States with updates this issue: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
NRA-ILA’S NEWLY REVISED “FREEDOM’S VOICE”
NEWSLETTER CELEBRATES SECOND MONTH!
Your monthly newsletter “Freedom’s Voice” has been totally revamped with new information that won’t be found in the Friday Grassroots Alert. Our goal with “Freedom’s Voice” is to provide readers with proven tips, ideas, and information on grassroots activism that they can use and share with others.
In the second issue of this revised electronic newsletter, subscribers will find comprehensive information on campaign volunteer recruitment and organization, will learn which lawmaker made our “spotlight,” and will read about one activist’s outstanding contribution to our cause.
If you or someone you know doesn’t currently receive “Freedom’s Voice, ” please go to www.NRAILA.org and choose “Get Involved Locally.” Once there, click the “Sign up to Volunteer!” link and complete the on-line Volunteer Information Form, noting you wish to receive “Freedom’s Voice” and providing your e-mail address. You may also contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683 to sign-up, by providing us your name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address.
We hope you enjoy the new “activist-driven” “Freedom’s Voice” and we recommend you encourage your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to sign up to receive this free
e-newsletter!
ALERT US TO, AND ATTEND, TOWN HALL MEETINGS!
Congress is currently on its Summer District Work Period and will be out of session until September 5. During this time, your Senators and Representative will be back home in their states and districts.
Many lawmakers use this time to hold town hall meetings, and take questions from their constituents. These meetings offer a tremendous opportunity for you to personally voice your strong support for a number of pro-gun bills pending in Congress.
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, please urge them to cosponsor and support the following measures, and to bring these bills up as soon as possible when they return to Washington:
• H.R. 5092-Improves BATFE’s process for punishing the few FFLs who violate the law, and establishes guidelines for BATFE investigations. This bill was drafted in large part to address recent BATFE abuses at Richmond, VA-area gun shows highlighted in hearings before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.
• H.R. 5005-Codifies congressional policies, rolls back restrictions, and corrects errors in federal firearm laws.
• H.R. 1384-Removes several antiquated and unnecessary restrictions imposed on interstate firearms transactions since 1968.
• H.R. 1288/S. 1082-Repeals the draconian D.C. gun ban and restores the right of lawful District residents to own firearms to defend themselves and their families.
• H.R. 4547/S. 3275-Allows any person with a valid carry permit or license issued by a state to carry a concealed firearm in any other state if he or she meets certain criteria. Importantly, the laws of each state governing where concealed firearms may be carried would still apply within its borders.
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 staff in their district offices to discuss these issues.
For tips on effectively communicating at town hall meetings, please go to the “Write Your Representatives” feature at www.NRAILA.org and click “Communication With Your Lawmakers.”
NRA-ILA “MIX N’ MINGLES”
Much is at stake in this year’s elections. Voters will decide if we continue to move ahead on the path of pro-gun reform, or if we will revert to the dark Clinton-Gore years. In order to ensure continued success for the Second Amendment, we must elect pro-gun lawmakers this year.
To ensure victory for our pro-gun candidate, NRA-ILA will be hosting FREE NRA-ILA “Mix N’ Mingles” across the country. These events will provide NRA members with training on what you can do locally to propel candidates to victory. The meetings also provide attendees the opportunity to meet and socialize with lawmakers, candidates, and their staffs; NRA-ILA Headquarters staff, fellow NRA members—and to earn FREE NRA fraternal items such as hats, pocketknives, buttons, etc. “Mix N’ Mingles,” including materials, food, beverages, and NRA items, are FREE!
