WISCONSIN "PERSONAL PROTECTION ACT" UPDATE
The State Senate gave final approval to the 2005 Personal Protection Act (PPA) and is sending the bill to Governor Jim Doyle (D) for his promised veto. It will be his second veto of the PPA in as many years. He is committed to his distrust of law-abiding Wisconsinites and to keeping the state as one of only four that strictly prohibit trained, licensed citizens who pass a criminal background check from carrying concealed firearms for self-defense.
Once again, there are a sufficient number of supporters in the Senate and Assembly to override the veto, but only if past supporters stay steadfast in their support of the bill. In 2004, the Senate easily overrode the veto, but the Governor was able to convince a fellow Democrat in the Assembly and a one-time supporter of the PPA to change his vote for partisan political reasons, thus killing it by a single vote.
This time around, the Governor and other opponents are once again hard at work trying to find a Democrat who will play politics with Wisconsinites' personal safety by changing his vote. All six Assembly democrats who voted for the bill in December must stay steadfast in support of the bill in order for the override to be successful. Four of the six have publicly committed to voting in support of overriding the Governor's veto. Clearly, the two who have not are in the Governor's sights.
Representative John Steinbrink (D-65), from Pleasant Prairie, has voted in favor of the PPA four of four times since 2002, including the veto override in 2004. Now, he reports that he is considering reversing his long-time support in order to sustain the Governor's veto. Representative Steinbrink has been a consistent supporter of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, specifically for self-defense.
Representative Terry Van Akkeren (D-26), from Sheboygan, has voted for the PPA all three times that it has come before him since 2003. Like Representative Steinbrink, he is also considering a change of position on the very piece of legislation that he voted to support only a month ago.
Of all things, the right to self-defense should trump partisan political games. Please contact these two representatives and ask them to remain consistent in their support of Wisconsinites' right to protect themselves and their loved ones from violence by voting to override the Governor's veto of the PPA, as they both did in 2004.
You can reach Representative Steinbrink by phone at (888) 534-0065, or by e-mail at [email protected].
You can reach Representative Van Akkeren by phone at (888) 529-0026, or by e-mail at [email protected].
The FBI reports that over 24,000 Wisconsinites have been the victims of violent crime--murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault--since the last failed override in 2004. These citizens deserve the opportunity to defend themselves. PLEASE ACT NOW!
NRA-ILA "MIX N' MINGLES"
How often do you get the opportunity to mix n' mingle with NRA-ILA Headquarters staff and fellow NRA members in your area, to earn FREE NRA items, and to assist with the efforts of candidates seeking office in your area? Well, in preparation for the 2006 elections, you will have the opportunity to do just that.
This election year, NRA-ILA will be hosting FREE NRA-ILA Mix N' Mingles across the country. These events will provide NRA members with training on what they can do locally to propel candidates to victory this election season. The meetings also provide attendees the opportunity to meet and socialize with lawmakers, candidates, their staffs, NRA-ILA Headquarters staff, and fellow area NRA members--and to earn FREE NRA fraternal items like hats, pocketknives, buttons, etc. Mix N' Mingles, including materials, food, beverages, and NRA items are FREE!
The first-ever Mix N' Mingle is scheduled for:
-San Antonio, TX--2/25/06
NRA members who have access to the Internet can go to www.nraila.org/workshops/ to reserve their seats on-line. NRA members are encouraged to check this website address frequently to see if any upcoming Mix N' Mingles are scheduled in their area. NRA members may also contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) for details and to reserve their seats.
D.C. PERSONAL PROTECTION ACT-- A TOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY
As we continue to note, 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 corrective legislation is obvious. Since 1977, the District has banned the possession of all handguns not acquired and registered before that year. D.C. law also prohibits keeping an assembled rifle or shotgun in the home, effectively outlawing the use of firearms for lawful self-defense. And despite these Draconian gun control laws, Washington, D.C., consistently has one of the highest homicide rates in the nation.
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.
HELP NRA-ILA FIGHT FOR FREEDOM IN THE COURTS!
With NRA engaged in various legal battles to protect our Second Amendment rights across the country, we are asking NRA members to contribute to NRA-ILA as we fight for freedom in the courts. Please encourage your friends, family, and other Second Amendment supporters to stand with NRA-ILA by making a financial contribution to help us fight for freedom. You may contribute by mail (please make checks payable to NRA-ILA, and send to: NRA-ILA, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030); by telephone at (800) 392-8683; or via our website at: https://secure.nraila.org/Contribute.aspx.
