States with updates this issue: Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
The 110th Congress has been sworn in and is now up and running. As we've been reporting, with most of the congressional leadership firmly in anti-gun hands, you can bet we are going to face a number of challenges that threaten our Second Amendment rights. However, we are also going to work to ensure that newly-elected lawmakers who ran on pro-gun campaign promises, get an opportunity to make good on their commitments, as we will take advantage of any and all opportunities to advance our agenda.
With so many new faces in Congress, and both houses under new management, it is important that your elected officials hear from you NOW to learn of your support for the Second Amendment and your opposition to new gun control laws. Remember, some of these legislators have NEVER cast a gun-related vote. We never want to hear a lawmaker claim he voted for restrictions on our rights because he never heard anything to the contrary from his constituents. No lawmaker deserves a free pass! And don’t forget to contact your state officials as well. Most state legislatures have also reconvened (or will soon), and we anticipate that much of the action we face this year will be at the state level.
NRA-ILA has a number of tools to make identifying and contacting your representatives easy. Visit www.NRAILA.org, and click the "Take Action" tab at the top of the page. Then, choose the "Write Your Representatives" option. By entering your zip code, you will be provided with contact information for your lawmakers in Washington.
Before you use this feature to send your lawmaker an e-mail, check out the "Tips for Communicating With Your Lawmakers" link that can be found atop the "Write Your Representatives" feature. Here you will find guidelines for effectively communicating with your lawmakers.
As gun-related legislation is introduced and makes its way through the 110th Congress, we will fully report on these bills in future Alerts, and remind you to take advantage of the aforementioned resources to make your views known to your lawmakers. In the meantime, please contact your lawmakers in Washington now to introduce yourself and to get "on the record" in support of the Second Amendment, and encourage your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to do the same.
2007 YOUTH EDUCATION SUMMIT
The National Rifle Association’s Youth Education Summit (YES) program is gearing up to host another active week for students who want to learn about the U.S. government. The YES program will host a group of outstanding high school sophomores and juniors from across the United States for a weeklong educational experience in Washington, D.C. This year’s program will take place July 9 - 15. The deadline for applications is set for March 1, 2007.
The Youth Education Summit is a seven-day event designed to encourage America’s youth to become active and knowledgeable U.S. citizens. YES is an intensive educational experience that allows students to learn the significance of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, to develop an understanding of the federal government, and see the importance of active participation in civic affairs--all while in the nation’s capital.
Activities on this year’s schedule include:
- Informative tours, and independent time, at historic sites and monuments in and around Washington, D.C.
- Traversing an obstacle course at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va.
- Guest speakers and research time at NRA Headquarters and the National Firearms Museum.
- Competitive debates with other high school students from across the nation.
In addition to the week in Washington, D.C., YES participants compete for $30,000 in college scholarships. Since the program’s inception in 1996, over $140,000 in scholarships have been awarded.
The March 1, deadline is quickly approaching. High school sophomores and juniors interested in participating in the NRA’s Youth Education Summit program need to have their applications postmarked by the deadline.
For additional information, and to download an application for the 2007 Youth Education Summit, please visit www.nrafoundation.org/yes or call (800) 672-3888, ext. 1353.
FOREST SERVICE PLAN NEEDS CRUCIAL INPUT FROM SPORTSMEN
The Pike and San Isabel National Forests in Colorado are developing a management plan to shape the kinds of uses allowed in these Forests for the next 15 years. Seven public meetings are scheduled in January and February to give the public an opportunity to state how they want the Forests to be managed. The last time the management plan was updated was in 1984, so it is likely that the new plan will incorporate some significant changes. It is vital that sportsmen and women participate in the process to ensure access and opportunities for hunting and recreational shooting.
In its announcement, the Forest Service said that the principal issues will be recreation, ranching, oil and gas development, logging, forest thinning, and off-road vehicle use. The meetings will be from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m., in the following locations:
January 17 - Leadville, National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, 120 West 9th Street
January 18 - Salida, Chaffee County Fairgrounds, 10165 County Road 120
January 30 - Denver, Clements Community Center, 1580 Yarrow Street
January 31 - Colorado Springs, La Foret Conference Center, 6145 Shoup Road
February 14 -Westcliffe, Ranchera's Roost Cafe & Bowling Alley, 25 Main Street
February 15 - Pueblo, El Pueblo Museum, 302 N. Santa Fe Avenue
February 21 - Fairplay, Fairplay Fairbarn, 880 Bogue Street
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: Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
MISSOURI
Representative Kenny Jones (R-117) has introduced House Bill 189, Missouri Castle Doctrine. This legislation will ensure that law-abiding Missourians will not have a duty to retreat from a violent attacker, and may stand their ground and meet force with force. As a former Sheriff, Representative Jones understands the critical importance of a citizen's right to self-defense, and HB189 will be a major step forward in protecting that right. Please contact your State Representative at (573) 751-0940 and urge him or her to protect your right to self-defense by supporting HB189, Missouri’s Castle Doctrine.
