WI CCW Bill veto override vote - UPDATE!

[Silver Creek Slim]

The Wisconsin State Senate and the State Assembly are scheduled to vote on the override of Governor Doyle's veto of the 2003 Personal Protection Act (SB214) Wednesday, January 21, 2004. Wisconsin residents are asked to please contact your Senators and Representatives and respectfully urge them to stand steadfast on our rights, and their votes, by voting to override the Governor`s veto.

http://www.nraila.org/wi-getrighttocarry.aspx

Madison - 01.15.04

Dear fellow gunowner:

Next week Wednesday, January 21st, the state Senate will vote on the override of Governor Doyle's veto of the Personal Protection Act concealed carry bill.

We have the votes to override Doyle's veto. An override requires 22 votes, and we got 24 votes for the bill during the first go-round in the senate. The trick is to keep at least four of the six Democrats who voted for the bill on our side.

The way to do this--the only way--is to apply pressure by calling your legislators and by showing up at the capitol for the vote. We need a massive show of force. We need to have hundreds of supporters going to their legislators' offices and sitting in the senate gallery. The NRA believes that a massive show of force will give us the win we need.

For many of you, going to the capitol that day would mean using one of your vacation or personal days to get off of work. Is it worth using a day of vacation or personal time to be part of this show of force? The answer to that question depends upon how much you value your freedom.

Last week, Ohio became the 46th state to pass a concealed carry law. That leaves Wisconsin as one of just four states that prohibit their citizens from having the means to defend themselves. If that doesn't make your blood boil, what does?

This isn't just about carrying a gun when you're out in public. It's about being able to carry a handgun in your jacket when you're out bowhunting in bear country. It's about being able to have a weapon with you when you're out trapping.

Nor is this just about guns. Probably half of the people receiving this email carry knives in their pockets. That's illegal under current law.

And this isn't just about you. It's about your wives, your daughters, your sisters, your nieces and other women in your life who need the ability to protect themselves. It's about your friends and relatives who have a need to be able to defend themselves but are denied the means to do so under current law.

This is about changing a 130 year-old ban on concealed weapons that is so confusing that it makes criminals out of otherwise law-abiding citizens.

The vote next Wednesday will make history. Whether history will show the vote as a win or a loss depends very much on your presence at the capitol.

Please make every effort possible to be at the capitol by about 10am. Get your friends to go with you. Set up a carpooling effort.

Make no mistake, we can win. But not without you.

Below are the phone numbers of legislators who need to hear from you and your friends. Call them, and get your friends to call.

We've come too far to lose.

Thanks,
The Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association

http://www.wisconsinconcealedcarry.com/html/01_15_04-veto.html

Slim

[Silver Creek Slim]

The Senate overode the Gov's veto.

It is now time to put pressure on your Assembly rep. to vote for the override.

Slim

[myronman3]

just did, thanks for the update.

[Silver Creek Slim]

just did, thanks for the update.

You are welcome.
BTW, I went to HS in New Auburn '79-'83 and traveled to Birchwood to play in sporting events.

Slim

[myronman3]

i am trying to picture where leon is.  i am sure i have been through there but for the life of me cant place it.

[Silver Creek Slim]

myronman3,

The red star in the middle is Pine River. It is the seat of the Leon Township. I live a mile south of Pine River.

Slim

[Silver Creek Slim]

The following are updates from the   Wisconsin Concealed Carry website.  
 

Madison - 01.23.04

With the assembly tentatively scheduled to vote on the override of Governor Doyle's veto next week, we find ourselves with two Democrat representatives who are beginning to waver.

Representatives Gary Sherman and Amy Sue Vruwink are now sending mixed signals on their positions. Ironically, Representative Sherman was one of two Democrats who co-sponsored the original bill.

Please call these two legislators' offices. Be as polite as you possibly can. Thank them for their original vote. Tell them that you strongly want the veto overridden. If you're from their districts, assure them that you will be voting for them in the fall elections, and will get every member of your family, gun club and circle of friends to vote for them as well. If you're not from their districts, tell them that you will support their re-elections in every way possible.

Representative Sherman's office phone number is (608) 266-7690 or (888) 534-0074.

Representative Vruwink's office phone number is (608) 266-8366 or (888) 534-0070.