Mix N’ Mingle events are scheduled for:
- South Bend, IN 08/26/06
- Aurora, CO 08/26/06
- St. Joseph, MO 09/14/06
- Joplin, MO 09/16/06
- Green Bay, WI 09/21/06
- Towson, MD 09/23/06
- Henderson, NV 09/28/06
- Asheville, NC 09/28/06
- Norwich, CT 09/30/06
- Rock Hill, SC 09/30/06
- Stockton, CA 09/30/06
- New Hartford, NY 10/05/06
- Albuquerque, NM 10/10/06
- Tucson, AZ 10/12/06
- Cincinnati, OH 10/12/06
- Columbus, OH 10/14/06
- Eagan, MN 10/14/06
- St. Cloud, MN 10/16/06
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 “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.
ATTEND “LISTENING SESSIONS ON COOPERATIVE CONSERVATION”
The Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality are holding “listening sessions” around the country to exchange ideas on incentives, voluntary programs, and regulations that can improve results and promote cooperative conservation.
These sessions provide a vital opportunity for NRA members and the hunting community to ensure that their voices are heard.
The discussion topics will include how the Federal government can:
· Better respect the interests of people with ownership in land, water, and other natural resources
· Enhance wildlife habitat, species protection, and other conservation outcomes through regulatory and voluntary conservation programs
· Enhance cooperation among federal agencies and with states, tribes, and local communities in the application of environmental protection and conservation laws
· Work with states, tribes, and other public- and private-sector partners to improve science used in environmental protection and conservation
· Work cooperatively with businesses and landowners to protect the environment and promote conservation
These meetings will guide the federal government in the development of future policy proposals that build upon the success of cooperative conservation.
The sessions listed below are the first of at least two-dozen that will be held around the country:
Muncie, Indiana, 10:00 a.m., August 26, 2006, Horizon Convention Center Exhibition Hall, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett will attend.
Fairbanks, Alaska, 10:00 a.m., August 28, 2006. The Carlson Center. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne will attend.
Jefferson City, Missouri, 9:00 a.m., August 29, 2006, Runge Conservation Nature Center
Enid, Oklahoma, 1:00 p.m., August 30, 2006,Cherokee Strip Conference Center, Piner Hall
Corpus Christi, Texas, 1:00 p.m., Sept. 5, 2006, Omni Marina Hotel, Riviera Ballroom. U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary David Sampson will attend.
Show Low, Arizona, 10:00 a.m., Sept. 12, 2006, Northland Pioneer College, Silver Creek Campus (Snowflake), Performing Arts Center Theatre (PAC-103). U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Mark Rey will attend.
Redding, California, 1:00 p.m., Sept. 13, 2006, Cascade Theater, U. S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment Mark Rey will attend.
Colorado Springs, Colorado, 9:00 a.m., September 15, 2006, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, the Gymnasium. United States Department of Agriculture Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, Mark Rey will attend.
Pottstown, Pennsylvania, 10:00 a.m., Sept. 18, 2006, Montgomery County Community College - Community Room, 101 College Drive. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson will attend.
Brewer, Maine, 4:00 p.m., September 20, 2006, Jeff's Catering Banquet and Convention Center. Secretary Kempthorne will attend.
Brunswick, Georgia, 1:00 p.m., September 21, 2006, Coastal Georgia Community College, Southeast Georgia Conference Center. FWS Director Hall will attend.
Waco, Texas, 10:00 a.m., Sept. 27, 2006, Waco Convention Center. Deputy Assistant Interior Secretary David Verhey will attend.
Colton, California, 10:00 a.m., September 28, 2006, Colton High School Auditorium. Secretary Kempthorne will attend.
Please be sure to attend and participate in these critically important sessions that will guide the federal government in the development of future policy proposals. Let your voice be heard!
For more information, please refer to the “Listening Session” page on the Cooperative Conservation Website at http://cooperativeconservation.gov.
