States with updates this issue: Massachusetts, Michigan, Texas, and Washington.
AS 109TH CONGRESS WINDS DOWN,
OUR EFFORTS TO PASS PRO-GUN REFORM MUST HEAT UP!
The 109th Congress has provided gun owners with some tremendous victories-including passage of the “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act” in 2005, and in October, legislation to prohibit the confiscation of lawfully owned firearms during states of emergency--to name just a few. (For a more complete list of legislative victories in the 109th Congress, see the Special Grassroots Alert [10/11/06].)
However, in January 2007, control of Congress will change hands, and anti-gun leaders will be in near full control. With the 109th Congress winding down and adjourning by year’s end, it is critical that we pull out all the stops to try to pass one of NRA-ILA’s top legislative priorities-- H.R. 5092, the NRA-backed “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) Modernization and Reform Act.”
H.R. 5092, sponsored by Representatives Howard Coble (R-N.C.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.), has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives by an overwhelming bi-partisan 277-131 vote. This legislation was drafted in large part to address BATFE abuses at Richmond, Virginia-area gun shows last year, which were detailed in three oversight hearings by the House Crime Subcommittee this spring. The measure will help curb BATFE’s efforts to revoke dealers’ licenses for minor paperwork errors, establish new guidelines for BATFE investigations, and improve the appeals process for dealers. It will also provide more accountability and much-needed reform to this federal law enforcement agency.
Please contact your U.S. Senators and urge them to bring H.R. 5092 up for a vote before the 109th Congress adjourns. You may call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121. Additional contact information for your lawmakers can be found by visiting www.NRAILA.org, clicking the “Take Action” icon, and then clicking the “Write Your Representatives” icon.
PROVISION BY SENATORS BOXER AND FEINSTEIN PASSES SENATE--
WILL EXTERMINATE ALL SANTA ROSA ELK AND MULE DEER
Last month, President George W. Bush signed the “2007 Defense Authorization Act,” which included an NRA-supported provision saving hundreds of elk and mule deer on Santa Rosa Island from the court-ordered extermination that was to begin in 2008 and be completed by 2011.
However, this week an amendment by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Ca.), and Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca.), passed the Senate, and, if accepted by the House, will result in the overturning of current law and assure the extermination hundreds of healthy elk and mule deer on the island, off the coast of California. This action is not about public access or whether these animals should be hunted and by whom.
Siding with environmental extremists, Senators Boxer and Feinstein claim that the Kaibab deer and Roosevelt elk on Santa Rosa Island are destroying natural vegetation and thus, should be indiscriminately exterminated. The provision calls for the deer and elk to be killed en-masse. NRA-ILA opposes the indiscriminate extermination of these animals.
NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox stated, “In a blatant attempt to slaughter these animals – for absolutely no good purpose – Senators Boxer and Feinstein claim to ‘correct a terrible mistake.’ The only irreversible mistake in this situation is if these elitist politicians are allowed to kill healthy and robust animals for political purposes.”
Santa Rosa Roosevelt elk and Kaibab mule deer are unique and invaluable, as they are free from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and other ailments that threaten the species on the mainland. Forty miles of Pacific Ocean offer them a sanctuary from disease. The healthy and thriving herds can be used as breeding stock to repopulate in case of disaster on the mainland.
Cox concluded, “This is not about hunting – this is about political pandering and payback.”
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. As always, thank you for your support.***)
States with updates this issue: Massachusetts, Michigan, Texas, and Washington.
MASSACHUSETTS
On Thursday, November 9, a proposal was introduced before the New Bedford City Council to ban future sales of air guns, require licensing for existing air guns, and require that existing air guns be painted fluorescent colors. If approved, the proposal would be sent to the State House as legislation to affect the entire Commonwealth. On November 8, 2006 the Boston Globe published a story that announced the intentions of New Bedford City Councilor Brian Gomes to push for a statewide ban of BB guns and pellet guns. “If the requested legislation is passed, future tragedies . . . will be reduced or averted because there will be fewer legal pellet guns, BB guns, and no replicas that could be mistaken for the real thing,” said Gomes. According to the article a “recovering” drug addict drew a pellet gun on two police officers that had entered a crack house. The officers fired their guns, killing the drug addict. While this is certainly a tragedy for everyone involved, especially the officers, the Commonwealth should not be passing legislation banning lawful property based on an incident that occurred between police and drug addicts in a crack house. As expected, the measure was sent to the Appointments and Briefings Committee and will have a public hearing sometime in December. Banning the lawful use and ownership of air guns is not an appropriate response to reduce crime in New Bedford. NRA is urging all of our New Bedford members to contact their city councilors and ask them not to punish law-abiding citizens for something that happened in a crack house. The New Bedford City Council can be contacted by phone at (508) 979-1455, fax (508) 979-1451, or visit http://www.ci.new-bedford.ma.us/governmt/council/2006/CounMain1.htm for email contact information. We also urge all NRA members in the Commonwealth to contact their legislators and tell them that confiscating air guns from law-abiding citizens is not the way to start off a new legislative year. HELP DEFEND THE SECOND AMENDMENT IN THE BAY STATE! PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY! For further contact information please use the "Write Your Representative" feature found at www.NRAILA.org.
