The Latest from Cactus Tactical: Arizona 2006 Law Updates

On a local note, the Arizona legislature passed a number of laws which will enhance gun owner rights. Following is a synopsis put out by the NRA.

Fairfax, VA-The National Rifle Association (NRA) is pleased to announce a successful 2006 legislative session to preserve the Second Amendment rights of gun owners and hunters in Arizona.

“We are very pleased with the progress and substantive gains we’ve made this year for gun owners in Arizona,” stated Chris Cox, chief lobbyist of NRA. “Through the hard work of the state legislature and our thousands of NRA members all across the state, we’ve passed laws to improve Arizona’s right-to-carry permits, increase reciprocity agreements around the country, allow law-abiding citizens to store their legal firearms in secure locations at government facilities as well as provide protection for innocent victims who defend themselves from criminal attack.”

HB 2074, a right-to-carry improvement bill, eliminates the two-hour course required for renewing permits and puts Arizona among the vast majority of states that do not require a renewal course for permit holders. The law also recognizes valid permits from all the other 47 states that issue permits, similar to out-of-state drivers’ licenses.

HB 2076 requires government entities to comply with a law passed in 2000 mandating they provide readily accessible storage of firearms for citizens who legally carry their firearms to government facilities that prohibit such possession.

SB 1145, the NRA-backed "Castle Doctrine" bill, returned Arizona’s self-defense justification law to its status prior to 1997. Prior to this law, citizens forced to act in self-defense were presumed guilty of committing a violent crime until they proved their own innocence in court. This NRA-backed bill requires the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that citizens did not act with justification and enacted the "Castle Doctrine", enhancing a citizens' right to defend themselves from violent attacks.

After strong support from the NRA in the Senate Natural Resources Committee, Jennifer Martin has been appointed by the Governor to fill a seat on the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. Ms. Martin replaces Commissioner Hays Gilstrap, the Commissioner who led the NRA-opposed effort to consider the sale of the world-renowned Ben Avery Shooting Facility north of Phoenix. Commissioner Martin has the best interests of sportsmen in mind and will prove to be an enormous asset on the Commission.

“On behalf of all NRA members and gun owners in the great State of Arizona, I want to thank the state house and state senate for passing pro-gun, pro-freedom legislation for the law-abiding citizens of their state,” concluded Cox