States with updates this issue: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, and Washington.
YOUR URGENT ACTION IS REQUIRED ON TWO FEDERAL BILLS!
The House of Representatives will soon vote on two critically important NRA-supported bills!
The bills are:
H.R. 5092--the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) Modernization and Reform Act of 2006”--will improve BATFE’s process for punishing the few FFLs who violate the law, and will establish guidelines for BATFE investigations. This bill was drafted in large part to address recent, blatant 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--the “Firearms Corrections and Improvements Act”--will codify pro-gun appropriations riders, roll back restrictions, and correct errors in federal firearm laws.
These bills have passed out of committee and will be considered in the full House in the near future.
It is imperative that you contact your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121, and urge him or her to VOTE FOR H.R. 5092 and H.R. 5005 when they are brought to the House floor! Additional contact information can be found by visiting www.NRAILA.org, clicking the “Take Action” icon, and then clicking the “Write Your Representatives” icon.
Please be sure to contact your Representative TODAY, and urge your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to do the same!
Thank you for your continued support as we work to make these legislative reforms, the law of the land!
MORE GUNS MEANS LESS CRIME…AGAIN
Based upon its annual national crime victimization surveys, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reported this month that in 2005 the nation’s violent crime rate fell to the lowest point in the surveys’ 32-year history, down 58% since 1993. For the survey’s purposes, “violent crime” consists of rape, robbery, and aggravated and simple assaults.
BJS also found that the firearm-related violent crime rate, which had been 1.9 per 1,000 population in 2002 and 2003, and 1.4 in 2004, was 2.0 in 2005. Anti-gunners may try to characterize the 2004-2005 trend as evidence of a sharp upturn in gun crime. However, the oddly low 2004 figure may have been an aberration, the author of the report, Dr. Shannon M. Catalano, cautioned.
The BJS’s findings, based upon telephone interviews with randomly selected respondents, are on track with the FBI's data on crimes reported to police. The FBI reports that between 1991-2004 the nation's violent crime rate declined 39% to a 30-year low and the murder rate declined 44% to a 39-year low, and that in 2005 violent crime may have risen slightly. Final FBI figures for 2005 will be published later this year.
The BJS and FBI reports are bad news for anti-gunners who mouth the “more guns, more crime” line whenever a gun control issue is being debated. Since 1991, the number of privately owned guns in the United States has risen by more than 70 million, to an all-time high.
SECOND ANNUAL
“FIREARMS LAW & THE SECOND AMENDMENT SYMPOSIUM”
TO EXPLORE PRESENT DAY APPLICATION
OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT
The 2006 “Firearms Law & The Second Amendment Symposium” will be held on Saturday, October 7, at George Mason University School of Law, in Arlington, Va. This event is hosted by Law Students for the Second Amendment at GMU, along with The NRA Foundation and NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund. Admission is free.
Capitalizing on the success of last year’s inaugural event, which brought together some of the nation’s sharpest legal minds and more than 100 attendees, this year’s symposium promises to be even better! Panelists will discuss and debate: current Second Amendment scholarship, litigation against the firearm industry, the U.N.’s intrusion into legal domestic gun ownership, and issues involving self-defense and Right-to-Carry reforms. Featured panelists at this year’s event will include some of the country’s most renowned experts on the Second Amendment and related issues, such as: George Mason’s own Professors Nelson Lund and Joyce Lee Malcolm; George Washington University’s Professors Robert Cottrol and Renee Lerner; Lawrence Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation; attorney Richard Gardiner; David Kopel of the Independence Institute; Attorney and author David Hardy; and Professor Brian Patrick from the University of Toledo.
This event promises to present a thought provoking discussion of what has become the most controversial freedom in the Bill of Rights. Each Symposium registrant will receive a packet that contains the panelists’ written materials on the subject--an excellent source for future reference. For guests who are attorneys, this year’s event may once again meet state requirements for continuing legal education. The event, including all materials, food and beverages, is being held without charge.
Don't miss this seminal event! For additional details and to reserve your place, please visit http://www.nraila.org/workshops/Symposium.aspx?ID=GMUSL or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683.
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:
- 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
- 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
- Scottsdale, AZ 10/14/06
- St. Cloud, MN 10/16/06
- New Hartford, NY 10/19/06 * (new date, please see details in section below)
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.
2006 GUN RIGHTS POLICY CONFERENCE
This year's Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, Friday, September 22, through Sunday, September 24, at the Renaissance Suites Hotel near the airport. The theme of this year’s conference is “Victory In Sight.”
Celebrating its 21st year, the conference is sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), and KeepAndBearArms.com (www.keepandbeararms.com), in cooperation with NRA, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and the Heritage Fund.
