MAINTAIN YOUR PROACTIVE SUPPORT FOR S. 397 AND H.R. 800
The House Judiciary Committee recently passed H.R. 800 (the House version of the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act," and the companion bill to the Senate`s S. 397) by a vote of 22-12 and ALL proposed anti-gun amendments were defeated! This critically important legislation would protect law-abiding firearm manufacturers from reckless, predatory, and potentially bankrupting lawsuits.
The bill currently has 257 cosponsors in the House, 56 cosponsors in the Senate, and has the full support of President Bush and numerous other groups and associations.
As we continue to emphasize, it is imperative that you contact your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative and ask them to cosponsor and support S.397 and H.R. 800--without any anti-gun amendments--and put a halt to these reckless lawsuits once and for all. Again, please be sure to let your lawmakers know that you consider any votes in support of anti-gun amendments to this legislation as votes against the bill itself.
To access the most up-to-date information on this issue, and to find out if your lawmaker is a cosponsor, please go to the "Help Save America`s Firearms Industry" heading at, www.NRAILA.org. This function will allow you to easily send an e-mail or letter to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators. Please forward this link to your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners.
For additional information on effectively communicating with your lawmakers, please go to: http://www.nraila.org/CurrentLegislation/ActionAlerts/Read.aspx?ID=274 (Grassroots Alert, Vol. 12, No. 12).
You may also call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, or your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121.
UPCOMING VIRGINIA PRIMARY ELECTIONS
Virginia will hold primary elections this Tuesday, June 14. NRA members are encouraged to head 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 June 14, as well.
NRA members who have not received NRA-Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) endorsement information can visit the NRA-PVF website at www.NRAPVF.org, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) for additional candidate information.
We strongly encourage you to go to the polls on Tuesday, June 14 and support these pro-Second Amendment candidates. Voter turnout is typically very low in primary elections, so your vote could make the difference!
Be sure to "Vote Freedom First" on Tuesday, June 14!
SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR 2004 NRA-ILA VOLUNTEER AWARDS
The "NRA-ILA Jay M. Littlefield Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award" is an annual honor that recognizes an individual 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.
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.
Nominations for these honors for last year (2004) should be submitted to: NRA-ILA Volunteer Awards, c/o Jennifer Bradey, NRA-ILA Grassroots Division, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030. Nominations may also be faxed to Jennifer at (703) 267-3918, or e-mailed to [email protected]. The deadline for submissions is July 1, 2005.
DELAWARE CLUBS TO HOST NRA DAY
The Delaware State Sportsmen`s Association will sponsor "NRA Day"--a free day of gun safety and recreational shooting instruction for the entire family--tomorrow, Saturday June 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Brandywine Hundred Rod & Gun Club, located on DE Route 9 and Thorntown Road in Port Penn, Del.
"This event is an ideal opportunity for our community to learn what NRA is all about--the safe, responsible use of firearms," said John Thompson, President of the Delaware State Sportsmen`s Association, NRA`s state affiliate. "Parents and youngsters who are new to shooting can learn gun safety and basic marksmanship from NRA Certified Instructors. Those with shooting experience will get the chance to try different disciplines and socialize with other gun owners and NRA members."
"NRA Day" activities to be held include: shooting safety instruction; rifle, shotgun, and pistol shooting; plus demonstrations of cowboy action shooting and archery. All firearms, targets, ammunition, and eye and ear protection will be provided. The event is open to the public and admission is free. Refreshments will be available.
For more information, please call John Thompson at (302) 658-3070. To learn more about other NRA programs, please go to www.nrahq.org.
