NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS ELECTION WORKSHOPS
In preparation for the 2004 elections, NRA-ILA is hosting FREE Grassroots-Election Workshops across the country. These Workshops provide NRA members with training on what they can do locally to propel pro-gun candidates to victory in 2004. The meetings also provide a venue for lawmakers, candidates, 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:
-South Portland, Maine —5/1/04
(see additional details under "A LOOK AT THE STATES")
-Allentown, Pennsylvania—5/20/04
-Reading, Pennsylvania—5/22/04
NRA members who are interested in attending should contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) for details and to reserve their seats. NRA members who have access to the Internet can also go to www.nraila.org/workshops/ to reserve their seats on-line.
SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR
2003 NRA-ILA VOLUNTEER AWARDS
The "Jay M. Littlefield Memorial NRA-ILA Volunteer of the Year Award" is an annual honor that recognizes an NRA member who demonstrates exceptionally meritorious activism in defense of our Second Amendment rights. Similarly, the "NRA-ILA Volunteer Organization of the Year Award" is bestowed upon a group that has gone above and beyond the call of duty in defending our freedom over the past year. Nominations for these honors for last year (2003) should be submitted to:
NRA-ILA Volunteer Awards
c/o Suzie Roulette
NRA-ILA Grassroots Division
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
Fax to Suzie at (703) 267-3918
[email protected]
All nominations must be submitted by NRA members in good standing and be accompanied by a one page description of why the nominee is deserving. Winners will be selected by NRA-ILA staff, and will be acknowledged at this Fall`s NRA Board of Directors Meeting. The deadline for submissions is July 1, 2004.
GET YOUR NRA-ILA VISA® CARD,
AND DEFEND THE SECOND AMENDMENT WITH EVERY PURCHASE!
As a proud supporter of NRA`s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), you can now carry the card that shows your support with every purchase. The NRA-ILA Platinum Edition® Visa Card offers you a LOW introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers, and with each purchase, you will help support NRA-ILA`s efforts to protect the Second Amendment!
The NRA-ILA Platinum Edition® Visa Card features include:
* No annual fee;
* No balance transfer transaction fees;
* Make your credit card payment on-line—FREE;
* On-Line account access—24 hours a day, seven days a week;
* Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty;
*A portion of every purchase you make with your NRA-ILA Platinum Edition® Visa Card is given back to support NRA`s Institute for Legislative Action!
For additional information, or to apply, please call (866) NRA-VISA ext. 44200.
NRA ANNUAL MEETINGS & EXHIBITS
The 133rd NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits are taking place this weekend in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We will give an full update on the activities next week for those who were unable to attend.
A LOOK AT THE STATES
ILLINOIS
The Legislature will be back in session next week, and Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) will almost certainly be promoting Chicago Mayor Richard Daley`s (D) proposed ban on semi-automatic firearms. It is critical that you contact your state Legislators and urge them to oppose any gun bans. We can also expect Governor Blagojevich to begin promoting legislation that would seek to establish a registration scheme for all guns. Please be sure to let your lawmakers know this invasion of privacy and attack on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms is unacceptable. Alternatively, there are pro-gun bills to promote. HB 3989 is pending in the Senate, and SB 2163 is awaiting action in the House. These bills seek to lower from 21 to 18 the age at which law-abiding Illinois citizens can sign for their own Firearms Owners Identification (FOID) Cards. Also, the House could soon vote on SB 2165, which seeks to provide an affirmative defense for a gun owner if he uses a firearm prohibited by local ordinance in defense of himself or others, and SB 2386, which seeks to prohibit civil suits against a gun owner who uses a firearm to defend himself or others. In addition, the Senate may take action on HB 4075, which is the House version of SB 2165. Please contact your state lawmakers and urge them to support these pro-gun reforms, and ask them to oppose any efforts to ban firearms or register your guns. The Senate can be reached by calling (217) 782-4517, and the House can be reached at 217-782-8223. Finally, please call the Governor, at (217) 782-6830, and urge him to drop his anti-gun agenda.
KANSAS
HB 2798, the "Personal and Family Protection Act," will provide law-abiding gun owners the ability to protect themselves and their loved ones. This bill passed the House and Senate and is now heading to the Governor`s desk. Please contact Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D) at (785) 296-3232 and respectfully urge her to support HB 2798 and the right of law-abiding Kansans to defend themselves. Also, please contact your legislators at (785) 296-2391 and thank them for supporting HB 2798.
