DC to Vote on Gun Bill in Response to Supreme Court Ruling

[wmenorr67]

WASHINGTON   The District of Columbia Council planned to vote Tuesday on emergency legislation to allow handguns, but only if they are used for self-defense in the home and carry fewer than 12 rounds of ammunition.

The legislation announced Monday comes as officials try to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month striking down the city's 32-year-old weapons ban.

The proposal, which maintains some of the city's strict gun ownership rules and adds more regulations, was immediately criticized by gun rights advocates. They threatened more legal action.

The nation's capital would still require all legal firearms  including handguns, rifles and shotguns  to be kept in the home unloaded and disassembled, or equipped with trigger locks. There would be an exception for guns used against the "reasonably perceived threat of immediate harm."

The proposed legislation also maintains the city's unusual ban of machine guns, defined as weapons that shoot at least 12 rounds without reloading. That applies to most semiautomatic firearms.

"We have crafted what I believe to be a model for the nation in terms of complying with the Supreme Court's Second Amendment decision and at the same time protecting our citizens," interim Attorney General Peter Nickles said.

The National Rifle Association strongly disagreed.

"Clearly, D.C. is doing everything they can to ignore the Supreme Court ruling," said Chris W. Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist. He said the organization would pursue legal or legislative action to thwart the city's efforts.

The legislation also would require a ballistics test to determine if a handgun is stolen or has been used in a crime.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier will limit registration to one handgun per person for the first 90 days to make sure as many people are served as possible. And those who wish to register a handgun must pass written and vision tests.

Residents who already own handguns will be granted six months of amnesty to legally register their weapons, officials said.

The emergency legislation, which has strong support from the council, will remain in effect for 90 days. It adopts many of the regulations proposed earlier this month by D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,382381,00.html

How much more of our tax dollars are going to have to go to "defend" this assinine proposal.

[Manedwolf]

Kicking and screaming, they must be dragged.

[RaspberrySurprise]

And those who wish to register a handgun must pass written and vision tests.

I wonder where the bar will be set on the vision test? My spidy sense tell me pretty high.

Also my kingdom for a 12rnd revolver. Sure it'd be huge but oh so worth it.

[Scout26]

And those who wish to register a handgun must pass written and vision tests.

I wonder where the bar will be set on the vision test? My spidy sense tell me pretty high.

Nahhh, it'll be an easy 10,000 question test written in a combination of Aramaic, Sanskirt, Hittite, Hieroglyphic Luwian, and Attic Greek. Time limit of 30 minutes and you must get 100% to pass.

As for the vision test you just need to be able to read the dedication plaque on the Golden Gate Bridge from Washington DC.

That'll be considered "reasonable restrictions".

[taurusowner]

Now will a whole new SC case have to come to fruition in a few years to challenge all of this?  Or can something be done quickly by the SC to stop them from avoiding complying with the ruling?  It would suck if it only took a few weeks for the antis to lawyer their way around compliance every time a ruling is made, but it takes us years to even get the case heard by the SC.

[Standing Wolf]

The founding fathers would grab their muskets, plenty of ball and powder, and some rope.

[Fjolnirsson]

I'm of the firm belief that global warming is caused by the friction generated as the Founding fathers spin in their graves.....

[longeyes]

All the lawyer games will accomplish is people ignoring the law.

A general climate of lawlessness may be the unconscious goal here.

[Tallpine]

DC is a hopeless quagmire.

It's time for the US to pull out.

[Devonai]

"We have crafted what I believe to be a model for the nation in terms of complying with the Supreme Court's Second Amendment decision and at the same time protecting our citizens," interim Attorney General Peter Nickles said.

Death is too quick a cure for this kind of hubris.

[Perd Hapley]

"We have crafted what I believe to be a model for the nation in terms of complying with the Supreme Court's Second Amendment decision and at the same time protecting our citizens," interim Attorney General Peter Nickles said.

   As if those two things were somehow at odds, rather than being the exact same thing.  I love this guy.  He makes me laugh.   

[HankB]

If exercising the right to keep and bear arms requires a test, then no doubt verifying a person's literacy before allowing them to vote is permissible, too.

If there's a fee for the registration or other paperwork that DC feels is reasonable before someone can exercise that right, then it would certainly be acceptable to charge a modest sum before someone is allowed to vote - perhaps it can even be called a poll tax.

(Is it possible to make the DC mayor and city council personally responsible for all legal fees when they get spanked for their defiance of the SCOTUS' ruling?)

[taurusowner]

If Rights weren't involved, a literacy and competency test before voting might not be such a bad idea....

[Lennyjoe]

I wonder if the vote will be in an open forum or closed to the public.

Would be nice to have 1,000 gun owners there raising a ruckus.   

[Marvin Dao]

The nation's capital would still require all legal firearms  including handguns, rifles and shotguns  to be kept in the home unloaded and disassembled, or equipped with trigger locks. There would be an exception for guns used against the "reasonably perceived threat of immediate harm."

I wonder if they're trying to piss off the Supreme Court with this one. They argued this exact thing in front of the SC and still got the law struck down.

[yesitsloaded]

What is the penalty for contempt of the SC?

[Matthew Carberry]

Remember the DC Court of Appeals ruled against them before.  It may not have to go all the way to the Supremes.

The challenge to the law on the readiness and semi-auto issues may be upheld prior to it going very far at all.

[m1911owner]

Remember the DC Court of Appeals ruled against them before.  It may not have to go all the way to the Supremes.

Which way did the district court go on this one?  It's been so long, I've forgotten.

[wmenorr67]

The District Court ruled in favor of Heller.

[Leatherneck]

Well, the Council has passed the "emergency legislation" unanimously. Off to court we go.

TC

[FiveBillionAcres]

WTF did Peter Nickle not even read the ruling?

When do you EXPECT to have your home invaded? And how long before can you assemble your gun?

I tell you America and her people have lost their spine and venom and sit in quit fear of the police. It's sick, the people of DC need to make an angry mob and get some things done..

Then again in my perfect America we'd amputate a couple of the states and return to proper freedom. California would make a lovely independent country wouldn't it? Heck all the states would make nice countries sounds like a novel idea.

[Manedwolf]

Here's the really infuriating aspect.

Say someone disobeys the law and keeps a gun loaded and in their bedside table. They use it to stop someone who kicks in their door.

Then they get arrested, because they couldn't possibly have assembled the firearm in that time, and must have been breaking the law.

[wmenorr67]

Then again in my perfect America we'd amputate a couple of the states and return to proper freedom. California would make a lovely independent country wouldn't it? Heck all the states would make nice countries sounds like a novel idea.

We could always give California to Mexico.

[MicroBalrog]

And those who wish to register a handgun must pass written and vision tests.

I wonder where the bar will be set on the vision test? My spidy sense tell me pretty high.

Also my kingdom for a 12rnd revolver. Sure it'd be huge but oh so worth it.

20-round revos exist.

[wmenorr67]

But they would be illegal in DC right now.