Arizona First In Nation To Consider Protecting Knives and Knife Owners

T

TJSafari

Joined
Jan 20, 2010
Messages
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2010

Contacts:

Doug Ritter, Knife Rights Chairman - C: 602-292-0997, O: 602-476-2703, dritter@KnifeRights.org
Todd Rathner, Legislative Consultant - 520-404-8096, trathner@KnifeRights.org


KNIFE OWNERS, COLLECTORS, DEALERS, AND MANUFACTURERS TO BE PROTECTED IN ARIZONA


Phoenix, Arizona - Arizona Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Gray, has introduced SB1153, reference titled, "State Preemption: Knives," which will protect knife owners, knife collectors and those in the knife industry from a confusing patchwork of local knife ordinances and rules in Arizona. The bill was requested by Knife Rights, an Arizona based, national advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the rights of knife owners.

"Currently a person traveling from Nogales to Flagstaff, Arizona, will be subject to numerous different knife ordinances and rules along the way, never knowing if they are in compliance with local laws, and quite possibly unintentionally breaking the law", said Doug Ritter, Chairman and Executive Director of Knife Rights. "This is a confusing and unfair situation which can subject citizens to abuse of their civil rights and it needs to be remedied", Ritter added.

SB1153, is a "knife preemption law" that would keep all existing state laws regarding knives in place, but would make the State Legislature the sole authority on knife laws. This will insure consistency and fairness with regards to knife laws throughout the state.

"SB1153 will not change any of Arizona's deadly weapons laws, which are quite comprehensive and sufficient to prosecute any crime committed with a knife in the state," said Todd Rathner, Knife Rights' lobbyist in Arizona. "The cities, towns, and counties will still be able to prosecute criminals under existing state laws. This new knife preemption law will have no effect on their ability to fight crime," said Rathner.

Over a decade ago Arizona, along with 45 other states, passed a similar firearms preemption law which made the state legislature the sole authority on firearms law in Arizona. This preemption law has proven to be a great success and has created an environment of consistency for Arizona's gun owners and law enforcement personnel. The proposed new knife preemption law will accomplish the same for knife owners. Preemption laws protect citizens' rights enshrined in Arizona's constitution.

SB1153 has 8 Prime Sponsors and 13 Co-Sponsors.

SB1153 is being supported by Arizona’s NRA affiliate, the Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association, Arizona Citizens Defense League and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

SB1153 represents the groundbreaking initiation of a key component of Knife Rights’ national legislative agenda to protect knife owners’ rights. Knife Rights anticipates that the Arizona knife preemption law will serve as a model for preemption efforts in other states whose citizens are subject to a similar patchwork of local knife laws with attendant civil rights issues. "Knife Rights is proud to sponsor this first legislation of its kind in the U.S.," said Ritter.

Knife Rights

Knife Rights ( www.KnifeRights.org) is America’s Grassroots Knife Owners Organization™, a national advocacy organization dedicated to providing knife and edged tool owners an effective voice to influence public policy and to oppose efforts to restrict the right to own, use and carry knives and edged tools. Knife Rights encourages safe, responsible and lawful use of knives and edged tools.

-end-


Doug Ritter
Chairman / Executive Director
Knife Rights, Inc.
Knife Rights Foundation, Inc.
www.KnifeRights.org
Office: 602-476-2702
Cell: 602-292-0997
Email: dritter@KnifeRights.org
 
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It's gonna be a national effort and will take time but texas should be ripe for similar legislation.
 
I'm liking what I'm seeing as a member myself, but being in Illinois I give it...a decade or two before my state ignores the issue officially. I do enjoy this action though, and want to see where they go next. Might print out a little map and color code it.
 
AlexSchira said:
I'm liking what I'm seeing as a member myself, but being in Illinois I give it...a decade or two before my state ignores the issue officially. I do enjoy this action though, and want to see where they go next. Might print out a little map and color code it.
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Don't forget Chicago is the scene of the next important Supreme Court gun case!! Don't lose hope!
 
Moved to knife laws.

I hope that some day people will understand what the General Knife Discussion forum is for.
 
Wonderful legislative effort. I've emailed my state Representative and Senator the above press release and encouraged them to support/sponsor a similar Bill in my State.
 
Wouldn't be necessary if there weren't so many jackasses passing stupid laws all over the place.
 
shunsui said:
Wouldn't be necessary if there weren't so many jackasses passing stupid laws all over the place.
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Looks like things are really starting to turn around. Over here in MA, a notoriously liberal anti-gun, anti-weapon, anti-self-defense state, we made history by electing a very conservative Republican to take over the Senate seat vacated by the late Ted Kennedy. Obama and the rest of the liberals in Washington have yet to recover from the shock!:D
 
This is great. If you think about it there has been some great progress in the past year or two. South Carolina fixed it's over-restrictive length limit. Texas legislature changed a law in light of a moronic judicial ruling, making AOs legal in Texas. NH is proposing a law to legalize pretty much all blades for citizens, even switchblades. And US Congress changed Federal law declaring AOs are not switchblades for purposes of federal switchblade regulations, signed by President Obama! We are making real progress and allies are to be found in both parties.
 
Arizona knife preemption passed the AZ Senate Judiciary committee 4-3 today. It now moves to the rules committee then on to the floor of the senate. This is a MAJOR step forward but we have a long way to go. opposition was from reliable left wing, anti freedom legislators. The AZ League Of Cities and Towns was the only organization to testify in opposition and they were embarrassed by not knowing established AZ deadly weapons law, claiming that if this law passes cities would not be able to prohibit swords and knives from coming into "city council meetings and sports arenas" this is false. Deadly weapons laws in AZ 13-3102 and 13-3102.01 allow the banning of deadly weapons from public events or buildings if they provide storage for the weapons.

Read the preemption bill here: Knife Preemption
 
I think eventually the 2ndAm will be recognized to protect knife ownership but until that day we can eliminate a bunch of stupid ordinances.
 
Planterz said:
Awesome. I love this state.
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Amen Brother, I live in Tucson as well.

TJSafari said:
Arizona knife preemption passed the AZ Senate Judiciary committee 4-3 today. It now moves to the rules committee then on to the floor of the senate. This is a MAJOR step forward but we have a long way to go. opposition was from reliable left wing, anti freedom legislators. The AZ League Of Cities and Towns was the only organization to testify in opposition and they were embarrassed by not knowing established AZ deadly weapons law, claiming that if this law passes cities would not be able to prohibit swords and knives from coming into "city council meetings and sports arenas" this is false. Deadly weapons laws in AZ 13-3102 and 13-3102.01 allow the banning of deadly weapons from public events or buildings if they provide storage for the weapons.

Read the preemption bill here: Knife Preemption
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That is kind of funny, little do they know that they have been there all along.
 
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