S. 397 UPDATE
As we reported last week, thanks to your great efforts, the U.S. Senate passed S. 397--the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act"--by a strong bipartisan vote of 65-31! This action represents a MAJOR first step toward ending the anti-gun lobby's extreme and immoderate attempts to bankrupt the firearm industry through reckless, predatory lawsuits, and was a ground breaking step forward for law-abiding firearm manufacturers, retailers and owners in this country.
There has been some discussion this week concerning two amendments to S. 397. The first, by Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.), requires federally licensed dealers to provide a "secure gun storage or safety device" with the sale/transfer of every handgun (it does not apply to long guns). The measure, which passed by a vote of 70-30, does not require gun owners to use the device, does not apply to private transfers, and does not create any new civil liability for gun owners who choose not to use these storage devices. Virtually all new handguns today are sold with some type of secure storage or safety device. The amendment has no significant impact on current law.
The other amendment, by Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), passed by a margin of 87-11, and was offered this year (as it was in 2004) in a successful attempt to defeat Sen. Edward Kennedy's "armor piercing" ammunition amendment that would have banned all centerfire rifle ammunition. By providing an alternative to Sen. Kennedy's amendment, pro-gun senators were able to marshal the votes to defeat the Kennedy amendment.
Here's what this amendment does:
* The amendment (section 6 of the bill) restates the existing prohibition (in 18 USC Sec. 922(a)) on manufacture, or on sale by manufacturers, of "armor piercing ammunition," except for government use, for export, or for use in testing or experimentation authorized by the Attorney General. This law has been in effect for nearly two decades.
* It increases the mandatory minimum sentence for the use of "armor piercing ammunition" in a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime. Use of armor piercing ammunition in a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime is already a federal offense punishable by 5 years in prison; the amendment increases the penalty to 15 years, and authorizes the death penalty if the ammunition is used in a murder.
* It directs the Attorney General to conduct a study "to determine whether a uniform standard for the testing of projectiles against Body Armor is feasible." In fact, we know such a standard is "feasible" because the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has been testing projectiles against body armor since the early 1970s, and has regularly written and updated the standards for testing projectiles against armor. NIJ's research has saved lives by improving the design and manufacture of body armor. (NIJ standards and background information are available online at http://www.justnet.org/testing/bodyarmor.html.)
Here's what this amendment does not do:
* The amendment does not give the Attorney General (or anyone else) any new authority to ban ammunition.
* The amendment does not change the definition of "armor piercing ammunition." Under current law (18 USC Sec. 921(a)(17)(B)), ammunition is only "armor piercing" if it has a bullet that "may be used in a handgun" and that is made entirely from certain hard metals such as tungsten, steel, bronze or depleted uranium; or if the bullet is "designed and intended for use in a handgun" and has a jacket that weighs more than 25% of the weight of the projectile. The current definition has been in place for more than 12 years.
* The amendment does not create any kind of new ammunition ban. The only ammunition that is banned as "armor piercing" is ammunition that fits the current definition, and neither the amendment nor the study would change the definition.
As you know, the fight now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives, so it is critical that you once again contact your U.S. Representative and urge him/her to pass S. 397!
Members should also express their gratitude to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Senator Minority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and bill sponsors Sens. Larry Craig and Max Baucus (D-Mont.) for their leadership and stewardship on S. 397.
(For a list of roll call votes on these amendments and final passage of S. 397, please go to www.NRAILA.org. Take note of how your Senators voted, and please thank those who voted in support of gun owners and let those who voted against our rights know that you will keep their votes in mind when they are up for re-election. BE SURE TO ALSO ATTEND ANY OF YOUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE'S TOWN HALL MEETINGS DURING THE "SUMMER DISTRICT WORK PERIOD" [Aug. 1-Sept. 5] and encourage him/her to bring up and pass S. 397 as soon as possible.)
ST. LOUIS NAMED SITE FOR NRA's
136th ANNUAL MEETINGS & EXHIBITS
The NRA announced this week it will hold its 136th Annual Meetings and Exhibits in St. Louis, April 13-17, 2007. During the weekend convention, America's Center will be filled with more than 60,000 people exploring five acres of guns, hunting equipment and outdoor gear.
