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...And now, the rest of the story from Arizona....
YOU (Arizona citizens) did it! Today, April 16, 2010, Governor Brewer signed SB 1108, the AzCDL-requested Constitutional Carry bill, into law. Arizona now becomes the third state to not require written permission from the government for law-abiding citizens to exercise their right to bear arms discretely. Because Arizona is the first state in the U.S. with a large urban population to take this significant step, this is a watershed moment for the entire country.
AzCDL has been working towards this moment since we formed 5 years ago. Constitutional Carry has always been one of our primary goals. Every success over the last 5 years has been pursued with today's historic occasion in mind. However, having a goal is meaningless without the support and activism of over 3,000 committed members. The citizens of Arizona, along with the citizens of other states that follow in our footsteps, owe YOU, the members of AzCDL, a debt of gratitude.
If you don't have a permit, don't start carrying concealed just yet. The law won't become effective until 90 days after "Sine Die" when the Legislature officially adjourns. Since they are still working through a slew of bills, we don't expect Sine Die anytime soon. In past years, the effective date of bills has been around September.
CCW permits still have a purpose. You'll need one to streamline gun purchases, to carry in states that honor Arizona permits and for carrying concealed in establishments that serve alcohol. And, the training you receive to obtain a permit is an added bonus. Along with restoring your right to bear arms, SB 1108 added additional training opportunities for obtaining a permit. NRA classes and training from places like Front Sight and Gunsite will be able to qualify as permit training.
If you decide not to obtain a CCW permit, that doesn't mean you shouldn't train. The heaviest thing about wearing a firearm is the responsibility that comes with it. Take that money that you save on permit and renewal fees and spend it on quality training as often as you can. Lead by example – the world is watching.
For the record, AzCDL contacted the other major candidates for Governor, Terry Goddard, Dean Martin, Buzz Mills, and John Munger, about whether they would have signed SB 1108. At this point Dean Martin, Buzz Mills, and John Munger have responded that they support the bill and would have signed it. We are still waiting to hear from Terry Goddard.
Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.
If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL "tweets" from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.
You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook:
http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .
AzCDL's Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook:
http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .
These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today!
http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .
AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .
And I'm from Vermont, so that's sayin' sumpin'.