A LOOK AT THE STATES
(****For all of the action items below, you can find contact information for your legislators by using the "Write Your Representatives" tool at www.NRAILA.org. As always, thank you for your support****)
CALIFORNIA
Anti-gun legislation, Senate Bill 357, is expected to be heard in the Assembly Public Safety Committee on June 21. This bill would establish a program requiring serialization of handgun ammunition to be enforced by the Department of Justice. The manufacture, transfer, and possession of non-serialized handgun ammunition after July 1, 2007, would be considered a crime. SB 357 would also require ammunition vendors and manufacturers to register with the Department of Justice. Please contact members of the Committee at (916) 319-3744 and ask them to oppose SB 357. Assembly Bill 352 was voted out of the Assembly and now moves to the Senate. AB 352 would ban handguns that are not designed and equipped with an array of microscopic characters which identify the make, model, and serial number of the pistol by imprinting the characters on each cartridge case when the firearm is discharged. This legislation would outlaw handguns now commonly owned and used by California gun owners. Please contact members of the Senate, and ask them to oppose AB 352. Senate Members can be reached at (916) 651-40 (plus your 2-digit senate district number for the last two numbers). Assembly Bill 996 is expected to be considered by the Senate Public Safety Committee on June 21 at 9:30 a.m. AB 996 would require all retailers to display and sell ammunition in a manner that is only accessible by an employee, not the purchaser. Any violation of this measure would result in a misdemeanor. This bill has been voted down twice during the 2005 Legislative Session because existing law already makes it a crime to sell ammunition to a minor, or ammunition designed for a handgun to anyone less than 21 years of age. Please contact members of the Senate Public Safety Committee at (916) 651-4118 and ask them to oppose AB 996.
CONNECTICUT
The legislative session came to a dramatic close on Wednesday as House members considered a gun-related bill as the final measure of the year. SB 1133, which NRA had fiercely opposed since its introduction, would have made a felon out of anyone who had been denied a permit or certificate of eligibility and still possessed long guns. The bill was amended in the Senate on the previous evening, and all language objected to by NRA was stripped, leaving a bill that will do no more than facilitate communication between the state`s departments of Mental Health and Public Safety regarding the NICS system. The bill, which was called at 11:57 p.m., in an effort to ensure that those attempting anti-gun amendments would not have time, passed on a vote of 113 to 34 at 12: 01 a.m. Also, due to work from House members on both sides of the aisle, SB 1195, which would have made it a crime to fail to report the loss or theft of a firearm within 72 hours, failed to come to the floor for consideration. "The Gun Traffickers Protection Act" would have put law-abiding gun owners at great risk by forcing them to prove when they "knew or should have known" their firearms were missing and offered legal cover to criminals intent on illegally dealing or transferring guns. The proponents of this measure have promised they will be back with this measure next year. Also defeated this year were efforts to put local gun stores out of business, ban .50 caliber firearms, universal registration for long guns, and a ban on private transfer of long guns. These successes were due to the work of NRA members, the team work of NRA, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the Coalition of Connecticut Sportsmen, and many legislators, including Representatives Len Greene (R-105), Kevin DelGobbo (R-70), Steven Mikutel (D-45), Antonio Guerrera (D-29), Peter Panaroni (D-102), and Jack Stone (R-134), and Senators Anthony Guglielmo (R-35), Lou DeLuca (R-32), and John Kissel (R-7). If you live in any of these districts, please be sure to call these legislators and thank them for their work to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
LOUISIANA
Thanks to your phone calls and e-mails this week, the sponsor of HB 726, a proposed tax on the sale of all ammunition in the state, pulled the bill down from further consideration during a meeting of the House Ways and Means Committee. Gun owners and sportsmen were also successful in beating back SB 319, a proposed ban on certain semi-automatic firearms, when the sponsor of that bill withdrew it from the files of the Senate earlier this session.
MISSOURI
The U.S. Corps of Engineers is currently considering the construction of a new levy in the St. Peters, Mo., area of the Mississippi River floodplain. The construction of such a levy could negatively impact this critical wetland habitat area. Of particular concern to hunters and sportsmen, it has been estimated that 65% of the migratory waterfowl in the United States pass through this area of the Mississippi River floodplain each year. Construction and development that alters the natural passage of water in this area could have a major impact on the migration patterns of countless birds. In fact, the health of an entire species could be imperiled by changes in the floodplain. Since the Mississippi River floodplain is of such significance to wildlife that not only live in Missouri, but that travel across the North American Continent, it is critically important that the necessary steps are taken to ensure that this vital habitat is not unnecessarily destroyed. Please contact both the Missouri Department of Natural Resources at (800) 361-4827 (or via e-mail at: [email protected]), and the Missouri Department of Conservation at (573) 751-4115, and request that an environmental impact study (EIS) be conducted prior to the construction of the new levy in the St. Peters Mississippi River floodplain area to determine how such changes may affect the wildlife habitat.
