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URGENT ** ROUND 2 ** HELP Us Protect Gun Owner's Trust Fund Money

3K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  TheSaiga308 
#1 ·
Hey fellow citizens,
I received notification of the next round in our fight to protect the DOL Trust Fund from raids by our friendly government :) Pasting the particulars below FYI


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URGENT ** ROUND 2 ** HELP Us Protect Gun Owner's Trust Fund Money

Due to an error in the committee email list in the original Alert, which might cause email to be rejected, the email list has been corrected and this Alert is being resent. Please resend your messages to the revised list

URGENT ** ROUND 2 ** HELP Us Protect Gun Owner's Trust Fund Money

DATE: February 12, 2010
TO: USF & NRA Member and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
USF Executive Director
NRA Past President

SB-1158 by Sen. Charlie Dean (R) has been scheduled for TWO hearings in rapid succession:

1. On Tuesday, Feb. 16 in the Senate Agriculture Committee AND
2. On Wednesday, Feb. 17 in Senate General Government Appropriations Comm.

SB-1158 is a bill to STOP legislative raids to remove (confiscate) gun owner money from the Division of Licensing Trust Fund -- that holds funding to administer the Concealed Weapons & Firearms Licensing program.

Last year the legislature took $6 million from the Division of Licensing Concealed Weapons and Firearm Trust Fund that is intended, by law, to be used solely for administering the concealed weapons and firearms licensing program. (Read background Information below)

Gov. Charlie Crist stood up for gun owners and VETOED that trust fund raid.

Sen. Dean's bill (like Rep. River's bill in the House) will stop raids in the future.

You must act quickly.

PLEASE IMMEDIATELY EMAIL Members of the Agriculture and the General Government Appropriations Committees

In the subject line put: SUPPORT SB-1158 -- Protect the DOL Trust Fund

(Block and Copy All email addresses into the "Send To" box)

dean.charles.web@flsenate.gov,
aronberg.dave.web@flsenate.gov,
baker.carey.web@flsenate.gov,
bullard.larcenia.web@flsenate.gov,
peaden.durell.web@flsenate.gov,
lawson.alfred.web@flsenate.gov,
oelrich.steve.web@flsenate.gov,

(This is a combined email list of both committees -- three of these committee members serve on BOTH committees)

BACKGROUND

SB-1158 provides protection to the Division of Agriculture's Division of Licensing Trust Fund which handles the fees paid by gun owners to administer the Concealed Weapons and Firearms licensing program

In 1987, passage of the concealed weapons and licensing law had a financial contingency:

1. The legislature insisted that the statewide "Shall Issue" licensing process not require nor be dependent upon General Revenue or any government funding whatever. (Certain members of the legislature were determined that no tax dollars ever be used to fund gun owner programs.)

2. The NRA, Unified Sportsmen of Florida and gun owners, insisted that licensing fees be only the amount necessary to administer the program, no more, no less. Further, we insisted that the fees be held in a trust fund and used solely for the benefit of and administration of the program.

That was the agreement. And language was put in the bill to insure that the terms of the agreement were met. – OR at least it was language everyone THOUGHT would protect the agreement and the money.

We've kept our part of the agreement. In the more than 22 plus years that this program has been in effect, not one single dime has ever come from general revenue or any other government fund.

100% of the program funding has come from gun owners.

The other half of the agreement needs to be kept. Raids cannot be tolerated.

That money is held in "trust" until needed to administer the program, including buy or upgrade computers, buy or upgrade other essential equipment and stay technology in a position to run the program appropriately.

This specific trust fund needs to be protected because these funds facilitate the exercise of a constitutional right.

REMEMBER:

When government takes citizen money for general use by government, IT'S A TAX.

When government confiscates user fees from trust funds intended to be used to administer specific programs and converts it to government use for other purposes, IT'S A TAX.

When government leaders claim to oppose tax increases and promise not to create new taxes but then raid trust funds, they have deceived you because THEY HAVE CREATED A NEW TAX.

When the Florida Legislature raids the concealed weapons and firearms licensing trust fund they have CREATED A TAX ON THE EXERCISE OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT.

Courts have ruled that states may not tax the exercise of a right granted by the federal constitution

EMAIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS TODAY.
 
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#2 ·
BACKGROUND

SB-1158 provides protection to the Division of Agriculture's Division of Licensing Trust Fund which handles the fees paid by gun owners to administer the Concealed Weapons and Firearms licensing program

In 1987, passage of the concealed weapons and licensing law had a financial contingency:

1. The legislature insisted that the statewide "Shall Issue" licensing process not require nor be dependent upon General Revenue or any government funding whatever. (Certain members of the legislature were determined that no tax dollars ever be used to fund gun owner programs.)

2. The NRA, Unified Sportsmen of Florida and gun owners, insisted that licensing fees be only the amount necessary to administer the program, no more, no less. Further, we insisted that the fees be held in a trust fund and used solely for the benefit of and administration of the program.

That was the agreement. And language was put in the bill to insure that the terms of the agreement were met. – OR at least it was language everyone THOUGHT would protect the agreement and the money.

We've kept our part of the agreement. In the more than 22 plus years that this program has been in effect, not one single dime has ever come from general revenue or any other government fund.

