D.C. PERSONAL PROTECTION ACT A TOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY
One of NRA-ILA's top legislative priorities in Congress continues to be the passage of S. 1082 and H.R. 1288--the Senate and House versions of the "District of Columbia Personal Protection Act." This legislation seeks to restore the constitutionally-guaranteed Second Amendment rights of the residents of the District of Columbia.
The need for this legislation is obvious. While effectively banning handgun ownership for over a quarter-century, Washington, D.C. consistently has one of the highest homicide rates in the nation. "D.C.'s politicians have stripped law-abiding residents of their ability to defend themselves and their families," said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox. "Passage of the ‘District of Columbia Personal Protection Act' will remedy this senseless and dangerous injustice."
Please be sure to contact your U.S. Senators and Representative and ask them to cosponsor and support S. 1082 and H.R. 1288.
For a list of Senate cosponsors, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN01082:@@@P.
For a list of House cosponsors, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR01288:@@@P.
You can call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, or your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121.
VIRGINIA & NEW JERSEY ELECTION ALERT
On Tuesday, November 8, Virginia and New Jersey will hold elections. NRA members in these states 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 urge your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to vote on November 8, as well.
For up-to-the-minute campaign information, and to see what you can do to help elect pro-Second Amendment candidates, members are strongly encouraged to visit the NRA-Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) website, www.NRAPVF.org. The site is loaded with all of the critical information you'll need to make informed decisions on Election Day, November 8. Included on the site are news stories, articles from NRA's magazines, NRA-PVF press releases, polling information, and a listing of NRA-PVF candidate grades and endorsements.
In addition, you will find our multimedia section-- www.nrapvf.org/Multimedia/Default.aspx --which houses easy-to-access ads that are suited for distribution among your fellow NRA members. If you're already an NRA member, you will be able to visit the special "NRA Members Only" section with features exclusive to you. Simply log in with your NRA member number (the number is printed on your membership card and on the cover of your magazine). Once logged in, members will have special access to NRA-PVF screen savers and wallpaper, a convenient display of the candidate grades for your lawmakers, and a "Build Your Own e-Precinct" section.
NRA members who have not received NRA-PVF endorsement information should visit the website, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) for additional candidate information. This information was also contained in the November issue of your NRA magazine.
Please be sure to go to the polls on Tuesday, November 8, and "Vote Freedom First!" by supporting the pro-Second Amendment candidates in your area. Your vote could make the difference!
STOP THE SAN FRANCISCO GUN BAN!
On Tuesday, November 8, San Francisco voters will go to the polls to vote on Proposition H--a citywide gun ban. If Proposition H passes, it will become the most restrictive gun control law in the nation; even more restrictive than the egregious Washington, D.C., gun ban that NRA-ILA is currently working to overturn in Congress! The ordinance would ban residents from possessing any handgun and they would be forced to turn over their handguns within 90 days. The sale, manufacture, and transfer of any firearm or ammunition to anyone, including a family member, would be prohibited!
The "San Francisco Police Officers Association" (POA), and the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, and Sf-frontlines newspapers have all come out in opposition of this egregious ban, noting that it will do nothing to reduce crime, and will divert law enforcement officers from their job of apprehending violent criminals to enforcing this "feel-good" law.
To educate and mobilize Bay Area pro-gun supporters, NRA-ILA created a website dedicated exclusively to exposing the truth about Proposition H. The website-- www.StopSanFranban.com --is designed to provide you with one-stop-shopping for the information and tools you will need to ensure Proposition H is defeated on November 8.
Among the many features at www.StopSanFranban.com are: information on the proposed ban; sample letters and tips for identifying and writing letters to the editor of area newspapers; information on the benefits of firearm ownership for self-defense and the ineffectiveness of gun bans in reducing crime; voter registration links; e-mail sign-up; and more.
Please be sure to visit www.StopSanFranban.com and then forward this link to your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners, both inside and outside of San Francisco, to ensure the collective voices of America's gun owners are heard loudly and clearly on, November 8! Those of you who don't live directly in San Francisco, but reside nearby, should visit the site immediately for updates on what you can do locally to ensure this deplorable proposition is defeated.
Please visit www.StopSanFranban.com today to help us prevent San Francisco from becoming the next Washington, D.C.!