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. For information on NRA-PVF candidate endorsements, NRA members are encouraged to call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), or visit www.NRAPVF.org. If you go to the NRA-PVF site, you will have to provide your NRA member ID number to access the site. Your NRA member ID number can be found on the front of your NRA magazine or on your NRA membership card. Your ID number on the magazine’s mailing label is the 10-digit number that follows the code: #07901. Examples of how to find your ID number can also be found at www.NRAPVF.org on the login page accessed by choosing your state. As always, thank you for your support.***)
States with updates this issue: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
ARIZONA
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is seeking public comment on the draft “Wildlife 2012” plan, which, according to AZGFD, is a “strategic plan that will guide how the agency manages wildlife, outdoor recreational opportunities, and its own operations for the next six years.” Because the AZGFD determines issues important to the pro-gun community in Arizona (such as shooting ranges, access to public lands, and overall hunting policies), it is extremely important that NRA members attend these informational meetings. The meeting dates are as follows (all meetings will be held from 6-9:00 p.m.): Yuma, Wednesday, September 6, Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office, 9140 E. 28th Street; Kingman, Monday, September 11, Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road; Flagstaff, Tuesday, September 12, Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office: 3500 S. Lake Mary Road; Mesa, Thursday, September 14, Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office: 7200 E. University Drive; Pinetop, Friday, September 15, Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office: 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.; and Tucson, Monday, September 18, Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office: 555 N. Greasewood Road. For a copy of the “Wildlife 2012” plan, please visit www.azgfd.gov.
CALIFORNIA
AB2714, sponsored by Assembly Member Alberto Torrico (D-20), is currently on the Senate floor. This legislation would require that no ammunition (or reloaded ammunition) may be sold in a retail transaction unless the purchaser personally presents evidence of his or her identity and age, as specified, to the seller of the ammunition. Additionally, it would severely undermine California’s state preemption law. AB352, sponsored by Assembly Member Paul Koretz (D-42), would require that after a certain date, the make, model, and serial number be microstamped onto the interior surface or internal working parts of all handguns in such a manner that those identifiers are imprinted onto the cartridge case upon firing. Handguns that do not include their identifying information would be defined as “unsafe,” and their manufacture, sale, and transfer would be a crime. AB352 passed in the Senate by two votes and now moves before the Assembly for a final vote. Please contact your State Legislators today and urge them to oppose AB2714 and AB352 by visiting www.calnra.com/legs/asm.shtml, and www.calnra.com/legs/sen.shtml.
CONNECTICUT
Due to strong opposition from local residents and a lack of support from town council members, the proposal to severely restrict the discharge of a firearm within the Town of Montville has been dropped. This comes on the heels of last week’s town council meeting, where introduction of the measure was postponed due to the overwhelming number of NRA members who showed up to voice their concerns. Although this latest development is certainly good news, we can’t consider this fight over. In fact, the Norwich Bulletin doesn’t even think gun owners and sportsmen have the right to be heard. Check out today’s editorial at www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060824/OPINION01/608240307/1014/OPINION. We will be sure to inform you of any further developments.
FLORIDA
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, September 5! For more information on voting in Florida, please use the following link: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/. Be sure to “Vote Freedom First”!
MARYLAND
A Friends of NRA dinner and fundraiser will be held at the Holiday Inn in Cumberland, on Wednesday September 20, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The committee promises an entertaining evening with good food, great prizes, and a lively auction. Some of the great items featured for auction include the “2006 Weatherby .270 Gun of the Year,” the “Case Buffalo Knife of the Year,” and the “2006 Eagle Print of the Year,” by Cole Johnson. 100% of the money raised at the dinner will be used to fund programs such as Women’s and Youth safety and educational initiatives at the national and local level, with 50% of funds staying in the state of Maryland. For tickets or further information, please call chairman, Donald Schneider at (304) 738-2055.
MICHIGAN
The Humane Society of the United States has placed a dove-hunting ban, Proposition 3, on the November ballot in Michigan. You can help defend Michigan’s hunting heritage by attending the Citizens for Wildlife Conservation Grass Roots Rally on Tuesday, August 29, from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., at the Kellog Christian Reformed Sportsperson’s Club, 610 52nd Street, Kentwood, MI 49548. The Citizens for Wildlife Conservation will inform attendees about the proposed ban and what sportsmen can do to help protect the rights of Michigan’s hunters. For more information about the rally, please contact: Steve Bartz, (616) 291-5783, [email protected]; Pat Klott, (616) 534-8194, [email protected]; Paul Zeman, (616) 891-0613, [email protected]; or Lee Zeidler, (616) 538-0510, [email protected]. Please keep checking your email and www.NRAILA.org for future updates on this important hunting issue.
