"Bill would fully restore gun rights to some felons"

[Arctic Dave]

Not sure about this being in GD but it seems more of a legislative issue, so, we'll see how it goes.

JUNEAU -- Some felons living in Alaska would have full gun rights restored under a bill backed by Rep. Jay Ramras and the National Rifle Association.
Under current state law, partial gun rights are restored to felons by a pardon, if the conviction is set aside or 10 years after a sentence -- including probation and parole -- is served.

They are still barred from buying handguns and carrying concealed weapons outside their homes and property unless hunting.



Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/03/25/1199311/bill-would-fully-restore-gun-rights.html?pageNum=1&&mi_pluck_action=page_nav#Comments_Container#ixzz0jEnjOp9w

[bluestateguy]

1. I have always believed that once you serve your sentence you should get your gun rights back

After you serve your parole or probation and/or prison sentence, I believe your right to own a gun should be restored, just like your right to vote.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. I agree, and all of those should be automatic. -nt

[Arctic Dave]

6. My thought too.

If you do all your time and probation, don't screw up, then you should get all your rights back.

[Hepburn]

13. I hate guns...but...

...for example in Calif, a $400 embezzlement can be charged as a felony. To deny Const rights after that is, IMO, bullshit. I would say that anyone with a non-violent felony conviction over ten year old with time served and parole/probation completed ~~ rights are restored. And...like I said...I hate guns. To me, this is a purely Const issue.

[katandmoon]

2. NRA never misses a chance to sell guns to degenerates.

[tabasco]

9. Yes, those marijuana criminals are nothing but degenerates.

A couple pot plants in your closet = felon.

[gravity]

3. I would support that if they included voting rights

[Arctic Dave]

7. I agree with you.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. "Some"? So, does the guy who did time for armed robbery or...

manslaughter get to carry concealed in Alaska under this new proposed law?

The law is the law, right, and Justice Scalia said everyone must be treated the same...

[Arctic Dave]

8. Someone in the comments section said the same thing.

For an all or nothing bill, shouldn't it apply to everyone.

[Skittles]

10. mixed

I don't think they should be restored to felons whose offense involved a gun

[Arctic Dave]

11. Sounds pretty logical, too bad we are talking about Alaskan repugs though.

[Fleshdancer]

12. I could agree to a compromise...

If the felony wasn't violent and/or sexual (redundant I know, but it needs to be said), and a gun wasn't used, then I would agree to partial rights 10 years after a sentence along with voting rights fully restored.

[Arctic Dave]

14. Seems to be a pretty good compromise.

It would seem weird to give a person the ability to own a gun again but not allow them to vote.

[Fleshdancer]

16. yeah, I thought that too

same with if they used a gun in the felony they were convicted for.

[spin]

15. I favor returning gun and voting rights to felons who ...

served sentences for a non violent crime.

Not long ago—last October to be more precise—Anchorage attorney and gun rights activist Wayne Anthony Ross was telling Flashlight how difficult it was to gather political support for specific group of people for whom Second Amendment rights were compromised—felons. (See the Press October 28 cover story “Hidden Punishment” at tinyurl.com/Hidden-Punishment.) The problem, in the eyes of Ross and other gun activists, is that Alaska laws restricting gun rights don’t match very cleanly with federal laws that extinguish a person’s gun rights whenever a state restricts those rights, even just a little.

A felon convicted in state court may have their rights re-instated so they can hunt or carry a firearm in bear country, but state restrictions on their right to carry a concealed weapon turn into a straight-up ban under the federal law.

***snip***

The gist of the U.S. Supreme Court decision is that unless a state restores all of a convict’s gun rights, federal law prevents the convict from possessing a weapon. This is problematic when purchasing guns that require background checks, or winning one in an NRA raffle for that matter. Alaska law grants all but a few rights for felons in three categories: people pardoned by a governor; people for whom the conviction was set aside; and, non-violent felons who have their rights reinstated ten years after serving their prison time and other obligations of the criminal sentence.

The committee bill allows Alaska to continue restricting gun rights for certain felons. There are provisions for restoration of rights after a decade of unconditional release (“unconditional” meaning probation and parole are complete), and the bill excludes criminals convicted of what the state calls “offenses against a person.” Those felony crimes run a gamut from murder and manslaughter to rape, kidnapping, human trafficking, stalking, sexual assault, online enticement of a minor and indecent exposure in the first or second degree. emphasis added
http://www.anchoragepress.com/articles/2010/03/19/news/doc4ba179c50347a229385358.txt

[Arctic Dave]

17. Me too. BTW W.A.R. is idiot, I wouldn't use him as reference for anything.