Attending this year’s event will be representatives from major national and state gun rights organizations. Key speakers at the conference will include: NRA Executive Vice President Wayne R. LaPierre; SAF’s Alan Gottlieb and Joe Tartaro; NRA Board member and former U.S. Representative Bob Barr; and Gun Law expert John Snyder. Other panelists will include: NRA-ILA’s Director of Federal Affairs Chuck Cunningham; author and scholar, John R. Lott, Jr. (author of the book "The Bias Against Guns"); the Independence Institute’s Dave Kopel, and others.
Registration, conference books and materials, receptions, and a Saturday luncheon are free. Participants are required to pay for their own lodging (to reserve a suite, please call (800) 468-3571, and mention GRPC), travel, and other meals. For more information, or to register for this year's GRPC, please call (800) 426-4302, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., PDT, or visit www.saf.org/default.asp?p=GRPC, to register on-line.
A LOOK AT THE STATES
(***For all of the action items below, you can find contact information for your legislators by visiting www.NRAILA.org, clicking the “Take Action” icon, and then clicking the “Write Your Representatives” icon. 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. As always, thank you for your support.***)
States with updates this issue: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, and Washington.
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 oversees 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 the last informational meeting. The meeting is being held on Monday, September 18 from 6-9:00 p.m., at the Tucson, 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
SB 59, sponsored by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-27), and AB 2714, sponsored by Assembly Member Alberto Torrico (D-20), are heading to the desk of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). Please contact Governor Schwarzenegger today and urge him to protect your Second Amendment freedom by vetoing SB 59 and AB 2714. Governor Schwarzenegger can be reached by phone at (916)-445-2841, by fax at (916) 445-4633, and by e-mail by visiting www.govmail.ca.gov.
SB 59 would expand the definition of the term “firearm” to include the frame or receiver of the gun for purposes of the offense of failure to report a stolen or lost firearm. This bill would also make it a crime for any person whose handgun is stolen or irretrievably lost to not report the theft or loss to a local law enforcement agency within five working days after his or her discovery of the theft or loss; or within five working days after the date he or she should have reasonably known of the theft or loss. SB59 would also allow local governments to impose even stricter reporting requirements.
AB 2714 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. Spread the news to fellow gun owners, family and friends that it is critical to contact Governor Schwarzenegger and urge him to veto SB 59 and AB 2714!
CONNECTICUT
The Norwich Bulletin claimed in an editorial today that State Representative Kevin Ryan (D-Montville) intends to take the failed Monvtville discharge ban statewide. While Representative Ryan’s long-standing record in support of law-abiding gun owners would indicate that this would not be the type of initiative he would support, we are still trying to clarify Mr. Ryan’s position on possible statewide hearings and introduction of legislation in Hartford. The Bulletin has revealed its anti-gun philosophy through news stories and editorials since the Montville discharge ban issue first surfaced and, with the unanimous vote of the Montville City Council to withdraw the ill-advised proposal, the paper has now set its sights on a larger prize: a state law designed to erode both hunting and shooting rights AND private property rights. We look forward to sharing with you a clarification of Representative Ryan’s position on this issue as well as the continued distortions of the Bulletin. To see the editorial please visit www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/OPINION01/609150317/1014. Please keep checking your e-mail and www.NRAILA.org for future updates on this threat to the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in the Town of Montville!
FLORIDA
The anti-gun and anti-hunting forces at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) have allowed its office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas (CAMA) to take away hunting rights on Little St. George Island. They have gone back on a promise made to local hunters and the Franklin County Commission to preserve hunting rights. DEP is holding a meeting to find out how hunters feel about hunting on Little St. George Island. We cannot let the anti-gun and anti-hunting forces at CAMA and DEP get away with stripping away hunting rights on Little St. George Island or anywhere else!
PLEASE ATTEND THIS MEETING AND STAND UP TO PROTECT HUNTING RIGHTS ON LITTLE ST. GEORGE ISLAND AND THROUGHOUT YOUR REGION.
The meeting will be held Thursday, September 21, 2006, at 6:00 p.m., at the Apalachicola Community Center, 1 Bay Avenue, Apalachicola. Please be sure to attend, and please urge your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to do the same!
HAWAII
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Saturday, September 23. Early voting starts Monday, September 11, and continues through Thursday, September 21. For more information on voting in Hawaii, please use the following link: www.hawaii.gov/elections/. Be sure to “Vote Freedom First” on or before September 23!
