North Dakotans - Initiative measure petition to remove public gathering restriction

[Nickotym]

Warning: lengthy post!

I am looking to get a sponsoring committee and petition circulators together for the following petition to remove the public gathering restrictions for ND CCW holders. This would allow carry in churches and schools as is allowed in many other states.

If you are willing to be on the sponsoring committee and help circulate petitions, please PM me or post in this thread. We will need 12,844 signatures to get this on the November 2008 ballot, so we have to work hard at this. The deadline is 08-05-2007. If I can get at least the 25 people for the committee, each person would be responsible for about 513 signatures. The more people circulating it, the less each person has to get. Thanks in advance for the help.

Here is the first part of the petition:

INITIATIVE PETITION
TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE
STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA

We, the undersigned, being qualified electors request the following initiated law be placed on the ballot as provided by law.

SPONSORING COMMITTEE

The following are the names and addresses of the qualified electors of the state of North Dakota who, as the sponsoring committee for the petitioners, represent and act for the petitioners in accordance with law:

Nickotym (chair)

NDGlock

Mrs Nickotym

Brokenbackjack (from THR)

Outerlimit (from THR)

NEED 20 more sponsoring committee members.

BALLOT TITLE


FULL TEXT OF THE MEASURE

IF MATERIAL IS UNDERSCORED, IT IS NEW MATERIAL WHICH IS BEING ADDED. IF MATERIAL IS OVERSTRUCK BY DASHES, THE MATERIAL IS BEING DELETED. IF NO MATERIAL IS UNDERSCORED OR OVERSTRUCK, THE MEASURE CONTAINS ALL NEW MATERIAL WHICH IS BEING ADDED.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF NORTH DAKOTA:

SECTION 1. AMENDMENT. Section 62.1-02-05 of the North Dakota Century Code is amended and reenacted as follows:

62.1-02-05. Possession of a firearm at a public gathering – Penalty
Application

1. A person who possesses a firearm at a public gathering is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. For the purposes of this section, “public gathering” includes
athletic or sporting events, schools or school functions, churches or church functions, political rallies or functions, musical concerts, and individuals in publicly owned parks where hunting is not allowed by proclamation and
publicly owned or operated buildings.

2. This section does not apply to law enforcement officers; members of the armed forces of the United States or national guard, organized reserves, state defense forces, or state guard organizations, when on duty; competitors participating in organized sport shooting events; gun and antique shows; participants using blank cartridge firearms at sporting or theatrical events; any firearms carried in a temporary residence or motor vehicle; students and instructors at hunter safety classes; persons authorized to carry a concealed weapon in the state of North Dakota, according to section 62.1-04-03 of ND Century Code; or private security personnel while on duty.

3. This section does not prevent any political subdivision from enacting an
ordinance which is less restrictive than this section relating to the possession of firearms at a public gathering. Such an ordinance supersedes this section within the jurisdiction of the political subdivision.

INSTRUCTIONS TO PETITION SIGNERS
You are being asked to sign a petition. You must be a qualified elector. This means you are eighteen years old, you have lived in North Dakota thirty days, and you are a United States citizen. All signers must add their complete residential address or rural route or general delivery address and the date of signing. Every qualified elector signing a petition must do so in the presence of the person circulating the petition.

This has been cross-posted on both THR and Glocktalk.

If you are willing to be on the sponsoring committee, please PM me.

[Nickotym]

Here are the changes that I found needed to be made after reviewing the current, most recent law.

INITIATIVE PETITION
TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE
STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA

We, the undersigned, being qualified electors request the following initiated law be placed on the ballot as provided by law.

SPONSORING COMMITTEE

The following are the names and addresses of the qualified electors of the state of North Dakota who, as the sponsoring committee for the petitioners, represent and act for the petitioners in accordance with law:

Nickotym (chair)

NDGlock(from Glocktalk)

Mrs Nickotym

Brokenbackjack (from THR)

Outerlimit (from THR)

NEED 20 more sponsoring committee members.

BALLOT TITLE


FULL TEXT OF THE MEASURE

IF MATERIAL IS UNDERSCORED, IT IS NEW MATERIAL WHICH IS BEING ADDED. IF MATERIAL IS OVERSTRUCK BY DASHES, THE MATERIAL IS BEING DELETED. IF NO MATERIAL IS UNDERSCORED OR OVERSTRUCK, THE MEASURE CONTAINS ALL NEW MATERIAL WHICH IS BEING ADDED.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF NORTH DAKOTA:

SECTION 1. AMENDMENT. Section 62.1-02-05 of the North Dakota Century Code is amended and reenacted as follows:

62.1-02-05. Possession of a firearm at a public gathering – Penalty
Application

1. A person who possesses a firearm at a public gathering is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. For the purposes of this section, “public gathering” includes
athletic or sporting events, schools or school functions, churches or church functions, political rallies or functions, musical concerts, and individuals in publicly owned parks where hunting is not allowed by proclamation and
publicly owned or operated buildings.

2. This section does not apply to law enforcement officers; members of the armed forces of the United States or national guard, organized reserves, state defense forces, or state guard organizations, when on duty; competitors participating in organized sport shooting events; gun and antique shows; participants using blank cartridge firearms at sporting or theatrical events; any firearms carried in a temporary residence or motor vehicle; students and instructors at hunter safety classes; persons authorized to carry a concealed weapon in the state of North Dakota under section 62.1-04-03 or 62.1-04-03.1; or private security personnel while on duty. In addition, a municipal court judge licensed to practice law in this state, a district court judge, and a retired North Dakota law enforcement officer are exempt from the prohibition and penalty in subsection 1 if the individual is otherwise licensed to carry a firearm under section 62.1-04-03 and maintains the same level of firearms proficiency as is required by the peace officers standards and training board for law enforcement officers. A local law enforcement agency shall issue a certificate of compliance under this section to an individual who is proficient. However, persons carrying under section 62.1-04-03 or 62.1-04-03.1 shall not be authorized to carry in courthouses and shall be permitted access to gun storage at courthouses.

3. This section does not prevent any political subdivision from enacting an
ordinance which is less restrictive than this section relating to the possession of firearms at a public gathering. Such an ordinance supersedes this section within the jurisdiction of the political subdivision.

INSTRUCTIONS TO PETITION SIGNERS

You are being asked to sign a petition. You must be a qualified elector. This means you are eighteen years old, you have lived in North Dakota thirty days, and you are a United States citizen. All signers must add their complete residential address or rural route or general delivery address and the date of signing. Every qualified elector signing a petition must do so in the presence of the person circulating the petition.