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Tim Donnelly, right, receives a gift bag from Ed and Jo Boyd at last Saturday's Double R Bar Regulators annual event at the Lucerne Valley Lions Club Shooting Range. Ed Boyd is president of the Double R Bar whose members dress in period correct late 1800s garb and shoot targets with authentic weapons of the period. Peter Day, Lucerne Valley Leader
Congressional race: Gun rights are as important as ever, candidate says
By Peter Day
Senior Reporter
LUCERNE VALLEY — As far as audiences go, Saturday's Single Action Shooting Society members were about as like-minded as any Tim Donnelly might find.
Donnelly's casual meet-and-greet was held at the Double R Bar Regulators' two-day "2016 Tribute to Doc Holliday Crap Shoot" at the Lucerne Valley Lions Shooting Range. Ironically, the staunch Second Amendment advocate was the only one of more than 120 present not carrying a firearm.
"Tim is very pro-gun," said Ed Boyd (a.k.a. "Smiley Ed"), president of the Double R Bar Regulators, which reenacts classic shootout scenes of the late 1800s in period garb and firearms. Double R participants are also members of the SSAS.
Following Donnelly's introduction and a brief address, the former member of the California State Assembly and 2014 California Governor candidate spoke with a reporter about running for the 8th Congressional seat currently held by Col. Paul Cook (ret.).
"On Dec. 18 the man (Rep. Cook) who is supposed to protect us voted to bring 300,000 refugees from Syria without any improvement to our vetting system," said Donnelly, 49. "Our government is supposed to protect us and our lives. For him to vote on that (the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill) was the last straw."
Furthermore, said Donnelly, 49, "This is a matter of life and death, Our Congress doesn't seem to be aware of it." Regarding fellow Republican Cook, he added, "He doesn't seem to have any passion or any fight."
A resident of Twin Peaks, Donnelly operated a manufacturing business for 25 years prior to being elected to 59th Assembly District in November of 2010. In 2005 he founded the Minuteman Park in California. In 2013, he authored the Liberty Preservation Act, which received bipartisan support. In early 2012, TSA security screeners discovered Donnelly was carrying a loaded Colt handgun in his carry-on luggage while attempting to board a plane. He agreed to a plea bargain and was sentenced to three years of probation and a $2,215 fine.
"I'm a liberty person, and guns are the key," he said. "That's why the founders put the Second Amendment right after the first."
Moreover, Donnelly's passion for gun rights has increased, especially after 14 people were killed in a terrorist act in San Bernardino last Dec. 2.
"After San Bernardino everything changed," Donnelly said. "I used to be a gun enthusiast. Now I train. The government not only can't protect us, but they won't."
And, according to Donnelly, Rep. Cook hasn't done enough.
"Paul Cook has not voted right on a lot of things. We need someone to vote to restore our rights."
Among the changes Donnelly would like to see is concealed carry reciprocity (CCW reciprocity) for all 50 states.
"We need to stop treating citizens like criminals regarding their guns, and we need to start treating criminals as criminals," Donnelly said.
Donnelly, who hosts the Tim Donnelly Show, can be heard weekdays from 3-6 p.m. on AM 960 Radio.