Thank you for your continued support in our efforts to further the cause of freedom.
[Contributions to NRA-ILA are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.]
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.****)
HAWAII
A coalition of law enforcement groups has proposed a ban on the sale and possession of .50 caliber rifles and ammunition. While a copy of the legislation has yet to be made available, it is likely to look very similar to the California legislation signed into law in 2005. As you know, these rifles are used for legitimate sporting purposes, but have been demonized in the press and by anti-gun groups looking for the next gun control scheme. It is vital that NRA members and friends in the pro-gun community call their state legislators at (808) 587-0666 and ask them to oppose this proposed gun ban BEFORE it gets a hearing.
ILLINOIS
Governor Blagojevich (D), with the support of anti-gun Chicago Mayor Daley (D) and extremist gun-ban organizations, continues his assault on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. The anti-gun Blagojevich-Daley duo are promoting passage of HB 2414, a gun ban bill that failed to pass last year in spite of several amendments that were little more than weak attempts to gain support by pretending to water down the bill. On Wednesday, during his State of the State Address to the Illinois General Assembly, Blagojevich renewed his call for HB 2414's ban on many semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, as well as .50 caliber rifles, all of which are widely owned by law-abiding citizens. The governor claimed, "No law-abiding citizen needs (the firearms affected by the ban) to be safe or to hunt." But such a statement intentionally ignores the fact that many of the firearms Blagojevich would like to ban are commonly used for protection from violent criminals, and are both legal and regularly used for hunting. The day before he spoke to the General Assembly, Blagojevich joined with Daley, who has advocated banning all firearms from law-abiding civilians, in a joint news conference to launch their anti-gun assault. Among the firearms targeted by the governor and the mayor are .50 caliber rifles--large, expensive firearms prized by collectors and competitive shooters that are rarely, if ever, used in violent crimes. Nonetheless, Blagojevich implied the only reasons a law-abiding citizen would choose to own one would be to "act as a terrorist and be a criminal and a gangbanger." This attack on gun owners could be because the governor is faced with dismally low approval ratings and a tough bid for reelection in the Fall. He has apparently decided that declaring open season on all law-abiding gun owners will somehow help with his campaign. In contrast, during his campaign for governor in 2002, Blagojevich tried to win over gun owners by pledging, "We will not raise (the cost of) the FOID card." He failed to tell those same gun owners he would work to ban firearms, making FOID cards irrelevant. And speaking of FOID cards, the governor has recently been at the center of a controversy regarding their renewal process. Blagojevich has induced staff cuts at the Illinois State Police, which has led to serious delays in the processing of FOID card renewals. What this means is, through no fault of their own, law-abiding gun owners in Illinois who apply for the renewal of their FOID card run the risk of becoming de facto criminals due to bureaucratic bungling should their card expire while waiting for its renewal. A process that should take no more than 30 days is now taking up to 50 days, if not more. An unsympathetic spokesman for the state police told the Bloomington, Ill. Pantagraph that FOID card holders whose cards expire while awaiting renewal "are technically in violation at that point." He went on to say that anyone to whom this happens is at the mercy of any police officer who finds someone in "violation." The spokesperson stated, "Just like when you are speeding, it's one of those situations that you are in violation (of the law)." "But," he continued, "the officer has the right (sic) to decide exactly what action he's going to take at that point." There are two major problems with such a statement, however. First, police officers have powers and authority, not "rights," to enforce laws. Second, when you are speeding, your actions are what led to violating a law, while the state police created the problem with the FOID card. Based on the FOID card problem he helped create, and his efforts to ban guns in Illinois, Governor Blagojevich seems to have decided he does not need a single gun owner to vote for him in order to win reelection. Perhaps he expects members of the General Assembly to hold the same position by supporting his ban. Please contact your legislators at (217) 782-2000, to let them know their vote on HB 2414 will be remembered come Election Day in November. A vote on this bill could take place in the House of Representatives any day, so it is critical that Representatives hear from the pro-gun community immediately. Tell them to oppose any efforts to ban lawful firearms in Illinois, and to vote against HB 2414. Be sure to let their colleagues in the Senate know your feelings, as well.