In addition, the “2nd Annual Friends of the NRA Michigan Celebrity Shoot” will be held on Saturday, September 9! Please come join us as we get warmed up for hunting season by shooting with local celebrities, or just come for dinner. Also enjoy our many gun raffles and limited edition NRA commemorative items in our live and silent auctions! The “NRA Michigan Celebrity Shoot” is being held September 9, at the Detroit Gun Club (DGC), in Commerce Township. This is a 100-target shotgun fun shoot that includes 50 targets of Sporting Clays, 25 targets of Skeet, and 25 targets of Trap. All targets, shells, lunch, and steak dinner is included! Everyone will also receive a 4”x 6” squad photo.
Some of the celebrities that attended last year were: former Detroit Tiger pitcher and World Series record holder, Mickey Lolitch; former Detroit Red Wing, Dennis Hextall; State Senator Nancy Cassis (R-15); and Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard (currently running for U.S. Senate against anti-gun Debbie Stabenow); among many others. This is a great time to gather and shoot with pro-NRA celebrities, while also raising money to protect and promote the shooting sports for future generations! Money raised at Friends of the NRA events go toward educational programs, with 50% of the money staying in Michigan to be made available for pro-Second Amendment worthy causes in the form of grants. ADVANCE TICKET SALES ONLY - NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT! To buy your tickets, or for further information, please contact Jerry Kraus, Chairman of Oakland County Friends of the NRA, at (248) 706-1513, or by e-mail at [email protected].
NEBRASKA
Lincoln Update: On Monday, the Lincoln City Council passed the ordinance proposed by Mayor Colleen Seng (D), to add a list of crimes to an existing ordinance that would restrict who can possess a firearm within the Lincoln city limits. The new state law already bans concealed weapons in government buildings that contain courthouses or city hall meetings, but the city council also passed another ordinance expanding the ban to include other dangerous weapons, and firearms in plain view. Please continue to call Mayor Seng at (402) 441-7511, and the City Council members at (402) 441-7515, and ask them to reconsider, and oppose, any further attempt to infringe on Lincoln’s law-abiding resident’s Right-to-Carry.
Kearney Update: On Tuesday, a large group of NRA members attended the Kearney City Council public hearing to show their support on lifting the city’s ban on concealed firearms. This hearing was held to gauge public opinion. In response to the concealed carry ban, citizens organized the Kearney “Right to Carry Concealed” Taskforce. The taskforce held their first meeting on Thursday to brainstorm ideas to help inform the City Council that concealed permit holders are law-abiding citizens and not criminals. Please contact the Kearney City Council members at (308) 233-3216 and ask them to support lifting the city’s ban on concealed firearms.
Columbus Update: In a surprise move, the Columbus City Council Public Property, Safety and Works Committee met on Monday, and voted to retain the city’s ordinance barring concealed weapons. This issue will be revisited next year after the new state law has been in place for a few months. Please check your email and www.NRAILA.com for future updates on this infringement of Columbus city residents right to keep and bear arms.
NEW MEXICO
Your help is needed at the upcoming National Police Shooting Championships that will be held at Shooting Range State Park, (west of Albuquerque) from Thursday, September 28 to Thursday, October 5. Event organizers are looking for volunteers to assist as line officers, safety officers, target runners, and scorers. An organizational meeting for interested volunteers will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Saturday, August 26, at the range. For directions, please visit www.cabq.gov/openspace/shootingrange.html, and scroll down to “Map.” If you cannot attend the meeting, but are still in interesting in volunteering, please contact Neil Terry at (505) 873-6604.