MICHIGAN
HB 6363 and HB 6364, sponsored by Representative Scott Hummel (R-93), will prevent Hurricane Katrina-like confiscations and amend the governor’s state of emergency powers accordingly. Both unanimously passed the House. If signed into law, this legislation will prevent the governor from imposing restrictions on the lawful possession, transfer, sale, transport, storage, display, or use of firearms and ammunition during a state of emergency. HB 6363 and HB 6364 are now heading to the Senate. Please keep checking your e-mail or www.NRAILA.org for updates on these two important bills.
TEXAS
This was the first week for State Senators and Representatives to pre-file bills for the 2007 session of the Texas Legislature. Several NRA-backed legislative initiatives have officially been filed and assigned bill numbers: SB 112 and HB 258 by Senator John Carona (R-16), and Representative Frank Corte (R-122), would prevent the confiscation of legally possessed firearms from law-abiding citizens during a state of emergency or natural disaster; HB 220, by Representative Phil King (R-61), would allow Concealed Handgun Licensees (CHLs) to store handguns in locked vehicles while parked on their employer’s property. Please begin contacting your State Senators and Representatives and urge them to support these important measures! Legislators’ contact information and the text of the bills listed above can be found at www.house.state.tx.us/bills/welcome.php. More NRA-supported legislation is expected to be pre-filed in the coming weeks; we’ll keep you posted!
WASHINGTON
Jefferson County commissioners will be considering a proposal on Monday, November 20, to make it easier to prohibit shooting and hunting in the county. This public hearing will be a continuation of the meeting originally scheduled on November 6. Over 100 NRA members showed up on that date and, due to a lack of space, forced the meeting to be rescheduled. Your attendance at the upcoming meeting is even more important because those opposed to hunting and shooting will attempt to get their people out in greater numbers to counter the voices of NRA members. If you did not attend the first meeting, it is critical you attend this one. If you DID show up two weeks ago, take two or three friends and go again next Monday! Existing county law requires affected residents to sign a petition requesting a no-shooting zone before Commissioners can consider its creation. The proposal would allow government officials to initiate the process of prohibiting shooting in the county and allow county employees to request restrictions on shooting based solely on the undefined standard of “significant enough” population density. To date, there is no indication that there have been any safety-related problems in the county or that there has been a problem in creating no-shooting zones where there is a justifiable need. There have been reports of discussions in the last year, however, regarding the creation of very expansive no-shooting zones which would include large chunks of the county encompassing rural areas, private farmland and WDFW and DNR land currently open to shooting and hunting. The November 6 proposal would seem to pave the way to implement such restrictive ordinances. Your attendance and participation at the upcoming November 20 public meeting to discuss the future of shooting and hunting in Jefferson County is crucial. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in Company A, Fort Worden Commons, at Fort Worden State Park located at 200 Battery Street in Port Townsend. This attempt to make it easier to impose restrictions on law-abiding shooters and hunters is similar to efforts NRA has been monitoring in many counties throughout the State of Washington. It appears that people are becoming fed up with the negative aspects associated with an urban lifestyle and are causing population shifts to historically rural counties. But then when they get there, these newcomers find there are characteristics of rural life they aren’t accustomed to or don’t like (firearms and shooting, for instance) and they work to impose their urban mind set on the rural traditions of their new area. It is absolutely critical that firearm owners, shooters and hunters turnout for this meeting. Although it is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m., NRA recommends you arrive at 5:00 p.m., as anti-gun advocates may try to fill the seats.
NRA will be closing at noon next Wednesday, November 22, for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Because of the abbreviated workweek, we will not transmit the Grassroots Alert next week. We will re-open on Monday, November 27, at 8:30 a.m., EST, and will resume our normal Friday Grassroots Alert transmission schedule on December 1.
Please have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday!