OKLAHOMA
On June 9, Governor Brad Henry (D) signed into law House Bill 1243, providing employers and employees legal protection if a gun is taken from an employee`s vehicle and used to commit a crime. HB 1243 also provides a means of civilly enforcing the existing statute, which prohibits an employer from banning the lawful storage of firearms in an employee`s locked vehicle. For further details of this measure, please visit www.lsb.state.ok.us. A special thank you goes out to Governor Henry for his support of the bill, and to Representative Greg Piatt (R-48) for his dedication and persistence. We would also like to thank Senator Jay Paul Gumm (D-6), the Senate sponsor, with final thanks to Speaker Todd Hiett (R-29) and Senate Pro Tempore Mike Morgan (D-21), for bringing the bill to the floor for its final vote.
OREGON
The "Salem Friends of NRA" cordially invites you to attend their NRA Dinner and auction fundraiser Saturday, June 18 at 5:00 p.m. The dinner will take place at The Eagles Lodge, located at 2771 Pence Loop SE, in Salem. Seating is limited and it is expected to be a sold-out event, so get your tickets early! There will be a live auction, silent auction, special drawings, and door prizes. Prizes include limited edition firearms, custom knives, and NRA Commissioned Art. Banquet tickets are $35.00 each. For additional information on tickets, event sponsorships, contributions, or to assist the committee, please call Jim Jacobe at (503) 931-1629 or Wendy Coombs at (503) 871-0634.
NEVADA
In a letter, dated March 15, four Nevada Sheriffs and one Police Chief lent their names to an effort opposing H.R. 800--federal legislation to end reckless lawsuits against the gun industry. Anti-gun organizations such as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Handgun Violence and the Million Mom March have posted the letter on their websites as a way to garner key support for their efforts. It is vital that NRA members contact law enforcement officials and ask them to remove their names from the H.R. 800 opposition letter. Please make the call today! For contact information please call NRA-ILA Grassroots at (800) 392-8683.
NEW YORK
With the end of the legislative session drawing near, lawmakers in Albany have many gun-related measures pending before them. In the Senate are A 673, which creates the crimes of failure to store a firearm "safely" and criminally negligent storage of a firearm; A 2302, which would prohibit the retail sale of a handgun that does not contain a "child proofing" or integrated safety device; A 4471/S 2590, which would ban the sale, use, and possession of .50 caliber firearms; A 2345, which would impose new restrictions on firearm dealers; and A 2466 and S 5504, two bills which would expand the state`s ban on so-called assault weapons. Please contact your State Senator TODAY and urge him/her to oppose all of the above measures! You can reach your Senator by calling (518) 455-2800. A 4853A, which would allow the use of rifles for hunting in certain parts of the state, and A 6608, which would exempt shooting ranges already in existence from new local noise ordinances, are two NRA-supported measures pending in the Assembly. Please contact your Assemblymembers today and urge him/her to support A 4853/S 918A and A 6608! Your Assemblymember can be reached by calling (518) 455-4100. Also, you are invited to join NRA Recruiter and ILA FrontLines™ volunteer Charlie Olsen as he hosts a FREE viewing of "The Great U.N. Gun Debate" between NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre and Rebecca Peters of the International Action Network on Small Arms. This historic debate will be shown on June 15, at 7:00 p.m., at the VFW Post 5088, Elm Street, in Cobleskill, NY, 12043. For more information, please contact Charlie Olsen at 518-284-2609. Finally, please make plans to join NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinator (EVC) Rich Mullin (NY-22), and fellow NRA activists for a volunteer meeting on June 18, at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at Gander Mountain in the Seminar Room, located at 528 Harry L. Drive, Johnson City, NY, 13790. Please call Rich Mullin at (607) 757-9657, or e-mail David Decker at [email protected] with any questions.
SOUTH CAROLINA
This week, Governor Mark Sanford (R) signed S 654 into law. This NRA-supported legislation eliminated the requirement that law-abiding citizens fill out state-mandated paperwork when purchasing a handgun from a licensed dealer. With last year`s repeal of the one-handgun-a-month law, this paperwork requirement was simply unnecessary.
