I am at home now and on my own time, but there is not much more that I can add to the discussion at this point. Again, a huge thank you to all that were able to take time out of your busy schedules to attend, and to speak.
I was not planning on speaking at all, mainly because I am the worst public speaker on the face of the earth and should be barred from doing so at all cost, but I wanted to take advantage of the last couple of minutes granted to us before the opponents spoke to address a couple of concerns that came up during the testimonies. Senator Lathrop's ignorance on the issues before him, combined with his hang up on the perceived lack of training (translated - competence) by anyone not possessing a badge really annoyed me. He got so hung up on how terrible it would be to have a non-leo permit holder firing a handgun in a crowded room that he completely lost track of the fact that the situation that would cause that to happen would be a deranged psychopath opening fire on masses of unarmed people in the same crowded room with nothing stopping him from shooting people at will except a cramp in his trigger finger. I don't think anything could be more terrible than that.
I would also like to bring attention to the happy little moment when Sen. Lautenbaugh slammed Chief Cassidy. When asked, the Chief conceded that possessing a firearm was more of a fundamental right than an individual's right to burn leaves. Then, the senator asked if that is the case, then shouldn't the laws concerning firearm possession be expected to be more uniform throughout the state than the local ordinances pertaining to leaf burning? That made me smile.
All in all, I think it went well, with the expected reactions of the pro and anti senators. No big surprises.
As has already been said, this bill is not perfect, and I doubt that it could even be passed without more imperfect changes being made to it. It is, however, a step in the right direction, and if the only way we can begin to reclaim our rights in this state is step by step, then I'll put my best running shoes on and get at it.