ATTEND TOWN HALL MEETINGS--
CONTINUE TO VOICE OPPOSITION
TO EXTENSION OF GUN BAN
Congress will return from its Summer District Work Period on September 7. That means that the gun-banners have just a few more working days left to push for an extension of the Clinton gun ban before it "sunsets" one month from today. With time running out, we must remain vigilant against any attempts to reauthorize this legislation. As we count down the remaining days, it is critical that we remain active!
During this recess, many of your Senators and Representatives 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 hold discussions with their constituents. These meetings afford you an opportunity to personally voice your strong opposition to any legislation that seeks to reenact or expand the 1994 Clinton gun ban.
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 are able to meet with them, it is critical that you ask your Senators and your Representative to oppose any legislation that seeks to reauthorize the Clinton gun ban. Also, if, during these meetings, you learn of any important positions your lawmakers have on firearm-related issues--especially regarding the Clinton gun ban--please contact the Grassroots Division and let us know.
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 staffs in their district offices to discuss these issues, and share any intelligence with us.
For a current list of these meetings, please visit www.NRAILA.org, choose "Get Involved Locally," and then click the "Event Calendar."
NRA-ILA APPLAUDS NEW NORTH CAROLINA LAW
North Carolina`s Right-to-Carry permit holders are no longer required to complete an additional license application and background check before purchasing a handgun, thanks to a new law (HB 817) signed by Governor Mike Easley (D) and supported by NRA-ILA.
"HB 817 eliminates a duplicative requirement, making the process easier for permit holders and law enforcement," said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox. "This law recognizes that Right-to-Carry permit holders should not be inconvenienced for being the most responsible and law-abiding citizens in North Carolina."
North Carolina Right-to-Carry permit applicants must pass an extensive background check and complete a firearm safety training course before receiving their permit to carry. Less than one percent of Right-to-Carry permits have been revoked for any reason in the 38 states with such laws. Despite the unfounded predictions of "wild west" shoot-outs from the gun control lobby, states with Right-to-Carry laws have lower violent crime rates across the board.
"I would like to recognize Governor Easley and the North Carolina General Assembly, especially bill sponsors, Representatives Mark K. Hilton (R-88) and Wayne Sexton, Sr. (R-66), for their efforts. Also, a special thanks is extended to the gun owners and NRA members who wrote and called in support of this legislation," concluded Cox.
ILA ANNOUNCES ITS AWARD WINNERS FOR 2003
Each year, NRA-ILA acknowledges the outstanding efforts in defense of our freedom of a select group of individuals and an organization. The ILA volunteer award winners for the year 2003 are:
Jay M. Littlefield Memorial NRA-ILA Volunteer of the Year winners: Larry Deptula (Mo.) and Jim Johnson (Penn.). NRA-ILA Volunteer Organization of the Year Award: Ohioans for Concealed Carry (Ohio).
Larry is the NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinator (EVC) for Missouri`s Ninth Congressional District, where he has served since 2002. U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.) nominated him personally for this award. Larry participates with other Missouri EVCs in conference calls directly with Senator Talent to discuss current firearm-related legislative efforts, and other issues of importance to gun owners. He is also active in state and local legislative activities.
Jim Johnson joined the EVC program in March 2003, and quickly took helm of the EVC program in Pennsylvania`s Sixth Congressional District, dividing the district into seven regions and then further dividing each region into seven areas, with each area under its own coordinator. Jim has recruited hundreds of volunteers at gun shows in southeast Pennsylvania from various states over the past year, including as far away as Georgia. He`s an avid letter writer to various news organizations and his letters have been published in The New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer.
Finally, Ohioans for Concealed Carry (OFCC) were instrumental in the passage of the state`s historic Right-to-Carry law, through its formation of a coalition of groups, businesses, and organizations (including NRA) that supported Right-to-Carry. The organization also fought in the courts, as a plaintiff in a lawsuit that ultimately led the Ohio Supreme Court to declare "open carry" a fundamental right. Additionally, OFCC organized "Defense Walks" in support of Right-to-Carry including the Tony Gordon Memorial "Defense Walk" dedicated to Tony Gordon who was killed in August 2003 in an attempted car-jacking, while his 13-year-old nephew was in the car. OFCC established a memorial fund for his nephew and two-year-old daughter. If you wish to make a donation to the Tony Gordon Memorial Fund, checks should be made out to "Phyllis Jean Gordon, Dayton, Ohio" and may be deposited at any Bank One location, or mailed to: Bank One, 260 East Dayton-Yellow Springs Road, Dayton, OH, 45324. To donate online, visit www.ohioccw.org and click on Tony`s picture.