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.****)
CONNECTICUT
Tuesday, November 8, is a special Election Day in Connecticut. Please remember to vote, and please visit the "NRA Members" section of the NRA-PVF website (www.nrapvf.org) to check for endorsements in your county.
ILLINOIS
A disappointing Fall Veto Session ended today, and the General Assembly failed to override Governor Blagojevich's veto of three pro-gun bills. SB 57, a gun show bill that would have required the State Police to destroy its database of lawful firearm transfers, and HB 340, which would have waived the waiting period requirement when a law-abiding citizen trades one operating firearm for another, were never called. However, SB 2104, which sought to eliminate the confusing patchwork of differing regulations on transporting firearms, passed out of the Senate last week, only to fail in the House on Thursday. While the House did vote 67-44 to override the veto, 71 votes were needed. Governor Blagojevich united with Chicago Mayor Daley and Speaker of the House Michael Madigan (D) to put on a full-court press in defense of his veto. The effort paid off, as several lawmakers abandoned their principles and voted against a bill they had previously supported. NRA will continue to promote this critical reform, as well as the others, and we will do everything possible to elect true pro-gun legislators that will not succumb to pressure from anti-gun extremists, no matter what political office they may hold. A great deal of thanks goes out to those lawmakers who stood with us, as well to those NRA members who helped with their calls and e-mail messages to their elected officials.
NEW JERSEY
Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day in New Jersey. Please remember to vote, and visit the NRA-PVF website (www.nrapvf.org) to check for endorsements in your district.
NEW YORK
Tuesday, November 8, is a Special Election Day in New York. Sullivan County and Erie County Sheriff races will be held, so please visit the "NRA Members" section of the NRA-PVF website (www.nrapvf.org) to check for endorsements in your county.
TEXAS
Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) has negotiated, and Governor Rick Perry (R) has signed, Concealed Handgun License Reciprocal Agreements with the States of Indiana and Delaware. These agreements were made possible by the passage of key reforms to Texas' reciprocity in HB 225 by Representatives Joe Driver (R-Garland) and Glenn Hegar (R-Katy) and Senators Bob Deuell (R-Greenville) and Todd Staples (R-Palestine) during the 2005 Legislative session. Also, on Saturday, November 5, "Students for the Second Amendment" and the "Collegiate Firearms Instructor Program" will host their third official NRA Shooting Sports Camp, called "The Alamo City NRA Youth Sportsfest." The event will take place at the National Shooting Complex, in San Antonio, Tex. from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This event has been designated an "NRA Day" event. For additional event information, please visit: www.sf2a.org/NRACamp2005.htm. All youth groups, student groups, and families are invited and encouraged to attend. Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, entrance fees for this event are waived for all attendees 18 years of age and under! The first 500 youngsters in the gate will receive a free t-shirt. Please come out and support the future of youth shooting and our future defenders of our most cherished rights. For more information, please contact Damaso Torres, Executive Director, "Students for the Second Amendment" and the "Collegiate Firearms Instructor Program," at (210) 674-5559, or via e-mail at [email protected].
VIRGINIA
Please join gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore (R) and President George W. Bush at a Victory Rally on Monday, November 7, 2005. The Rally will be held on Monday at Dominion Hangar, 5700 Clarkson Road, Richmond International Airport, Richmond, Va. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.; please arrive no later than 7:15 p.m. To request tickets for the rally, please visit: www.jerrykilgore.com/contents/72hour/bushrally.shtml. Also, please remember that Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day in the Commonwealth. Please be sure to vote, and visit the NRA-PVF website (www.nrapvf.org) to check for endorsements in your district.
WASHINGTON
Tuesday, November 8, is a Special Election Day in Washington. Please remember to vote, and please visit the "NRA Members" section of the NRA-PVF website (www.nrapvf.org) to check for endorsements in your district.
WISCONSIN
The Joint Senate and Assembly Committee met Wednesday for a hearing on the "Personal Protection Act," (SB 403/AB 763) Wisconsin Right-to-Carry legislation. The hearing lasted ten hours. Over 100 proponents showed up and many testified. Supporters significantly outnumbered the opponents in attendance. Thanks to all of those members who were present at the hearing. Keep up the good work and please continue to contact your legislators to let them know you support Wisconsin becoming a Right-to-Carry state. We will notify you of the committees that will be voting in the upcoming week.