Please also call Representative James Kreuser at (608) 266-5504 or (888) 534-0064. Ask him why he voted for the bill last session, and is now using taxpayer dollars to send mailers all over the state opposing the bill. The mailer is filled with lies and half-truths, and says "the proposed concealed weapons legislation is a badly flawed attack on our privacy and public property rights. It threatens public safety and is overwhelmingly opposed by the people of Wisconsin..." Ask him how he can make such misleading statements when, in February of 2002, he voted for the bill.

A few days ago we saw a couple of senate Democrats wavering on the veto override. Your phone calls, and the calls made by your friends, convinced those wavering senators to stick to their original votes. Your phone calls to Representatives Sherman and Vruwink can have the same effect. Your call to Representative Kreuser will put the Democrat assembly leader on notice that he can't lie to gun owners.

We can win. There's no doubt about it. All it takes is the time and commitment from gun owners like you to make the difference.

Failure is not an option!

Madison - 01.24.04

In yesterday's email alert, we urged you to contact Representatives Sherman and Vruwink and politely tell them that you would appreciate their vote to override Governor Doyle's veto.

We also asked you to call Representative Kreuser at his office at (608) 266-5504 or (888) 534-0064 to ask him why he's changed his position and is now sending out misleading mailings slamming the concealed carry bill.

It would also be a good idea to contact him at his district office this weekend or in the evening at 262-553-5555, or by emailing him at rep.kreuser@legis.state.wi.us .

The reason we need to hammer on Representative Kreuser is that he is the Democrat minority leader in the assembly, and is thus now closer to Governor Doyle. He voted for the concealed carry bill in the last legislative session, yet is now selling out to the governor. He needs to know that the Democrat party is being hurt by his actions.

So, again, contact Representative Kreuser (pronounced like "cruiser"). A good message to send would sound like the following:

"Representative Kreuser: In your taxpayer-funded mailer against the Personal Protection Act, you refer to a number of 'problems.' You know very well that all of these so-called problems applied to the bill you voted for in February of 2002.  You know that Representative Gunderson made many concessions to members of your party to accommodate their concerns about the bill. The only new 'problem' you seem to have is that the Governor is now the terribly anti-gun Jim Doyle and you can't seem to say 'no' to him. Many legislators are demonstrating their integrity and principles by supporting this bill.  It would be nice if you could learn from their example."

We're in the final days of this battle, and we have to attack wherever necessary. Please take a few minutes to contact Representative Kreuser and let him know your views.

Slim

[Silver Creek Slim]

On 20/20 on Friday night, John Stossel had a special called "Lies, Myths and Downright Stupidity". The following is Myth No. 3:
 

Guns are Bad

America is notorious for its culture of gun violence. Guns sometimes do cause terrible harm, and many kids are killed every year in gun accidents. But public service announcements and news stories make it seem as if the accidents kill thousands of kids every year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, fewer than 100 kids 15 and under are killed in gun accidents every year. Of course that's horrible, and I understand why demonstrators say we need more gun control.

But guess what? The Centers for Disease Control recently completed a review of studies of various types of gun control: background checks, waiting periods, bans on certain guns and ammunition. It could not document that these rules have reduced violent crime. The government wants to say things like the Brady Gun Control Law are making a difference, but they aren't. Some maximum security felons I spoke to in New Jersey scoffed at measures like the Brady law. They said they'll have no trouble getting guns if they want them.

A Justice Department study confirmed what the prisoners said. But get this: the felons say that the thing they fear the most is not the police, not time in prison, but, you, another American who might be armed.

It's a reason many states are passing gun un-control. They're allowing citizens to carry guns with them; it's called concealed carry or right to carry. Some women say they're comforted by these laws.

Many people are horrified at the idea of concealed carry laws, and predict mayhem if all states adopt these laws.

But surprise, 36 states already have concealed carry laws, and not one reported an upsurge in gun crime.

Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity

You might want to send this info to your Rep.

Slim

[Silver Creek Slim]

Urgent! THE TIME IS NOW!!!

Date: 1/26/2004 12:15:02 PM

Subject: WCCA alert: Assembly veto override vote on Tuesday!

The state Assembly has scheduled the vote on the override of Governor
Doyle's veto of the Personal Protection act concealed carry bill for
tomorrow, Tuesday, January 27th.

