concealed carry

There is an excellent article at a blog called Cornered Cat, A Woman's Guide To Concealed Carry. The article, "Can I shoot him? Ability, Opportunity, Jeopardy" goes into the three elements each of which must be present for a valid self-defense claim: did the attacker have the ability to cause serious physical harm or death? Did they have the opportunity to inflict that harm?

The Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (the court with jurisdiction over the Western United States) released a decision today (PDF) in Peruta v. San Diego striking down a California requirement for showing "good cause" to obtain a firearm carry permit, affirming that to "bear arms" is as much of a protected right as keeping them.

There is a state Senate Committee hearing (General Laws) today for SB 613 (Second Amendment Protection Act or "SAPA") 2014 Regular Session. The Lawrence County Sheriff's Auxiliary submitted written testimony for the bill, primarily concerning the provisions creating the role of a School Protection Officer and its potential interaction with armed volunteers under law enforcement.
[Update 21 February 2014: This bill has passed the Missouri Senate 23-10.]

I have posted an article on Gun Debate detailing our recent trip to Reno Nevada for the International Association of Emergency Manager's Conference. The three-part travelogue describes changes in Nevada's CCW laws, how we dealt with them, issues with open-carry, the status of Auxiliary volunteers traveling to other states, self-defense law, the panel presentation I particpated in on active shooters in education environments, the school shooting in Sparks, Nevada and other issues.