100% of the program funding has come from gun owners.

The other half of the agreement needs to be kept. Raids cannot be tolerated.

That money is held in "trust" until needed to administer the program, including buy or upgrade computers, buy or upgrade other essential equipment and stay technology in a position to run the program appropriately.

This specific trust fund needs to be protected because these funds facilitate the exercise of a constitutional right.

REMEMBER:

When government takes citizen money for general use by government, IT'S A TAX.

When government confiscates user fees from trust funds intended to be used to administer specific programs and converts it to government use for other purposes, IT'S A TAX.

When government leaders claim to oppose tax increases and promise not to create new taxes but then raid trust funds, they have deceived you because THEY HAVE CREATED A NEW TAX.

When the Florida Legislature raids the concealed weapons and firearms licensing trust fund they have CREATED A TAX ON THE EXERCISE OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT.

Courts have ruled that states may not tax the exercise of a right granted by the federal constitution
I emailed the above to everyone on the list. Thanks for sharing.
 
#3 ·
So far I've received auto responses back from Boyd, Precourt and Pafford.

Go this response back from Adam Fetterman
Dear Floridian,

Thank you for taking the time to write me with your feelings on HB 651.

I was proud to support HB 651 in committee today. There was a great deal of discussion about “putting the trust back in trust funds” – I couldn’t agree with that sentiment more.

In that vein, I encourage you to support HJR 389, a bi-partisan effort a long with Senator Paula Dockery, that will place a constitutional amendment before the voters. The amendment would prevent the future sweep of trust funds, unless, in an emergency situation, it is done so in a bill separate from the appropriations and implementation act, by a 2/3 vote of each chamber. This will ensure the monies in trust are kept in trust, while also granting us the flexibility needed in a transparent and open manner.

I welcome your support and ask you to encourage Chairman Rivera to give this good bill the opportunity to be heard.

Sincerely,

Adam Fetterman

121 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd. Bldg B
Port St. Lucie, FL 34984
772/873-6500 fax 772/873-6502

1401 The Capitol
402 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399
850/488-8749
 
#8 ·
Done, Thanks for the info....Glock 30 :) :)

" I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6 "
 
#11 ·
My response:

From: DEAN.CHARLES.WEB (DEAN.CHARLES.WEB@flsenate.gov)
Sent: Mon 2/15/10 3:44 PM
To: '*************' (james****@hotmail.com)

James-

Thank you for the support of this very good bill which I am sponsoring. As you know, the second amendment is very important to me and I am honored and proud to be sponsoring this bill. Again, I thank you for contacting me and for your support of my bill SB 1158.

-Charlie
 
#12 ·
So far, so good...

Good job fellow FCC friends! :drinks
Thanks for all your time and energy exerted to make sure this passed so we can continue to carry concealed in Florida and make sure the government doesn't pose new taxes on the citizens of Florida. I would suggest signing up for email alerts from the NRA-ILA. They will give you updates on issues facing your state. These things affect all states in the USA.

If you can, please support the NRA-ILA with some contributions. They do a great service defending our 2nd amendment rights on many levels. It is one of the few organizations that effectively do so and it will take some funding for it to remain so. Especially when up against Gun Ban organizations funded by the likes of billionaire George Soros.

Also thanks to the Senators and Representatives who voted in favor of these bills! Looks like we still have more hurdles ahead. I'll post it here when I find out about them.
Till then, smile and enjoy life! :dancingbanana

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** ROUND 2 REPORT **
Gun owners $$ bill PASSED Two Committees


DATE: February 18, 2010
TO: USF & NRA Member and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
USF Executive Director
NRA Past President

SB-1158 by Senator Charlie Dean (R) had two back-to-back committee hearings this week:

1. Tuesday, February 16, SB-1158 PASSED the Senate Agriculture Committee 4-0
2. Wednesday, February 17, SB-1158 PASSED the Senate General Government Appropriations Committee 4-0

SB-1158 passed its first and second hurdles.

After passing these two committees by unanimous votes, the bill is ready to go to the Senate floor when the Legislative Session begins next month.

Thank you very much for your help.
Once again YOUR emails MADE THE DIFFERENCE!
Your emails ALWAYS make a difference.
When committee members receive thousands of emails -- they pay attention.

Voting IN FAVOR of SB-1158 in the Agriculture Committee:

Senator Charlie Dean, Chairman (bill sponsor)
Senator Dave Aronberg
Senator Carey Baker
Senator Durell Peaden
ABSENT: Senator Larcenia Bullard

Voting IN FAVOR of SB-1158 in the General Government Appropriations Committee:

Senator Carey Baker, Chairman
Senator Dave Aronberg
Senator Charlie Dean (bill sponsor)
Senator Steve Oelrich
ABSENT: Senator Al Lawson


Again, thank you for your help. Your voice was heard!
PLEASE watch for future Alerts as this bill and the House bill move to the next hurdle.
 
#13 ·
Time for round 3....

Dear fellow FCC members and all Floridians,

Looks like we need to pursue and cross the next hurdle. Stay strong, focused and involved we are almost there!

:):)Please see this link for information on Round 3... :):)
 
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