Last week we had roughly two hundred supporters pack the senate galleries in
a show of force. While senate minority leader Jon Erpenbach played games and
stalled the vote until the following day, the presence of so many supporters
definitely had an effect on the outcome of the vote.

For the assembly override, we're going to need even more people to show
their support. We need to pack the galleries and spill out into the
hallways. We need to have such an overwhelming presence that the
representatives will think twice about switching their votes.

Make no mistake: we're going to win or lose by possibly just one vote. Your
presence, and the presence of any friends that you can bring along, will
help ensure our victory.

Governor Doyle is going to order state troopers and sheriffs to go to the
capitol--on the clock and on your taxpayer dime--to make a showing opposing
the bill. Meanwhile, many of us will have to take a vacation day or unpaid
day of leave in order to make our presence known. But what price victory?
With victory just a vote away, isn't it worth it to you to spend a day at
the Capitol to make Wisconsin the 47th state to legalize concealed carry?

Governor Doyle is proud of a ban on concealed carry that dates back to 1873.
He's proud of a ban that traces its roots to the racist lobbying efforts of
the Ku Klux Klan following the freeing of slaves, efforts that were aimed at
keeping minorities unarmed and defenseless.

Governor Doyle is proud of the "low" rate of violent crime in Wisconsin.
He's proud that we "only" have 12,000 rapes, robberies, assaults and other
violent crimes here in Wisconsin every year, many of which could be
prevented if victims had the means to defend themselves.

Governor Doyle is wrong. And your presence at the Capitol will convince
representatives that he's wrong.

Please be at the Capitol between 10am and noon tomorrow for this historic
vote. Meanwhile, continue to call the two Democrat representatives whom we
need to keep on our side. Be as polite as you possibly can. Thank them for
their original vote. Tell them that you strongly want the veto overridden.
If you're from their districts, assure them that you will be voting for them
in the fall elections, and will get every member of your family, gun club
and circle of friends to vote for them as well. If you're not from their
districts, tell them that you will support their re-elections in every way
possible. Those representatives are:

Representative Gary Sherman (608) 266-7690 or
(888) 534-0074.

Representative Amy Sue Vruwink (608) 266-8366 or
(888) 534-0070.

Some who receive these email alerts are nervous about calling legislators.
They feel threatened by the legislators and their staffers. Know this: those
legislators and their staffers are afraid of you. With more than half of the
adult population in Wisconsin owning guns, you are part of the most powerful
special interest group in the state.

Our sheer numbers as gun owners has resulted in a long list of legislative
victories that other states envy: the defeat of the Milwaukee and Kenosha
handgun bans; passage of statewide pre-emption legislation that repealed
Madison's handgun ban; passage of the Range Protection Act; passage of the
Right to Keep and Bear Arms amendment; defeat of Jim Doyle's attempt to ban
primers and ammunition; passage of the Right to Hunt, Fish and Trap
amendment; and more.

When gun owners speak with one voice, we win. And we can win on Tuesday.

Please join us at the Capitol for the last fight in a battle that began ten
years ago.

Once again, failure is not an option!

Thank you,
The Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association


Directions: take I-90 or I-94 to Madison. At the I-90/I-94 junction, you'll
see a sign Highway 30 west into Madison. Take highway 30 west, and exit at
the large sign for the Capitol. You'll then be on Washington Avenue, which
runs right up to the Capitol. There are parking lots and ramps at several
locations near the Capitol.

Slim

[Silver Creek Slim]

Here's the latest.  They convened, left to caucus.  Reliable sources say it is down to one vote, rep. Sherman.  According to sources, he is leaning against.  This should be shocking, since he was a COSPONSOR of the bill and voted in FAVOR the first time.  The governor has this guy's gonads in a vise somehow, so ring his phone off the hook and email until his cpu smokes.

If this goes down this way, I will spend every penny of campaign money that I have on whoever his opponent is in the next election.  

When they convened briefly, by the way, he looked like crap, or as if he'd crapped himself, or both.  Pathetic.

Representative Sherman's phone # is 888-534-0074.
His e-mail address is rep.sherman@legis.state.wi.us

Slim

[Silver Creek Slim]

It looks like the vote will be postponed until Thursday.