"St. Louis truly is the gateway to the heartland of America and thousands of NRA members and supporters," said NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. "The Second Amendment stands at the gateway of freedom and there is no better place to celebrate freedom than St. Louis."
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt welcomed the announcement. "This is great news. Missourians believe in protecting the Second Amendment. I am delighted that the National Rifle Association has selected St. Louis as the host city for their 136th Annual Meetings and Exhibits," said Governor Blunt. "This major national event will bring a significant economic boon for hotels, restaurants, and other merchants. NRA members will experience the superior hospitality of the fine folks of the ‘Show-Me' state. I look forward to welcoming the 60,000 plus NRA members and their families to the magnificent city of St. Louis."
LaPierre noted several reasons for selecting St. Louis as the 2007 NRA convention site. The city is centrally located within a day's drive of 1/3 of the U.S. population and 300 miles of 400,000 NRA members. Ample hotel space, new downtown development, and a multitude of visitor services were also key elements in the decision.
"This has the potential to be the largest convention in NRA history," LaPierre said. "We appreciate the warm welcome and excitement of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau, and look forward to an outstanding weekend in 2007 in this great city."
Last April, the NRA convention in Houston drew nearly 60,000 NRA members, boosting the local economy by an estimated $20 million. In 2006, the event is scheduled to be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
ALERT US TO AND ATTEND
TOWN HALL MEETINGS!
Congress will be out for its "Summer District Work Period" through September 5. 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 S. 397--the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act," and S. 1082 and H.R. 1288--the Senate and House versions of the "District of Columbia Personal Protection Act." 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 U.S. Representative To Cosponsor And Support S. 397; And Urge Your U.S. Senators And Representative To Cosponsor And Support S. 1082/H.R. 1288.
In addition to attending 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].
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!
Information can only be put to good use if it is received in a timely manner. Our campaign to ensure readers of the Grassroots Alert switch from receiving the newsletter by fax to e-mail is paying off! However, we still have thousands of Grassroots Alert recipients who receive the weekly Alert via fax. If you have an e-mail address, but you still receive the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert every Friday via fax, we encourage you to switch over to our e-mail system. We can send e-mail instantly, at virtually no cost, while each fax incurs the cost of a long distance call, not to mention your cost in paper. E-mail also allows you more flexibility in relaying our information to others whom you know, but who aren't on our e-mail list. If you would like to switch to e-mail delivery, just go to www.NRAILA.org, then follow the instructions through the link called "Sign Up For E-mail." Once you start receiving the Alert via e-mail, please call the Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683, and let us know so we can take you off the fax system.
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.****)
OHIO
Come out to the Lorain County Fair and meet your NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinator (EVC) at the NRA Volunteer Tent! OH-09 EVC Emory King is hosting the first ever NRA Volunteer Tent at the fair, which runs from Monday, August 22-Sunday, August 28. The fair is located on Fairgrounds Road a half-mile west of the center of Wellington, Ohio, at Routes 58 & 18. Emory is an NRA member who, in his volunteer leadership capacity as EVC, works with and organizes volunteers to affect firearm-related legislation in Ohio and on Capitol Hill. He also assists pro-gun candidates with phone banks, literature drops, voter registration drives, precinct walks, and other campaign activities. For information, questions, or to help out at the tent, please contact EVC Emory King at (440) 647-4299 or via e-mail at [email protected]. (Fair details, such as hours and events, can be found at www.loraincountyfair.com.) Please be sure to stop by the NRA Volunteer Tent to meet your EVC and learn how you can make a difference in the gun control debate. Emory is also looking for volunteers to help out at the tent for a few hours, so please contact Emory and ask how you can help make the NRA Volunteer Tent a huge success!
VIRGINIA
On Tuesday, August 9, 2005, a public hearing will be held on a proposed Nelson County anti-gun noise ordinance that was tentatively passed by the Board of Supervisors at an "emergency" meeting held in late June. As it is currently proposed, this noise ordinance would negatively impact law-abiding hunters and sport shooters in Nelson County. Please plan on attending the public hearing next Tuesday, August 9, and voice your opposition to the Board of Supervisors' direct attack on your fundamental rights and this misguided noise ordinance. The meeting will be held at the Nelson County Courthouse in Lovingston, and the public comment period will begin at 7:30 p.m. Please be sure to alert your fellow hunters, sportsmen, and Second Amendment supporters!