We know you all join us in congratulating these individuals and Ohioans for Concealed Carry for their tireless defense of the Second Amendment. Congratulations to all!
NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS ELECTION WORKSHOPS
With the 2004 elections in full swing, 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:
-Charleston, South Carolina 8/17/04
-Charlotte, North Carolina 8/19/04
-New Bern, North Carolina 8/21/04
-Aurora, Colorado 8/26/04
-Grand Junction, Colorado 8/28/04
-Augusta, Maine 8/28/04
-Savannah, Georgia 9/18/04
-Soldotna, Alaska 9/23/04
-Anchorage, Alaska 9/25/04
-Burnsville, Minnesota 9/25/04
-Wasilla, Alaska 9/27/04
-Monticello, Minnesota 9/28/04
-Fairbanks, Alaska 9/29/04
-Bellevue, Washington 9/30/04
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.
A LOOK AT THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
SB 1733, the proposed ban on gun shows at San Francisco`s state-owned Cow Palace failed to pass the Assembly on Thursday. The bill was defeated by a 38-36 vote, three votes shy of a 41-vote majority. Unfortunately, the bill was granted reconsideration and could be voted upon anytime. AB 50, the bill to ban the sale and possession of .50 caliber rifles was passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and will head to the Senate floor. SB1140, the bill that would make it a crime if a minor gains access to your firearm with or without your permission passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and is going to the Assembly floor. Please contact your Assemblyman and Senator and ask him to vote "NO" on the preceding legislation. You can find contact information regarding your legislator by using the "Write Your Representatives" feature at www.NRAILA.org.
ILLINOIS
On Thursday, August 19, the Village of Woodridge will hold a Board Meeting to discuss Proposed Resolution No. R63-2004, which would "Urge Congress and President Bush to Reauthorize and Strengthen the Federal Assault Weapons Ban." Please plan on attending this meeting and voicing your opposition to this resolution. This Board Meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., August 19, and will take place in the Werch Board Room, Village Hall, Five Plaza Drive, Woodridge, IL, 60517. You can also contact the Village Board Members via e-mail at [email protected].
MAINE
National animal rights groups, led by the Humane Society of the United States, have organized and funded a ballot initiative for the November 2 election that would ban the three traditional methods of bear hunting--baiting, hunting with dogs, and trapping. These groups routinely use ballot measures to curtail hunting throughout the country and have been successful in several states, including banning all trapping in neighboring Massachusetts. Please be sure to encourage your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen to vote "NO" on this initiative in the November 2 election. Please note: In opposition to the anti-bear hunting ballot initiative question on the November 2 ballot, NRA-ILA is hosting a FREE Grassroots-Election Workshop in Augusta on August 28. The Workshop and related materials, including food & drink, are FREE! At the Workshop, you will hear from the only pro-freedom U.S. Representative in the Pine Tree State, U.S. Representative Michael Michaud (D), as he discusses the effects of this referendum in your state. You will also 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 try 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, August 28, from 9:00 a.m. - Noon, at the Holiday Inn Augusta-Civic Center, 110 Community Drive, Augusta (hotel phone number: 207-622-4751). Registration and breakfast will be from 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. To reserve a 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).
MISSISSIPPI
Since the state`s new Right-to-Carry Reciprocity law sponsored by Representative Warner McBride (D-Courtland) and Senator Walter Michel (R-Jackson) took effect on July 1, Mississippi has negotiated reciprocal agreements with the following states: Alaska, Colorado, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Utah. We`ll keep you posted on future progress by the Mississippi Highway Patrol on such agreements.
TEXAS
This week, Governor Rick Perry (R) signed a Concealed Handgun License reciprocal agreement with the state of Idaho, to take effect immediately. The agreement had been negotiated by the office of Attorney General Greg Abbott (R), who was given authority to negotiate such agreements through legislation sponsored by Representative Jack Stick (R-Austin) and Senator Craig Estes (R-Wichita Falls) during the 2003 Texas Legislative session. Governor Perry also signed agreements with the States of Utah and Mississippi; those documents await signature by the appropriate authorities in those states.
WYOMING
The Wyoming Primary Election is Tuesday, August 17. Please go to the polls and vote for those candidates who support our "Right to Keep and Bear Arms." And please be sure to encourage your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to vote on August 17 as well.
