As I mentioned last night, some kind of deal was made so that Castle Doctrine would be released from Appropriations today. The good news is that it was finally released on a 26-8 vote.
What jumps out at me are some of the names of people voting with us on this bill. Josh Shapiro was last rated D by the NRA – that’s hardly a pro-rights grade. Bryan Lentz takes pride in his F rating, so he’s definitely not a friend to gun owners. And yet they both voted with us, not once, but twice. That’s how far disconnected the Philly politicians are on this issue. It’s not enough for them to oppose it, but they have to put up roadblock after roadblock to keep a bill that gives us more opportunities to defend our lives from criminal attack from even being allowed a full vote.
When is the general vote? And what are the chances of Rendell actually signing it if it passes?
Castle doctrine isn’t a gun rights issue. Back when California adopted castle doctrine in 1983 or so, it passed the lower house with only three votes against it (one of them, of course, my Assemblyman, Dan Hauser).
Technically, NJ has Castle Doctrine in law – there is no duty to retreat inside the home, no requirement for proportional force, and use of any level of force is permitted if the legal occupant believs himself to be in danger or has called upon the intruder to surrender or disarm. This doesn’t stop overzealous prosecutors, of course