Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, and Madera County Sheriff John Anderson will speak at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19 at Best Western Yosemite Gateway Inn in Oakhurst, 40530 Highway 41. Paredes will speak on the Obama administration's and California legislature's proposed gun laws and Anderson will be providing information on California's concealed weapons permit certification, as well as other gun rights information.

It will be Parades second visit to Oakhurst. He spoke to Mountain Area residents about the Second Amendment January, 2012. He said that since then, things are very different than they were just a year ago -- such as the legislature and governor banning the long guns open carry law.

"Now the only way that someone can protect themselves in public is if they have a concealed weapons permit," Paredes said. "The most important thing for the public to know is that there is a feeding frenzy at the capitol to sponsor and promote anti-gun legislation and, most importantly, to many of the legislators is to recapture from New York, the title of most gun controlled state in the country."

If proposed gun legislation is passed, Paredes said there will be a number of changes that will affect the American people. There will be no more semi-automatic rifles, handguns and shotguns available to Californians. Licenses will be required to buy ammunition, all firearms will have to be registered with the government, and certifications must be acquired in order to buy new handguns or keep the handguns people already own.

"We will have to buy liability insurance if we own any guns," Paredes said. "Any, and all, legal high capacity magazines will be made illegal and require those who have them to turn them in. There will be an excise tax of five cents for every loaded cartridge sold in California. And this is just the beginning."

Paredes said none of these issues would have prevented any of the mass shootings that have occurred and he is ready to fight against new gun legislation and has a positive outlook for the outcome.

"We may not win in the legislature but we will prevail in the courts and we are prepared to fight all the way," Paredes said.

Parades has been working with Gun Owners of California for more than 33 years and has been executive director for the last 13 years. GOC is a non-profit lobbying organization formed to protect and preserve Second Amendment rights in California. Parades is also director of GOC Campaign Committee, which is dedicated to defeating anti-gun politicians and replacing them with solid pro-gun leaders.

Paredes has been interviewed by Fox News, ABC World News Tonight and many other radio and television stations and newspapers throughout California as an expert on gun laws in the state. He has testified in hundreds of legislative committee hearings, and has also lobbied the California Fish and Game Commission and the Department of Fish and Game, as well as the California Department of Justice. He has given more than 100 workshops and presentations to conservative organizations in Missouri, Nevada and California.

Paredes received a degree in political science from Pepperdine University and studied at the Foundation for Economic Education in New York. He is a member of the board of directors of Gun Owners of America and treasurer of the Gun Owner Foundation.

Anderson, who will be passing out concealed weapons certification information, is currently serving his fourth term as Madera County Sheriff.

He has an associate of arts degree in Police Science, a bachelor of arts degree in Criminal Justice and a masters degree in Public Administration.

Details: (866) 565-1379 or matp@sti.net