NEW YORK
The long awaited vote to close the Suffolk County trap-and-skeet shooting range took place on August 23, and the Suffolk County Legislature voted of 15-3 in opposition to Legislator Kate Browning’s bill to close the Trap & Skeet range in Southaven County Park. Congratulations, Suffolk County! Many thanks go out to the local shooters and legislators responsible for this decision. To call and thank the Suffolk County Legislature for making the right decision to keep the Suffolk County Trap & Skeet range open please call (631) 853-4074. The battle to keep the range open is far from over; the Long Island Pine Barrens Society is currently suing the Suffolk County Government and the New York State Pine Barrens Commission for, in their opinion, illegally re-opening the range. Please continue to show your support by visiting the range located at 165 Gerard Road in Yaphank, N.Y., 11980, (631) 924-5600. The hours of operation are 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., Wednesday through Sunday. Also check your e-mail and www.NRAILA.org for any updates.
In addition, the Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education Inc. (S.A.F.E.) will be hosting its “2006 Right-to-Carry Conference & Second Amendment Rally” on Sunday, October 1, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (doors open at 12:00 noon). The event will be held at the Sheraton, Long Island, 110 Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, Smithtown, NY, (631) 231-1100, (on Motor Parkway on the North side of LIE between exits 53 & 55). In attendance at the event will be: Wayne R. LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President; Bob Barr, Former Member, U.S. House of Representatives and NRA Board Member; Jim Fotis, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Alliance of America; John Faso, Republican Candidate for New York State Governor; John Spencer, Republican/Conservative Candidate for U.S. Senate from New York; and John L. Cushman, S.A.F.E. President and Founder, and NRA Board Member.
Attendees will get the latest information on the Right-to-Carry nationwide and locally. You will meet and network with fellow sportsmen and women concerning your civil rights and those of your children and grandchildren. This conference will raise issues of concern and give suggested courses of action with local and national leaders of Second Amendment organizations and legislators from all levels of government. You will also have a chance to win valuable prizes in drawings limited to attendees only. Admission and parking is free, and the event is open to your family and friends.
NORTH CAROLINA
Hunters in North Carolina, who have been deprived of the ability to hunt on Sunday for more than a century, now they have a chance to speak out. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission held public meetings earlier this year to get input on the fate of Sunday hunting in the state. Now the Commission is allowing the public to submit comments online, and the comment period ends on Thursday, August 31. There is no scientific reason that hunters shouldn't go afield on Sunday. In fact, only eight states have a complete prohibition on Sunday hunting. The states allowing hunting on Sundays have healthy game populations and do not have higher rates of hunter accidents or landowner-hunter conflicts. All the arguments against Sunday hunting are without merit. The bans works to discourage hunting at a time when hunter recruitment and participation must be encouraged in order to save our hunting heritage. To find out more about why Sunday hunting should be allowed, read NRA-ILA’s fact sheet on the issue at www.NRAILA.org. Please take the time to submit your comments about Sunday hunting online by clicking www.ncwildlife.org/sunday_hunt/sunday_hunt.htm. Remember, you have until Thursday, August 31, to let your voice be heard!
WISCONSIN
Registration for the NRA and Future Wisconsin Sportsmen’s Conference is filling up fast! This event is open to the public, and the cost is $10. Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 9, at the Bluemound Gardens Conference Center, 11703 West Bluemound Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226. The event begins at 7:00 a.m., with a breakfast buffet. Conference speakers include State Senators Tom Reynolds and Dave Zien, and State Representative Scott Gunderson among others. In conjunction with this event, you’ll want to make plans to also join NRA-ILA Grassroots Division Director, Glen Caroline, and your fellow NRA members, for socializing at a FREE NRA-ILA Mix N' Mingle beginning at 1:30 p.m. To RSVP, please call (414) 258-1719, or e-mail [email protected]. For more information, please visit www.widigest.com.
