NRA-ILA | Grassroots Alert: Vol. 9, No. 36 9/6/2002

SENATE APPROVES ARMED PILOTS
<align=center>WHILE TSA SUGGESTS TEST PROGRAM

Congress is back in session, and the U.S. Senate took swift action this week on arming pilots. U.S. Senator Bob Smith (R-N.H.) offered his version of armed pilots legislation as an amendment to H.R. 5005—the legislation that would create a Homeland Security Department. H.R. 5005 has yet to come to a final vote in the Senate. The amendment was approved on an overwhelming 87 - 6 vote on Thursday. If the current language becomes law, it would establish a program that would train commercial pilots to be able to use firearms as a last line of defense against terrorist hijackers.

Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which had been opposed to arming pilots, is now supporting a scaled-down version of the Smith amendment passed yesterday. The TSA was given the authority last year to implement a training program for armed pilots, but refused to do so under its former head John Magaw. New TSA head Admiral James M. Loy has outlined the parameters he would like to see for a limited test program.

The TSA’s support for a test program is certainly an improvement over its previous position. But NRA will continue to work to ensure any qualified pilot who wishes to take part in the armed pilots program is able to do so. Please contact your U.S. Senators and urge them to keep the Smith amendment intact, and to do everything possible to ensure any armed pilots program passed includes every pilot interested in participating in the program. And if your Senators voted in favor of the Smith amendment, please be sure to thank them. To reach your U.S. Senators, call (202) 224-3121. You can also use our "Write Your Representatives" tool to find additional contact information.

LAWSUIT PREEMPTION
<align=center>MAY SEE ACTION SOON

Reckless lawsuit preemption legislation, which would block politically-motivated lawsuits that attempt to hold law-abiding gun makers liable for the criminal misuse of their products, still needs to move through both chambers of Congress. The House version, H.R. 2037, has 228 co-sponsors, and is tentatively slated for full committee markup next week in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The Senate version, S. 2268, now has 42 co-sponsors. This is a solid show of support, but the bill has yet to be considered. Time is rapidly running out for these bills. Please call both your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative and urge them to promote the passage of reckless lawsuit preemption legislation.

To contact your U.S. Representative, call (202) 225-3121, and to reach your U.S. Senators, call (202) 224-3121. Just ask to speak with your particular lawmaker. You can also use our "Write Your Representatives" tool to find additional contact information.

MORE ELECTIONS AROUND THE CORNER

Delaware

will hold its primary elections tomorrow, September 7, and Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin will hold primary elections on Tuesday, September 10. NRA members should have already received information on candidates endorsed by the NRA-Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) for the primaries, or will shortly, so please be sure to go to the polls and support pro-gun candidates for office, and encourage your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to do the same. NRA members in these states who have not received this information can call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) for more election-related information.

YET ANOTHER COURT
<align=center>REJECTS RECKLESS LAWSUITS

Capitol Media Services

(Aug. 30) reported that, on August 29, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that lawful gun manufacturers and those who legally sell firearms are not liable for the criminal acts of others beyond their control. Continuing a national trend of courts rejecting the reckless lawsuit theory, the three-judge panel ruled unanimously that the families of three slain Pizza Hut employees had no basis to sue Glock, Inc., the retailer who originally sold the firearm, Centerfire Inc., or operators of a gun show where the firearm was allegedly re-sold.

Writing for the court, Judge Joseph Howard noted, "Third parties often can legally obtain handguns from private individuals or illegally on the street. Imposing additional liability on manufacturers and gun show operators would not have protective effect."

The case was originally dismissed in 2001 by Pima Superior Court Judge Ted Borek who noted at that time that the families failed to prove the defendants had a duty to conform to "certain standards of conduct for the protection of others against unreasonable risk."

Stay tuned, as an appeal to the state Supreme Court could be next.

CUOMO CALLS IT QUITS

Andrew Cuomo

(D) was once considered a rising star in the Democratic Party. He was also once considered a promising contender to be the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor of New York. On Tuesday, he suddenly withdrew from the Democratic gubernatorial primary, and now he’s just another anti-gun extremist who is wondering if he has a future in politics. Cuomo, the son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo (D), became a darling of the gun-ban movement when he used his position as the Clinton-Gore Administration’s HUD Secretary to act as a gun czar and promote attacks on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. And while it’s unlikely we’ve heard the last of Andrew Cuomo, his brand of anti-gun zealotry certainly won’t be missed for now.

NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS
<align=center>ELECTION WORKSHOPS

In preparation for the November 5 elections, NRA-ILA has scheduled FREE Grassroots-Election Workshops across the country. These Workshops provide NRA members with training on what they can do to ensure pro-gun candidates win key primary races and on Election Day, Nov. 5. These Workshops also provide a venue for lawmakers, candidates seeking office, and their staffs to reach out to NRA members and explain their positions on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Upcoming Workshops are slated for:

