ALERT US TO, AND ATTEND,
TOWN HALL MEETINGS!
Congress is currently on its Summer District Work Period until early next month. During this time, your Senators and Representative will be back home in their respective states and districts. Many lawmakers use this time to hold town hall meetings, where they can report on what they`ve been doing in Washington, and take questions from their constituents. These meetings offer a tremendous opportunity for you to personally voice your strong support for the Senate reckless lawsuit prohibition bill (S. 659), and your staunch opposition to legislation that seeks to reauthorize and expand the 1994 Clinton gun ban (S. 1034, S. 1431, and H.R. 2038). Please contact your lawmakers` district offices and ask when they plan to hold their town hall meetings during the break. If you do not know the number for your lawmakers` district offices, you can use the "Write Your Representatives" tool at www.NRAILA.org, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683.
If you get a chance to meet with your lawmakers, be sure to:
Urge Your Senators To Cosponsor And Support S. 659 and to oppose S. 1034 and S. 1431 which expand the Clinton Gun Ban. Encourage Your U.S. Representative to Oppose H.R. 2038, The House Bill To Vastly Expand The Clinton Gun Ban.
In addition to attending town hall meetings and speaking out in support of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms, please forward the dates, times, and locations of any town hall meetings to your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners, and to the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division, so we may compile this information and share it with the pro-gun community. Please forward this information to the Grassroots Division by calling (800) 392-8683, by faxing to (703) 267-3918, or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. Also, please take advantage of this recess to try and schedule personal meetings with your lawmakers and/or their staff in their district offices to discuss these issues.
To find townhall meetings in your area go to http://www.nraila.org/calendar.asp.
ACTION STILL NEEDED ON
TOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY
As you`ve read numerous times in the Grassroots Alert, one of NRA-ILA`s top legislative priorities in Congress is the passage of a federal law to block reckless, predatory lawsuits against the firearm industry. The passage of S. 659—the Senate bill to end reckless lawsuits—is critically important. As the U.S. Senate continues its consideration of this crucial legislation, we cannot over-emphasize the need for you to remain actively engaged in ensuring its passage. It is imperative that you continue to contact your U.S. Senators in support of S. 659 and urge them to do everything in their power to end these meritless lawsuits and ensure that this essential legislation is approved. Let your Senators know that it is crucial they cosponsor and support S. 659. Also, please urge them to support the will of the majority by working to derail the filibuster that anti-gun Senators have threatened to launch in a last-ditch attempt to defeat S. 659.
Also, as noted in the lead story, please continue to communicate with your U.S. Representative and your Senators, and urge them to oppose current legislation seeking to reauthorize and expand the 1994 Clinton gun ban—H.R. 2038, S. 1431, and S. 1034, respectively. Please remember that for all of the above-mentioned action items, you can find contact information for your elected officials (including their district office contact information) by using the "Write Your Representatives" tool at www.NRAILA.org, or you can call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121 and your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121. Once you have taken this action, please be sure to forward this information to your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners, and strongly encourage them to contact their lawmakers as well.
A LOOK AT THE STATES
MISSOURI
After the legislative session this year, Governor Bob Holden (D) vetoed two bills—HB 349, Right to Carry, and SB 13, Reckless Lawsuit Preemption—despite the fact that both passed both the Senate and House by overwhelming majorities. HB 349 and SB 13 will next be considered in early September, when the Legislature will hold a special session. It is critical that you contact your legislators in Jefferson City before early September, and tell them that law-abiding Missourians expect them to override the Governor`s action on these bills. You can contact your Senator at (573) 751-3824 and your Representative at (573) 751-3659.
NEW YORK
The Sportsmen`s Association for Firearms Education, Inc. (S.A.F.E.), will host the 2003 Right to Carry Conference and Second Amendment Rally on Sunday, October 5, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Doors will open at 12:00 noon. The rally will be held at the Sheraton Long Island, 110 Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, Smithtown, N.Y. (on Motor Parkway on North side of LIE between exits 53 & 55). Be sure to come out and get the latest updates on the Right to Carry, and hear guest speakers raise issues and give information you won`t hear anywhere else! Valuable prizes will be offered in drawings limited to attendees only. This is an excellent opportunity to meet and network with fellow sportsmen concerning our civil rights, and to raise issues of concern with local and national leaders of Second Amendment organizations and local legislators. In attendance will be: NRA Executive Vice President Wayne R. LaPierre, Jr.; the Honorable Bob Barr, former member, U.S. House of Representatives; NRA President Kayne B. Robinson; Law Enforcement Alliance of America Executive Director Jim Fotis; NRA First Vice President Sandra Froman; and S.A.F.E. President, and NRA Board Member, John L. Cushman. Admission and parking are free, and family and friends are welcome. The S.A.F.E. and Women on Target are sponsoring a Women`s Only Clinic on Rifle Shooting on Long Island, to be held on Saturday, October 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon or 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Long Island Shooting Center Indoor Range, 130 Freeman Avenue, Islip, N.Y. Experienced instructors will be on hand. This clinic is free and open to all women, regardless of experience. You will learn safe gun handling skills, proper firearm storage techniques, and fundamentals of marksmanship. The program includes free coffee and Danish, a firearms safety class, all ammunition and targets, use of .22 caliber rifles, and all safety equipment. Pre-registration is required by September 21, because space is limited. For more information, please contact John L. Cushman at (631) 475-8125.
NEW JERSEY
The Salem County Sportsman Club and South Jersey Sportsman, Inc., will host NRA Day—a free day of gun safety and recreational shooting instruction for the entire family—on August 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The club is located on Route 40, three miles east of Exit 1 off the New Jersey Turnpike. NRA Day activities to be held include rifle, handgun, and shotgun shooting, plus a youth air gun range for children with adult supervision. The South Jersey Arms Collectors will also hold a special exhibit, Firearms of America, featuring a number of historically significant firearms from the Kentucky Rifle to the M1. All firearms, targets, ammunition, and eye and ear protection will be provided. The event is open to the public and admission is free. Food and drink will be available. For more information, call Bob Viden at (856) 881-7575.