Slim

[myronman3]

again thanks for the update.   emails sent.  
     i broke down on my scooter once.   it was right in your back yard(judging by the star on your map)!   i knew that sounded familiar but didnt know why.    i was recently asked to work in watoma for 2 weeks but due to personal obligations i couldnt.   will catch up to you later.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Here is an e-mail from Senator Zien.

Speaker John Gard announced today that the Assembly will not meet tomorrow. Instead, they are in recess until Tuesday morning next week, at which time they will take up Personal Protection Act (SB-214) override vote.

I am confident that this vote will take place on Tuesday.  It is the intention of the Speaker that the override vote be dealt with that day, and we must have a strong presence there.

Your strong support of our right to protect ourselves and our families has
gotten us this far, and this is our one last push.  We do not plan to ask
you to come to the Capitol again this year.  We expect to either win or lose on Tuesday, and we expect the vote to come fairly early in the day --
possibly as early as 11:00.
 
The Assembly convenes at 10:00 a.m., and we need to have a strong  presence  at that time when the members arrive.  We invite all of our friends who can make it down here to stop into my office, in Room 15 South, to pick up a sticker and have some refreshments.

There are still a few undecided members among the Assembly Democrats who have voted with us in the past, and they still need polite, friendly
reminders that you appreciate their support on the PPA.  Just a "thank you
for supporting our right to protect our families" or "thank you for supporting the concealed carry bill" will be the best message to send them.

Keep up the great work, stay positive, and God bless you!

Sincerely,

Senator Dave Zien

Slim

[Silver Creek Slim]

Here is a message from Sen Zien.
  Read to find out what the ANTIs are doing!

From: Sen.Zien
Date: 1/30/2004 1:46:31 PM
Subject: PPA Override: The ANTI's will be out in full force
   
Here is what the anti self-defense groups have planned for Tuesday, February
3rd, 2004, the day the Assembly will vote to override Governor Doyle's veto
of SB 214.  Pass it on, and please come to the Capitol to show your support!
 
Senator Dave Zien
(608) 266-7511
------------------------------------------

OPPOSED TO CONCEALED WEAPONS?
 
COME TO THE CAPITOL
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2004, 9:00 A.M.
CHECK IN AT ROOM 425 SOUTHWEST
 
On Tuesday, February 3, 2004, the Wisconsin Assembly will attempt to
override the Governor's veto of a bill that will overturn Wisconsin's more
than 130 year old prohibition on carrying concealed weapons. The Assembly is
moving forward with the override despite overwhelming evidence that the
majority of Wisconsin citizens oppose such a law! These representatives,
elected to represent the views of the citizens who elected them, are doing
exactly the opposite for purely political reasons.
 
A very vocal minority, the pro-concealed carry movement, plan to pack the
house! Don't let their voices ring louder than the majority of the state's
citizens. Please come and become a part of history.
 
The Assembly plans to take the floor at 10:00 a.m. so don't be late. You can
visit your Assembly representatives while you are at the Capitol to tell
them that you oppose concealed carry. Materials will be available in Room
425 Southwest.
 
Women w/ children are encouraged to attend. Pink, first worn by the Mothers
Acting Up group, has been a unifying color against concealed carry. Feel
free to wear something pink or to wear any buttons/pins that identify your
affiliation with an organization that opposes concealed carry.
 
ALSO NOTE: The Million Mom March plans to hold a bell-ringing ceremony,
recognizing the lives of those who died by gun violence at 12 p.m. at the
Capitol.
 
Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort -WAVE
Mothers Acting Up
Madison Women for Peace
Wisconsin Sheriff's and Deputy Sheriff's Association
National Association of Social Workers-NASW
Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault
League of Women Voters-LWV
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, Inc.-WCCF
 
Please spend a few minutes today sharing this info with others who you know
will appreciate it and will follow through.
 
If you have any questions regarding this alert please contact Martha Cranley
mcranley@wccf or Charity Eleson celeson@wccf.org
 
This action alert was funded by the generous donations of our members.
 
Martha Cranley
WisKids Count Coordinator
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families
16 North Carroll Street, Suite 600
Madison, WI 53703
(608)284-0580 ex321
mcranley@wccf.org
 
Lisa Carlson
Administrative Assistant
WI Council on Children and Families, Inc.
16 N. Carroll Street Suite 600
Madison, WI 53703
608-284-0580 ext 304
 http://www.wccf.org/
------------------------------------

 LETs DO MORE THAN THEY CAN!!!

