Constitutional Carry Bill to House Floor

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HB4145 has been reported out of the the House Judiciary Committee, and been advanced to the floor. Barring the unforseen, it will be on first reading tomorrow (Feb 4, 2016). Friday, it will be attacked by amendment after amendment attempting to water down the bill. Monday, it will go for the vote of the full House of Delegates.

Please, West Virginians: Call your Delegate in the House and ask them to fight against any amendments to the bill and vote for its passage. Have your circle of friends and relatives ALSO call with the same message (don't forget your spouse!).

Seriously folks, I expect to see a full-on assault against the bill in the media tomorrow urging our Legislators and Governor to reject the bill (and every day thereafter until it finally becomes law).

Expect a progress update when it is sent to the Senate.

 

[anvil6]

As predicted, there were amendments.
1 by the bills sponsor deleting a portion of the bill that was already signed into law last year in separate legislation.
1 by Delegate Eldridge adding Probation Officers in performance of their duties to list of people allowed to be armed in courts.
1 by Delegate Byrd adding WV RESIDENT ONLY to the list of qualification for Constitutional Carry.
3 by Delegate Skinner designed to make the "no training required" for constitutional carry VERY unattractive (a. Felony if not carrying approved insurance, b. Felony if "Any person who carries a concealed deadly weapon, without completing a training course in handling and firing a handgun, as set forth in subsection (d), section four of this article, shall be guilty of a felony if any use likely to pose a risk to the public or any harm occurs from such carrying, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in a state correctional facility not less than one nor more than five years and fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000.” c. Felony for first-time offense of <21 y.o. carrying without license, 2 - 5 prison.

Will report back on how these amendments and the bill fare on Monday, FEB 8.

 

[anvil6]

CLAIRIFICATION:
1. The bills' sponsor, Delegate Shott, had to amend her own bill because, IN THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, Delegate Manchin split the bill in two in House Judiciary, splitting the enhanced penalties for gun crimes off as a separate bill. The strategy was to allow anti-gun representatives to vote for the enhanced penalties and avoid being called weak on crime, while allowing them to vote separately against constitutional carry. Delegate Shott was able to get the bill back into one piece again by amending it.
2. Delegate Eldridge added Probation Officers in performance of their duties to the list of people allowed to be armed IN SCHOOLS (not courts as I erroneously reported). Makes the bill stronger.
3. Delegate Skinners' three amendments are uniformly designed to gut vital provisions of the bill. All three Skinner amendments need to be defeated.
4. Delegate Byrd added "resident of WV" to the list of requirements to "Constitutional Carry" in WV. That is NOT what the bill intends. The Byrd amendment needs to be defeated.

IN SUMMARY: West Virginians, please ask your Delegate to support the Eldridge and Shott amendments, oppose the Byrd and Skinner amendments AND vote to pass HB4145 on to the Senate. Every call and email is important, but those from the following counties are CRITICAL: Greenbrier, Harrison, Jackson, Kanawha, Marion, Marshall, McDowell, Mercer, Morgan, Ohio, Ritchie, Summers, Upshur, Wayne.

Will report after Feb 8 House session is complete and published online. House session is scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM.

Expect very similar tactics to befall the bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

 

[anvil6]

FINAL update from the WV House:

Byrd amendment (WV Residents ONLY for concealed Constitutional Carry in WV) REJECTED. 73 - 26, 1 not voting.
Skinner amendments (all three) REJECTED. 90 -9; 96 - 3; 97 - 2 (all three with 1 not voting)

HB4145 PASSED the house, 68 - 31, 1 not voting. A veto-proof majority, since only a simple majority (of both houses) over-rides the PROMISED veto.

Bill has been "communicated" to the WV Senate.