Arizona - "Castle Doctrine" Bill Moves To Senate Floor

• SB 1425, “Emergency Powers Protection” sponsored by Senator Dean Martin (R-6), passed the Senate Government Committee by a vote of 5-2.  Please contact your State Senator and ask him or her to support SB 1425, as it is headed to the Senate Floor. 

• HB 2076, “Government Storage Clarification,” sponsored by Representative Chuck Gray (R-19), passed the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 6-3.  This legislation will compel state and local governments to comply with the 2000 statutory requirement to store firearms for citizens when they prohibit firearm possession on their property.  Many government entities have refused to comply with this requirement.  Please contact both your State Representatives and encourage them to pass HB 2076.

• SB 1145, the “Castle Doctrine,” sponsored by Senator Timothy Bee (R-30), passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 7-1.  Most importantly, the amendment to return the “Burden of Proof” in state self-defense cases was adopted.  This amendment corrects the current “guilty-until-you-prove-your-innocence” standard in state self-defense cases.  Arizona is one of only two states in the country that places the burden of proof in self-defense cases on the citizen instead of the state.  This is simply wrong and must be corrected this year before more abuses occur!  Please contact your State Senator and ask him or her to support SB 1145 with the "Burden of Proof" Amendment, on the Senate Floor. 

Members of the Arizona State Legislature can be reached by calling (602) 926-4221, for the State House, or (602) 926-3559, for the State Senate. 

HB 2074, “Elimination of CCW Permit Refresher Training,” sponsored by Representative Chuck Gray (R-19), will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday at 1:30 p.m. Please contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and ask them to support HB 2074.