NEVADA
Currently, it's illegal to own or possess a handgun in Clark County, Nevada, unless it's registered with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. This means that if you have a Nevada Right-to-Carry permit from any other county outside of Clark County, your pistol must be registered in Clark County if you are there more than one day. Even if you come to Clark County to participate in a pistol-shooting event or gun show that lasts more than one day, your pistol must be registered with the sheriff of Clark County. The Nevada Revised Statutes (244.364) establishes a uniform state law for all firearms in the state of Nevada. However, when the law was passed in 1989, Clark County was "grandfathered," which means that any and all local ordinances governing firearms before the law went into effect were allowed to stand. State Senator John Lee (D-Clark County), is introducing legislation in the 2007 Session (BDR S-45) that will eliminate this "grandfather clause" from the State Firearms Preemption Law. This will remove the patchwork of local gun laws and protect law-abiding Nevada gun owners from inadvertently becoming criminals. It is vital that NRA members communicate with their legislators prior to the session start date of February 5, while they are still in the districts, and ask them to join Senator Lee and co-author this very important piece of legislation. BDR S-45 has yet to be assigned a bill number, but when it does go to print, it would send a strong message of support to Senator Lee if it had your legislator's name attached as a co-author. Thank you for your support! 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 State of Nevada!
PENNSYLVANIA & VIRGINIA
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) has announced that a reciprocal agreement was reached allowing valid Pennsylvania Right-to-Carry licensees to carry within both Virginia and Pennsylvania. All license holders will be required to follow state laws, including age restrictions and type of handguns permitted. For a complete list of reciprocal states and state licenses that are honored by Pennsylvania, please visit: www.attorneygeneral.gov/crime.aspx?id=184.
SOUTH CAROLINA
The 117th South Carolina General Assembly convened this week, and pro-gun State Representative Greg Delleney (R-43) has introduced legislation to make South Carolina a straight recognition state for Right-to-Carry (RTC) permits. H 3212 would remove from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) the authority to arbitrarily determine which permits issued by other states will be recognized in South Carolina. Instead, H 3212 would mandate that all valid RTC permits be recognized in South Carolina. This legislation will not only greatly increase the number of permits issued by other states that will be honored in South Carolina, but will also increase the number of states that will recognize a South Carolina permit. Please contact your State Representative at (803) 734-2402 and urge him or her to cosponsor this critical legislation. You may also want to take a moment to thank Representative Delleney for his efforts to promote our Right to Keep and Bear Arms and our right to personal protection.
TEXAS
The 80th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature convened this week. Numerous pro-Second Amendment measures have already been filed and will be considered by lawmakers this session: HB 284, by Rep. Joe Driver (R-Garland), the NRA-backed Castle Doctrine/self-defense law reform bill; SB 112, by Sen. John Carona (R-Dallas), and HB 258, by Rep. Frank Corte (R-San Antonio), NRA-supported legislation to prohibit the confiscation of firearms from law-abiding citizens during a state of emergency or natural disaster; HB 220, by Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford), and HB 511, by Rep. David Farabee (D-Wichita Falls), NRA-supported bills allowing Concealed Handgun Licensees to transport and store handguns in locked vehicles parked on employer-controlled property; and SB 112, by Sen. Bob Deuell (R-Greenville), the NRA-supported CHL confidentiality bill. Please contact your State Representatives and State Senators and urge them to sign on as co-authors to these important measures! Contact information for your elected officials, as well as the text of these bills, can be found at the following websites: http://www.house.state.tx.us and http://www.senate.state.tx.us.
WASHINGTON
In a nod towards the wishes of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, a handful of anti-gun measures are slated to come before the 2007/2008 Washington Legislature as the session kicks off this week. Perhaps the most dangerous is House Bill 1026, a measure aimed directly at private firearm sales, which would mandate that all firearms sold at gun shows be transferred through a federally licensed dealer, thereby imposing dealer restrictions on private individuals who are not dealers. House Bill 1014 imposes strict penalties should an individual be found guilty of “unsafe storage of a firearm” under the definition of “reckless endangerment.” This measure singles out the storage of firearms for criminalization rather than directing attention towards educating children on the issue of firearms safety. These bills have been recycled from sessions past, and thanks to the support of NRA members in Washington, have been consistently beaten back. However, this legislative year they have a chance of passage due to the change in political make-up of the Legislature from the 2006 election cycle. It is vital that NRA members keep up the pressure and communicate with their legislators in opposition to HB 1026 and HB 1014. For a full listing of names and contact information, please log onto the Legislative website at http://www.wa.gov/, or call the toll free hotline at (800) 562-6000. Thank you!
