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For Immediate Release
July, 22 2009, 02:44pm EDT
Contact:
Ladd Everitt, leveritt@csgv.org, (202) 701-7171
Â
Senate Rejects Amendment to Weaken Hidden Handgun Laws
WASHINGTON
The U.S. Senate voted today to defeat the Thune Amendment (No. 1618) to the FY 2010 defense authorization bill (S. 1390). The amendment, co-sponsored by Senators John Thune (R-SD) and David Vitter (R-LA), would have required states to accept concealed handgun permits that are issued by other states. The practical effect of this change would have been to reduce concealed carry permit regulations in the United States to the lowest common denominator. Many states have weak laws and issue individuals permits after only a simple computerized background check-through a federal database that is missing millions of disqualifying criminal and mental health records.
Several states screen concealed carry permit applicants more rigorously in the interest of public safety. For example, at least 35 states prevent people from carrying concealed weapons if they have certain misdemeanor convictions; 31 states prohibit alcohol abusers from obtaining a concealed carry permit; and 31 states require the completion of a gun safety program prior to the issuance of a permit. Under the Thune Amendment, individuals from states that do not have these safeguards would have been able to carry handguns into states that do.
On behalf of the 48 national organizations that comprise the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, we would like to express our gratitude to the Senators who voted against the Thune Amendment and stood up to the National Rifle Association. We also would like to thank the thousands of grassroots activists across the country who worked so hard to defeat this dangerous legislation.
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) is a 501(c)(4) organization that was founded in 1974. We seek to secure freedom from gun violence through research, strategic engagement and effective policy advocacy. Our organizational structure is unique among national gun violence prevention organizations. CSGV is composed of 47 national organizations working to reduce gun violence.
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'Pretty Troubling': Progressives Raise Concerns Over White House Comments on Spending Cuts
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Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday after meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Biden said that "he made clear... that default is not an option."
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Lindsay Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, wrote Thursday that Biden's remarks this week and growing talk of a deal on spending caps are "pretty troubling."
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But as talks continue with little public evidence of progress, observers are increasingly voicing alarm over the possibility of a deal that includes victories for House Republicans who are eager to boot millions of people off of safety net programs.
"It increasingly seems like the White House has decided to cave and is trying to slowly acclimate people to it, so there's no abrupt blink followed by shock and outrage," Brian Beutler, editor-in-chief of Crooked Media, warned Thursday, pointing to the Reuters reporting. "Just slowly increasing resignation. Pretty pathetic."
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\u201chttps://t.co/lliFDm9xzI\nAnother Norfolk Southern train has derailed, this one in New Castle Pennsylvania. This derailment is 30 minutes away from East Palestine. When is Norfolk Southern going to be held accountable for endangering public safety? #publicownership #norfolksouthern\u201d— Northeast PA DSA (@Northeast PA DSA) 1683826695
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The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Thursday that Daniel Penny, who last week fatally choked Jordan Neely on the subway in New York City, is set to be charged Friday and could face up to 15 years behind bars.
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Neely, who was unhoused, shouted about being "fed up and hungry" and "tired of having nothing," said Vazquez—who posted on Facebook footage of Penny putting Neely in a chokehold that the medical examiner concluded killed him.
Penny, a white 24-year-old Marine veteran, was initially questioned and then released by police; his attorneys claim he acted in self-defense.
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According toNBC New York:
Multiple protests have taken place in Manhattan since Neely's death, with dozens arrested. Protesters again ratcheted up the volume Thursday, even after learning of the charges said to be coming.
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