Carry Guard and the Ortiz insurance bill

On: By: admin

The NRA has introduced the NRA Carry Guard training and insurance program.  The insurance is designed to help policy holders recover their legal costs should they be involved in a justifiable shooting.  USCCA has offered a similar program for years, but as NRA has a higher profile, the issue is getting more attention than it has before.

That might not be a good thing for us.

For years Assemblyman Felix Ortiz has introduced legislation requiring gun owners carry liability insurance.  The current bill is A-2260.  It has never gone anywhere, partially because it would require covering illegal actions and no company would insure against those.  It’s main purpose, however, was to increase the cost of gun ownership.

In light of Carry Guard, I can see Ortiz or another legislator introducing a new bill requiring something like that citing the NRA in the memorandum of support.

It’s not all about guns

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Follow-up to my previous post on Assemblyman Kearns running for Erie Co. clerk in the Buffalo News, “Democrats again spurn ‘outsider’ Kearns“:

“Erie County Democrats spurned one of their most successful candidates of recent years last week when passing out their endorsement for clerk. Same old, same old for Michael P. Kearns … Kearns is emerging once again as a Democrat/Republican hybrid. He is wrapping his candidacy in outsider labels, challenging core party principles such as support for abortion rights and gun control … “I’m pro-life and have an A+ rating from the NRA,” Kearns said a few days ago. “If you don’t fit into their criteria, you’re not a good Democrat.” “I think the Democratic Party should be a big tent for everybody,” he added. It’s not all about guns and abortion, Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy J. Zellner says …”

I cannot recall ever hearing a New York Democrat making a statement like that.

George Latimer meets with Moms

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I need to update this post from a few weeks ago, State Senator George Latimer met with MDA astroturf today:

George Latimer with Moms Demand Action

This leaves David Spano as the least offensive candidate running for the Democrat nomination for Westchester County Executive.

Definition of “proper cause”

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New York’s discretionary pistol licensing system requires applicants show “proper cause” for a license to be issued.

What exactly is that?

The NYPD defines it as giving officers booze, broads and bags of cash.

Race to the bottom in Nassau

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With Jack Martins entering the race for Nassau County Executive, it has now officially become a race to the bottom for that office.

Newsday reports:

“Former Republican State Sen. Jack Martins will enter the race for Nassau County executive … Martins, a former Mineola mayor who ran unsuccessfully for Congress last year, is expected to secure the nomination of the Nassau Republican Party when it meets Thursday, according to a senior party source … Martins, 49, of Old Westbury, is expected to announce his candidacy officially Wednesday at Village Hall in Mineola …”

I thoroughly covered Martins’ congressional campaign last year so no need to rehash all that.  He’s a piece of crap.

Not to be outdone, Charles Lavine has introduced companion legislation to Danial Squadron’s phony hate crimes bill, A-7395/S-5569.

This leaves George Maragos as the best choice for 2A voters.

Response to Squadron’s hate crimes bill

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The Legislative Gazette printed my response to Senator Squadron’s nonsense bill:

I would like to comment on the April 18 article about Senator Squadron’s bill prohibiting gun ownership for those who commit so-called hate crimes. According to the article: “Squadron says New York has a duty to take actions that reject acts of …discrimination in any form because they violate the nation’s core values.”

This is laughable. New York’s Sullivan Act governing pistol licensing was specifically written to discriminate against Italian and Sicilian immigrants at the turn of the 20th century. A quick call to the Legislative Library would get him a copy of the original bill and supporting documentation while half a minute of Internet searching would bring up even more including the history of its sponsor, Tammany Hall thug “Big Tim” Sullivan.

If Senator Squadron had a genuine interest in ending discrimination he would introduce legislation to abolish the Sullivan Act and bring New York in line with the 42 other states that have right-to-carry concealed firearms laws.

Here’s a picture of Squadron hanging out with MDA astroturf:

Senator Squadron with astroturf

$135 million to fight the NRA

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According to CBS, Michael Bloomberg has spent $135 million dollars so far battling the NRA.

He hasn’t gotten much to show for it.

Zeldin stands by sponsorship of H.R. 38

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Congressman Lee Zeldin continues to stand up for gun rights at town hall meetings:

“… Mr. Zeldin said he stands by his co-sponsorship of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would allow gun owners with a concealed carry permit to cross state lines with their weapons. “I would hope it would be passed and signed into law,” he said …”

Another SCOTUS retirement coming?

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Some more rumormongering about another SCOTUS justice retiring:

“During a visit to Muscatine Tuesday morning, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he expects a Supreme Court Justice resignation within the year. “I would expect a resignation this summer,” he said …”

Ted Cruz said the same thing back in February:

“Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told “Special Report with Bret Baier” Thursday that “I think the odds are very good” that a second seat on the Supreme Court will fall vacant this year. “If not this summer, next summer,” Cruz told Bret Baier. “You know, judges don’t like it when people kind of nudge them out, so they’ll go when they decide to go.” …”

Please, please, please let it be Ginsberg who goes.  She’s 84 and looks like half-past death now.

Here is an old list of possible Trump appointments the President could pick from if there is an vacancy on the court.  Thomas Hardiman from the 3rd District has a great record on gun rights:

“… Hardiman established an expansive view of the right to own and carry firearms under the Second Amendment in his opinion disagreeing with a New Jersey law that required people applying for concealed weapons permits to show a “justifiable need” to be armed in public. Although Hardiman was alone among three judges in his opposition to the law, he wrote that it was unconstitutional because the need for self defense exists both inside and outside the home. Hardiman also authored an opinion in support of restoring the rights to possess weapons of two men convicted of non-violent misdemeanors. He was in the majority, finding that the Second Amendment barred gun ownership only for people convicted of violent crimes. But Hardiman went further than his colleagues in the majority, writing a concurring opinion that even violent felons could regain Second Amendment rights if their crimes were far in the past and the ex-offender had lived a law-abiding life since his arrest …”

The carry case was Drake v. Jerejian which SCOTUS declined to hear. The other one was Binderup v. Attorney General.

Lavine running on his record

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While making his pitch to be the Democrat nominee for Nassau County Executive, Assemblyman Charles Lavine brought up his record:

“… “I have no doubt I am the only person running for county executive who’s ever fought for and passed real legislation, progressive legislation,” Lavine said recently while citing his support for the Marriage Equality Act and gun safety laws. “Of all the people running for this office, I am the only one with true progressive credentials.” …”

The CE job is administrative/managerial, not legislative.  Neither of these two items have anything remotely to do with overseeing county government.