Slim

[Silver Creek Slim]

By now you know that the veto override fell short by just one vote. What happened yesterday is very interesting, and demonstrates what we need to do to get a concealed carry bill passed.

The Assembly went into session at about 11am and, as usual, the two parties went into caucus. However, the Democrats stayed in caucus for several hours, a sign that the Democrat leadership didn't know if they had the votes to sustain Governor Doyle's veto. Early in the afternoon, word filtered out that the Democrat leadership was putting pressure on Representative Barbara Gronemus, one of the staunch supporters of the bill. This was yet another sign that they didn't know if they could prevent an override.

At about 2pm, Representative Sherman's office called Darren LaSorte, our
state's NRA lobbyist, asking to meet with him. For weeks Representative
Sherman had refused to meet with the NRA.  The call for a meeting was a
potentially good sign. In the end, however, Representative Sherman just
wanted to be able to say that he'd heard all sides.

At 4pm the Democrats came out of caucus, and debate began. The debate was, for the most part, polite and subdued, with the exception of the antics of the virulently anti-gun Democrat Representative Boyle of Superior.

When the vote finally came at about 5pm, Representative Gary Sherman finally made his position public by casting the deciding vote to uphold Doyle's veto. This is a man who voted for the bill in 2002, signed his name to the bill last June as a co-sponsor, voted for the bill last November, wrote a lengthy article in the Ashland newspaper about how important it was that Wisconsin join the other 46 states in giving citizens the right to
self-defense, and who promised to vote his principles.

In the end, though, he sold out his constituents. He sold out the people of
Wisconsin who were counting on him to restore a right that was taken from
the people of Wisconsin in 1873. He sold out his own record. In short, he
sold his principles to Governor Doyle.

This is the nature of ugly partisan politics, and it demonstrates why we
must change the balance of power in Madison.

Representative Gunderson and Senator Zien have promised to introduce another bill next year, a better bill with less restrictions than the one that was passed in November.

In order to get that bill passed, though, we must first recognize that there
are Democrats for whom party loyalty is more important than the right of
law-abiding citizens to defend themselves. If the balance of power stays as
it is in Madison, we will see another repeat of yesterday next year.

We need to throw out of office those Democrats for whom the Second Amendment and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms are just part of the usual empty campaign slogans. We need to eliminate those Democrats who proclaim to be all for gun rights but, when the rubber meets the road, are nowhere to be found.

In short, we need to replace those Democrats with solid pro-gun,
pro-concealed carry Republicans so that we can override a Doyle veto without having to go begging to the likes of Gary Sherman.

Representative Gunderson made every conceivable concession to the Democrats in the assembly to get their support, and he was stabbed in the back.

Next year we cannot allow that to happen again. We need to begin right now to change the balance of power in our favor.

To that end, our group will be sending out an email in a few days, asking
for donations to our political action committee, the Wisconsin Concealed
Carry Movement.

We know that many people on our alert lists don't like to receive emails
asking for donations. In fact, we've never asked for donations before in our emails at all. But yesterday showed that we need to utilize every weapon in our arsenal, and fund-raising for candidates is indeed one of those weapons. So, please recognize just how serious these calls for donations will be.

In the meantime, regardless of yesterday's defeat, everyone should be proud of the progress we've made. Eleven years ago, Representative Gunderson and Senator Zien began work on a concealed carry bill that never even got introduced. For years it languished in a legislative black hole while Democrats controlled both the assembly and senate. Five years ago we had public hearings, but no vote. Two years ago we got a vote in the assembly, but no vote in the senate. This year we came within just one vote of making the bill into law.

Next year, with your help, we will go all the way.

Thank you for all of your phone calls, your letters to legislators, and your
hard work on this cause. With your continued commitment, rest assured that we will win.

The Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association

http://www.wisconsinconcealedcarry.com/html/02_03_04-alert.html

Please write and/or call your Rep to voice your thanks or disappointment.

Slim

[myronman3]

we got screwed yet again.   never give up.

[Silver Creek Slim]

It is now time to:
http://www.recalldoyle.com/

Slim