MISSISSIPPI
This week, the Senate passed SB 2426, the NRA-backed "Castle Doctrine" and self-defense reform bill sponsored by Senators Charlie Ross (R-Brandon) and Ralph Doxey (R- Holly Springs), on a 35-9 vote. The House has approved a similar version of the legislation--HB 882. Each bill now moves to the other chamber for consideration. Please contact your State Senators at (601) 359-3770, and your State Representatives at (601) 359-3360 (during normal business hours), and urge them to pass legislation reforming Mississippi's self-defense laws this session!
NEBRASKA
On Thursday, January 12, LB 454 known as the "Concealed Handgun Permit Act," advanced from General to Select File, after a successful cloture vote of 34-7. LB 454 will continue to a second round of debate in the coming weeks. Thank you to all who called their State Senator and helped advance LB 454 through this important step. Please continue with phone calls to your State Senator requesting his or her further support of LB 454 and your Second Amendment Rights! The contact number for the Nebraska legislature is (402) 471-2271.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
HB 1369, a bill prohibiting New Orleans-style confiscations of lawfully-owned and carried firearms, will be heard on Tuesday, January 24, at 1:30 p.m. HB 1369 also bars posting of "no firearms" signs by government agencies or officials without legislative authorization. If you are unable to attend, please call your State Legislator at (603) 271-2111 and ask him or her to support HB 1369.
NEW YORK
Speaker Sheldon Silver's (D-64) anti-gun package remains in the hands of the State Senate. The package includes bills that will put licensed dealers out of business (A 9280), ban many popular sporting firearms by expanding the ban on so-called "assault weapons" (A 2466A), outlaw .50 caliber firearms (A 4471), and ban types of ammunition commonly used by sport shooters (A 2837). Also included in the package are proposals to criminalize the failure to lock up firearms (A 673A), and ban the sale of firearms without "childproofing devices" integrated into the design of the firearm. Please contact your State Senator today at (518) 455-2800 and ask him or her to oppose these bills.
OREGON
Oregon Hunter License and Tag fees will be used to pay agents of the Federal government to kill mountain lions if the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approves the draft "Cougar Management Plan" on February 9, at the Commission meeting in Salem. Commissioners heard the draft plan on January 5. The draft recognizes the dramatic adverse impact that increasing cougar populations are having on Oregon big game herds and proposes a proactive approach to reducing cougar populations using agents of the USDA APHIS Wildlife Services Division. This action is being proposed due to the inability of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to control cougar populations as a result of the passage of Measure 18 in 1994. Measure 18 prohibited the use of dogs by sport hunters to hunt cougar and bear. Without this proven management tool, cougar numbers have exploded, resulting in increased attacks on livestock and domestic pets and depleting big game numbers. Cougar populations need to be reduced. The conflict arises in using license and tag fees to hire federal agents using dogs to kill Oregon's big game. The "public" has voted to prohibit the use of dogs by hunters. The "public" defeated a ballot measure to overturn Measure 18. The "public" should pay to correct what they have voted to do. We urge you to contact the Fish and Wildlife Commissioners at (503) 947-6000, and tell them that any increase in the use of hunter dollars to fund the cougar plan is unacceptable and that funding should be obtained from the state's General Fund. You can view the Plan at www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/cougar/. Comments on the plan may be sent to [email protected]. Deadline for comments is February 8, 2006.
VERMONT
The NRA-ILA is pleased to announce the up-coming 2006 Spring Candidate Forum. This event is being sponsored by NRA-ILA, The Vermont Federation of Sportsman Clubs, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Vermont Trappers' Association, National Association of Shooting Ranges and the National Association of Firearms Retailers. More sportsmen's groups are expected to join the ranks of this coalition soon. The date for the event has yet to be set, but as soon as it is determined we will be sure to let you know.
WASHINGTON
A meeting is scheduled for Senate Bill 5343, on Tuesday, January 24, at 3:30 p.m., in the Senate Judiciary Committee (located in the John A. Cherberg Building, Hearing Room 1). The bill prohibits non-licensed individuals from buying, selling, or trading firearms from their private collections at gun shows without conducting the exchange through a licensed firearm dealer. The NRA opposes this restrictive legislation and encourages you to attend this meeting and voice your concern to legislators. Please check www.NRAILA.org for future updates on SB 5343. If you are unable to attend this meeting, please call your State Senator at (800) 562-6000 and strongly urge him or her to oppose SB 5343.