INDIANA
On Friday, September 22, please join Governor Mitch Daniels (R), and NRA President Sandy Froman at the Dearborn County Fair Grounds! Governor Daniels will be announcing changes made to Indiana law by Executive Order to restore gun rights in state parks and public lands as an example to other governors of what can be done through executive power to reestablish the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Food and drink will be provided free of charge. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. at Dearnborn County Fair Grounds in Lawrenceburg, in Southeastern Indiana, close to the Ohio and Kentucky state lines. All NRA members are welcome and encouraged to bring their families. Come join NRA President Froman and celebrate freedom with Governor Daniels and his friends.
KENTUCKY
Please see the Indiana submission above for information on a special event featuring NRA President Sandy Froman!
Also, please join your fellow shooting sports enthusiasts for the Grand Opening of “OpenRange Sports Complex” on Tuesday, September 19, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with an official Ribbon “Shooting” Ceremony at 4:15 p.m. “OpenRange Sports Complex” is located at 6401 Cross Keys Blvd., Crestwood, KY 40014.
This event is sponsored by the Greater Louisville, Inc. (GLI)--Metro Chamber of Commerce and Oldham County Chamber of Commerce, and will be held at the new state-of-the-art Indoor Rifle, Pistol and Paintball range. The entrance fee is $15 for GLI members, and $20 for guests. If you are in the area, please support the shooting sports by attending.
The OpenRange Sports Complex offers an assortment of activities including:
* Paintball Arena - over 12,000 square feet of indoor paintball action
* Pistol Range - indoor computerized targets
* 100 Yard INDOOR Rifle Range - indoor ballistic arena
For more information about Open Range Sports Complex please visit www.openrangesports.com, or call (502) 243-8282.
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 “Weatherby .270--2006 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.
MASSACHUSETTS
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, September 19! For more information on voting in Massachusetts, please use the following link: www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/. Be sure to “Vote Freedom First” on September 19!
MICHIGAN
The Michigan legislature is taking up pro-gun state of emergency legislation. On Tuesday, the Michigan House Government Operations Committee unanimously approved (7-0) legislation that prevents the government seizure of lawfully possessed firearms and ammunition in a declared state of emergency. House Bill 6363 and House Bill 6364, sponsored by Representative Scott Hummel (R-93), prevent Hurricane Katrina-like confiscations and amend the governor’s state of emergency powers accordingly. The bill will now go to the Michigan House for approval. Please keep checking your e-mail and www.NRAILA.org for updates on HB 6363 and HB 6364.
NEBRASKA
Reminder: The Nebraska State Patrol is holding a rulemaking hearing on Monday, September 18, at 10:00 a.m., in the Auditorium at the Nebraska Department of Roads, 1500 Nebraska Highway 2, in Lincoln. This hearing is regarding concerns citizens’ about the adoption of new regulations to the Nebraska Administrative Code, entitled “CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMITS” as adopted by the Nebraska State Patrol, as passed by the Nebraska Legislature in April. The regulations will provide for the permit application and issuance process and training and safety course required of applicants for a permit. All members are encouraged to attend and testify at the hearing. Members may also submit written comments at or prior to the hearing, which will be part of the hearing record at the time of the hearing. For more information please call Steve Shaw at (402) 479-4933. To read over the final draft for the new concealed handgun permits regulations, please use the following link: www.nsp.state.ne.us/FindFile.asp?ID=1587.
NEW YORK
Please note that, due to a scheduling conflict, the New Hartford “Mix N’ Mingle,” which was originally scheduled for October 5, has been rescheduled for Thursday, October 19, 2006! The location remains the same-- the Holiday Inn Utica, located at 1777 Burrstone Road, New Hartford, NY 13413. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and hope you will still be able to attend. If you are no longer able to attend, please contact us ASAP at (800) 392-8683. If you still plan to attend, you do not need to do anything, and we’ll see you on October 19.
Also, 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 are free, and the event is open to your family and friends.
Finally, the Shooters’ Committee on Political Education (SCOPE) will be holding its 41st Annual “SCOPE Awards Banquet,” on Saturday, October 14, 2006. Featured speakers will include NRA Second Vice President Ron Schmeits, and several local speakers. The Banquet will be held at the Diplomat Banquet Center, 1956 Lyell Avenue (same as 1 Diplomat Way), Rochester, NY 14606, from 5:30-11:00 p.m. For tickets, reservations, and more information, please visit http://www.scopeny.org/banquet.html, or contact Ken Mathison by phone at: (585) 663-8741, or by mail at: PO Box 12711, Rochester, NY 14612. Seating is limited, so get your tickets now!
OHIO
Please see the Indiana submission above for information on a special event featuring NRA President Sandy Froman!
WASHINGTON
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, September 19! For more information on voting in Washington, please use the following link: www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/. Be sure to “Vote Freedom First” on September 19!
