an Anglo-American regime of ordered liberty” and is a right “deeply rooted in our nation’s history and tradition.”

Which ALEC in an afterthought -  thought it was needed to do this also

Inside ALEC January 2010

ALEC Resolution on Mcdonald vs. Chicago

Affirms that the Second Amendment and the fundamental right of self-defense applies to Americans throughout the United States, regardless of where they live, against state and local governments so as to prohibit their infringement of the right to keep and bear arms.

They never cease to amaze me in their maniacal focus on issues.

And they never cease to amaze me in their maniacal focus on issues and what results from their paranoia in the name of “model legislation”.

DRAFT

Gun Owners' Privacy and Access to Health Care Act

Summary

This Act prevents health care practitioners from denying care to patients who legally own firearms. The Act prevents insurers from charging premium rates or denying coverage simply because a policyholder legally possesses firearms.

So as – you can see – ALEC is all about guns and second amendment shit.

It doesn’t matter if ALEC isn't talking about it right now in the wake of what happened in Sandford FL.

It doesn’t matter if the NRA isn’t talking about it right now in the wake of what happened in Sandford FL.

Evidently past (and probably present) ALEC member Gun Owners of America is talking about what happened in Sandford FL.

And it appears they are supporting their good buddies at ALEC – the other gun making and gun promoting private sector – corporate sector – corporate profit sector members of ALEC.