Sioux Falls, S.D., & Omaha, Neb. — 9/7

Aberdeen, S.D. — 9/9

Davenport, Iowa — 9/10

Ames, Iowa — 9/12

South Bend, Ind. — 9/14

Dayton, Ohio — 9/16

Augusta, Ga., & Lehigh Valley, Pa. — 9/17

Marietta, Ga., & Wyomissing, Pa. — 9/18

Aurora, Colo., & Fayetteville, N.C. — 9/19

Colorado Springs, Colo.,

Charlotte, N.C., & Manchester, N.H. — 9/21

Nashville, Tenn. — 9/23

St. Louis, Mo. — 9/24

Jackson, Tenn., & Columbia, Mo. — 9/25

Kansas City, Mo. — 9/26

Bristol, Va. — 9/28

Plymouth, Mass. — 10/1

Marlborough, Mass. — 10/3

Las Vegas, Nev., Norwich, Conn., &

Eau Claire, Wis. — 10/5

Kohler, Wis. — 10/7

Racine, Wis. — 10/9

Mankato, Minn. — 10/17

Monticello, Minn. — 10/19

Duluth, Minn. — 10/21

NRA members who are interested in attending should contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683 for details and to reserve their spots. NRA members who have access to the Internet can also click here to reserve their spots on-line. Any NRA member who is unable to contact NRA-ILA, but still wishes to attend a Workshop that is drawing near, please feel free to attend, and we can register you on the spot.

Even if you cannot attend a Workshop, or none is scheduled near you, there is still plenty you can do to help ensure victory for the pro-gun community during this election cycle. To assist you with this, NRA-ILA has designated an individual in almost every congressional district (known as an NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinator [EVC]) who stands ready to plug you into ongoing campaign activities. The EVC in your district is a fellow NRA member who is working to provide pro-gun campaigns in your state and area with volunteers to help with phone banks, literature drops, voter registration drives, precinct walks, get out the vote and election day activities, and other campaign activities. To locate your EVC so you can start working on pro-freedom campaigns TODAY, please call the ILA Grassroots at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), or click here. If your district currently has a vacancy for an EVC, and you would like to serve in this capacity, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division and ask to speak with the Grassroots Coordinator for your state.

Finally, keep an eye out for your October NRA magazine (which should arrive mid- to late-September), as your district’s EVC’s contact information will appear on the front cover. But please don’t wait until then: Contact your EVC and begin your work TODAY!

2002 GUN RIGHTS POLICY CONFERENCE

This year’s Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC), sponsored by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the Second Amendment Foundation, will be held Sept. 27-29, at the Sheraton-Crescent Hotel, in Phoenix, Ariz. Several national gun rights leaders will be in attendance, including NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. Registration, conference materials, and luncheon are free. Participants are required to pay for their own lodging, travel, and other meals. For more information, or to register for this year’s GRPC, call (425) 454-4911 or e-mail your registration to [email protected].

A LOOK AT THE STATES

CALIFORNIA:

Senate Bill 682

(Perata) and Assembly Bill 496 (Koretz)—bills that would remove the exemption for lawful firearm manufacturers from product liability lawsuits—are still on Governor Davis’s (D) desk awaiting his consideration. These bills are supported by the usual anti-gun suspects, including HCI/"Million" Mom March, who want nothing more than the complete and total destruction of our firearms heritage and view the passage of SB 682 and AB 496 as one more step to help reach their goal. NRA members and fellow sportsmen must continue to contact Governor Gray Davis at (916) 445-2841 and ask for a veto of both measures! Elsewhere in California, during its last meeting, the Los Angeles City Council failed to vote on an ordinance that would ban hunting ammunition within the city limits. This measure is still on the table, so NRA members have time to voice their opposition. If you have Internet access, you can log on to www.NRAILA.org to view the full text of the measure and locate information on how to contact council members to ask them to vote against this ordinance. You may also contact NRA-ILA Grassroots at (800) 392-8683 for more information.

NEW

JERSEY:

On Tuesday, September 10, New Jersey citizens have an extremely important opportunity to support the New Jersey limited bear hunt proposal.

Last month, New Jersey sportsmen and concerned citizens made their voices heard on the bear management issue at a joint public forum hosted by the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife and Department of Environmental Protection. Three more of these bear hunt forums have now been scheduled around the state. The first one of these forums will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, at North Warren Regional High School on Raub Road (off Lambert Road) in Blairstown. Call (908) 362-8211 or log on to www.nwr.k12.nj.us for directions. The anti-hunting crowd is expected to be in full force at this forum, so it is important that sportsmen and concerned citizens make a strong and vocal showing!

PENNSYLVANIA:

A Sportsmen’s Rally for Mike Fisher (R) for Governor is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 14, at 12 Noon at the Lawrence Township Recreational Park in Clearfield. Speakers will include: Penn. Atty. Gen. Mike Fisher, Dr. John Lott, and many national pro-Second Amendment advocates. Door Prizes will be awarded. The event is sponsored by: Bob’s Army & Navy Store, Clearfield True Value Hardware Store, Grice Gun Shop, and Jim’s Sports Center. For further details, please contact Bob’s Army & Navy Store at (814) 765-4652.

RTBAV TRAINING

NRA`s Refuse To Be A Victim^®

program provides men and women with common-sense crime prevention and personal safety strategies that can be used to decrease their chances of being victimized. Since certified instructors schedule seminars on a daily basis, the most up-to-date schedule is available by clicking here, by e-mail at [email protected], or by phone at (800) 861-1166. Upcoming seminars:

9/7/02

Seminar - Mesquite, Tex.

Mike Smith

(214) 773-3453

[email protected]

9/7/02

Seminar - Golden, Colo.

Scott Pawelka

(303) 273-3891

[email protected]

9/7-8/02

Seminar & IDW - North Versailles, Pa.