LOUISIANA
Please continue spreading the word to fellow gun owners and sportsmen, alerting them to the anti-gun bills that have been introduced in the House, including:
- HB 241, requiring the creation of a "ballistic imaging" database for every handgun sold in the state;
- HB 243, requiring all handguns to be registered with the state after purchase;
- HB 244, a Louisiana version of the Clinton gun ban, which actually affects more firearms and would require current owners of any gun falling under the ban to register them with the state and obtain a license to lawfully keep them; and
- HB 245, banning private firearms transfers at gun shows
All these measures have been referred to the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee, which is expected to hold hearings on the bills the last week of April or first week of May. You can find a list of committee members at http://house.louisiana.gov/H-Reps/cjcommittee.asp. Please contact committee members at (225) 342-6945 and urge them to oppose all of these bills.
MAINE
In opposition to an anti-bear hunting ballot initiative question on the November 2, 2004, ballot, NRA-ILA is hosting a FREE Grassroots-Election Workshop in South Portland on May 1. The Workshop and related materials, including food & drink, are FREE! At the Workshop, you will hear from organizations in Maine that are working to protect your sporting and outdoors traditions, NRA-ILA representatives, and NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinators (EVCs) on what you can do locally to ensure this initiative is defeated on Election Day. Your EVC is a local NRA member who is working closely with NRA-ILA to defeat this bear initiative by providing critically-needed volunteer support for a variety of activities. Rest assured, anti-hunting extremists are already working full force in the Pine Tree State to ensure the passage of this initiative. We must be prepared to defeat their efforts at every turn! The Workshop will be held on Saturday, May 1, from 9:00 a.m. - Noon, at the South Portland Marriott, 200 Sable Oaks Drive, South Portland. Registration and breakfast will be from 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. For additional information, please call (207) 871-8000. To reserve your seat, please visit http://www.nraila.org/workshops/. To register by phone or for more information, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683).
MARYLAND
The 2004 Maryland General Assembly ended without the passage of any anti-gun legislation. SB 288/HB 1298, the Maryland "Assault Weapons" Ban of 2004, was defeated in the Senate Judicial Proceeding Committee, and was never consider by either the full House or Senate. Many thanks to all Maryland NRA members who attended Committee hearings, wrote or called their legislators, and made their opinions known in Annapolis this session. It is through your hard work and tireless efforts that gun owners were victorious in stopping the so-called "Assault Weapons" Ban.
MISSISSIPPI
This week, the Senate Judiciary B Committee reported out HB 989, the NRA-backed Right-to-Carry reciprocity bill, which requires Mississippi to recognize carry permits from any state that recognizes Mississippi permits. HB 989 now moves to the full Senate for final approval. Also, the House Ways & Means Committee reported out SB 2623, the NRA-supported measure creating a specialized NRA license plate and directing fees from such plates to the NRA Foundation State Account for Mississippi, and the House gave final approval to the bill later in the week. SB 2623 now moves to Governor Haley Barbour (R) for his signature.
MISSOURI
On Wednesday, April 21, NRA-affiliate Missouri Sports Shooting Association (MSSA), Western Missouri Shooters Alliance (WMSA), Missourians for Personal Safety, and Gateway Civil Liberties Alliance are sponsoring their 12th Annual Statewide Gun Rights Rally Day in Jefferson City. The event will be held at the capital building`s Rotunda from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Following the Rally, attendees will be meeting with their legislators from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. For information regarding bus transportation to the Rally, please contact Cee Cee Cuba at (636) 861-9265. For additional Rally information and updates, please contact Gil Pyles at (314) 346-8629.
VIRGINIA
This week Governor Mark Warner signed a series of NRA backed bills that were passed by the Virginia Legislature. As a group, the bills make dramatic improvements to the Virginia`s gun laws. Among the pro-Second Amendment legislation signed into law is HB 404, sponsored by Delegate Bill Janis, which exempts holders of valid Right-to-Carry permits from the limitation of buying only one handgun a month. The bill also exempts purchases made by collectors for the purposes of improving their collection. HB 1144 and HB 1302, sponsored respectively by Delegate Bob McDonnell and Delegate Scott Lingamfelter, made needed improvements to the laws governing firearm purchases by removing unnecessary restrictions on residents of the Commonwealth. Four additional bills made changes to strengthen preemption laws and eliminate onerous local firearm ordinances. And, Virginia broadly expanded the number of states whose Right-to-Carry permits it will recognize. Please visit http://www.nraila.org/CurrentLegislation/Read.aspx?ID=1068 for a complete list of these bills.
