By way of Ben Garner, we are informed that the State of Georgia is apparently overhauling their firearm laws.
We’ve not much truck with Georgia laws out here in Texas, but from the comments of several Gentle Readers, it appears that their laws are in serious need of some fixing.
Anyone needing further information is directed to the web home of GeorgiaCarry.org, or you can contact Ben at: ben[dot]garner[at]gmail[dot]com
The bill is HB915, and can be found here.
Here’s wishing Georgia folks the best of luck.
In not so good news, our friend Peter has been keeping a hairy eyeball on some squirrelly practices concerning firearms sales.
Seems like some folks have unilaterally decided not to allow credit card transactions between Federally-licensed firearms retailers and their distributors or manufacturers.
In other words, if Wal-Mart wants to buy 10,000 Ruger Mini-14’s to put one of these rifles in each Wally-World in the Southern United States, if Wal-Mart uses a credit card to fund this transaction, First Data will terminate the buy and hold Wal-Mart’s funds.
Folks, First Data is a private company, and they have the right to run their business as they wish — but I’m here to tell you, that it’s a small step between doing this for all firearms transactions and doing it for all tobacco transactions. Or whatever else is the non-Politically Correct Item du Jour.
Peter has more information and the contact list for First Data over at his blog.
LawDog
LD, I’ve posted my msg to First Data and their response in Comments over at Peter’s place.
Thanks for alerting to his place, by the way. I check it every day now.
Speaking of Walmart. Even before this debacle with FirstData, two of the Walmart’s in my area of south-central Texas have (within the last 6-8 months or so) already discontinued the sale of firearms.
Okie dokie. That bill made absolutely no sense to me, whatsoever. So you can’t “entice” (I love that word) a dealer to give a gun to someone who isn’t shopping for it? I guess so you can’t send someone other than the buyer to pick it up for you…which they can’t do anyway since they can’t sign for you without being guilty of forgery? Am I missing the big deal here?
Babs, It sounds to me like they’re targetting straw purchases here, but that don’t make sense because, if I understand correctly, straw purchases are already a felony carrying a 10 prison sentence.
I meant 10 year prison sentence. I can tell it’s late.
Please remember when spending your hard earned money, or sending it anywhere, that First Data is also owner of Western Union Financial Services, which is also your local Western Union.
Hit ’em where it hurts, folks!
Doesn’t behavior like that ascribed to First Data fit the definition of Prior Restraint of Trade?
Just asking.
Babs and Mustanger98, currently straw purchases are not illegal under Georgia law, they are illegal under Federal law. The reason this was put in here is to stop NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s straw purchase squads. A few gun shops here in Georgia were targeted by his thugs, last year. The gun shops and some local legislators, have petitioned BATFEces to prosecute Bloomberg and the straw purchasers, but BATFEces has failed to take any action. Apparently if you or I make a straw purchase, we are dangerous criminals. If a government official abuses his authority and hires some private investigators to make straw purchases, well he is a visionary leader. If you haven’t heard about Bloomberg’s shenanigans you can read all about them on David Codrea’s blog The War On Guns.
Okay, so it’s a good thing then, just making sure they comply with federal law? Kills me when they go putting duplicate laws on the books rather than actually enforcing the original ones.
I don’t know if I have this right, but it sounds like Bloomberg thought he could say “look at GA not making their gun dealers comply with Federal law.” So we’re having to change our laws to fight yet another yankee invasion.
I agree that straw purchase part shouldn’t need to be there, but unfortunately getting the federal government to go after one of the “elite” is just about impossible. If I had my way we wouldn’t have any gun laws. The laws don’t stop the criminals only law abiding citizens. Anyways HB915 is a big improvement in Georgia’s gun laws. If you are interested, you can read about the racist roots of Georgia’s gun laws here.
LD, thanks for posting the link to the bill. I’ve heard reports on radio news that this bill is coming up in the Gen. Assembly and hadn’t searched it out yet. Could you explain Texas’ carry law? When visiting, I see signs in businesses to the effect “It is illegal to carry a concealed weapon on this premises” or something… Thanks.
Fuck Walmart! They have given in to the gun grabbers down here in Florida and stopped selling guns of any kind.
You can’t even get a pellet gun at Walmart in South Florida.
I wrote them a “nice” letter informing them of my displeasure with this poor business decision.
They could give a rats ass. They gave me some hogshit about how they weren’t making enough money from firearm sales in certain areas so that is why they stopped selling them.
Florida is a pretty big pro-gun state. I’d like to know how the whole state of Florida doesn’t buy enough guns from Walmart for them to make a profit.
Sunsabitches.