NEARLY 200 REGISTERED -- WILL YOU BE THERE?
The NRA-ILA Grassroots Division will host its FREEGrassroots Workshop on April 13, in
conjunction with NRA’s Annual Meetings in St. Louis. (Please click title link above for more information or to register.)
SECOND GRASSROOTS EVENT PLANNED FOR ST. LOUIS In addition to the FREEGrassroots Workshop being held in conjunction with NRA’s Annual Meetings in St. Louis,
the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division is holding an additional FREE event in St. Louis.
NEW JERSEY TRIAL COURT RECOGNIZES SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHT: The U.S. Court of Appeals decision striking down Washington, D.C.’s handgun ban isn’t the only recent court ruling to recognize Second Amendment rights. In a recent New Jersey case, a judge also found that the amendment protected the rights of a would-be gun buyer.
UPDATE ON THE PROPOSED CLOSING OF PUBLIC LANDS TO SHOOTING AND HUNTING! Federal agencies have proposed closing hundreds of thousands of acres of public land to recreational shooting and hunting in Arizona, Florida, and Nevada! It is critical that gun owners and sportsmen attend any upcoming public meetings and let their voices be heard!
BLM PROPOSES BANNING RECREATIONAL SHOOTING ON ARIZONA PUBLIC LANDS -- IRONWOOD FOREST NATIONAL MONUMENT! The BLM will be holding a series of public meetings to discuss banning recreational shooting on the Ironwood Forest National Monument. It is critical that gun owners attend those meetings!
HUNTING PROGRAM ON FLORIDA REFUGE IN JEOPARDY! A draft Waterfowl Hunting Plan and Environmental Assessment for Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge (www.fws.gov/southeast/TenThousandIsland/) (NWR) in Collier County, Fla. would ban waterfowl hunting on the refuge. The plan describes two alternatives for hunting on the refuge: (1) the proposed action alternative would open a waterfowl-hunting program, and (2) the “no action” would close the refuge to waterfowl hunting. Currently, waterfowl hunting is allowed on the refuge.
SHOOTING CLOSURE EXPECTED ON BLM LANDS OUTSIDE LAS VEGAS! The Bureau of Land Management has announced its intent to close certain areas within Nye County, Nev., to recreational target shooting. BLM is citing rapid increases in population and growth of Pahrump, Nev., as the reason for closing the area to target shooting. It is critical that gun owners attend the public meetings on the closure and make their voices heard!
STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
ARIZONA
BLM Proposes Banning Recreational Shooting on Arizona Public Lands -- Ironwood Forest National Monument The 128,000-acre Ironwood Forest National Monument is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management and is generally opened to dispersed recreational shooting. A management plan just released for public review and comment is likely to change that if BLM's preferred management alternative (Alternative C) is adopted. Alternative C would close the Monument to recreational shooting. Hunting would continue to be allowed. BLM has scheduled five public meetings to present its plan to the public and allow for comment and discussions. Please attend the public meetings or contact the BLM.
COLORADO
Assault on Right-to-Carry Permits Heading to Colorado House Floor! Senate Bill 34, sponsored by State Senator John Morse (D-11), passed the House Judiciary Committee today and is on its way to the House floor for a vote. SB34, if enacted, non-resident carry permits will no longer be honored if the address on the holder’s identification is different than the state where the permit was issued. Please contact your State Representative TODAY at (303) 866-2904, or if outside of Denver, at (800) 811-7647 and respectfully urge him or her to oppose SB34.
Gun Tax Advancing in Colorado Senate! Senate Bill 109, sponsored by State Senator Ron Tupa (D-18), seeks to increase the fee assessed for the instant criminal background check conducted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation prior to the transfer of a firearm. SB109 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee. Please contact your State Senator today at (303) 866-2316 and respectfully urge him or her to oppose this legislation.
Colorado Anti-Gun Legislation One Step Closer to Passage! House Bill 1174, sponsored by State Representative Al White (R-57), is scheduled to be heard in the State Senate in the coming days. House Bill 1174 would repeal the sunset review of the law enforcement database of carry permit holders. Please contact your State Senator today at (303) 866-2316 and respectfully urge him or her to oppose this legislation.
DELAWARE
Saturday, April 14 is Special Election Day in Delaware! A Special Election to fill the seat recently vacated by former Majority Leader Wayne Smith (R-Brandywine Hundred North) has been set for Saturday, April 14, 2007. Smith had been House Majority Leader since 1996, and a House member since 1990. This will be an important race for Delaware Gun Owners. Remember to vote "Freedom First" on Election Day.
FLORIDA
Update on Florida’s NRA-Backed “Individual Personal Private Property Protection” Legislation! Your help is needed to pass HB 1417 and SB 2356 and STOP corporate giants from trampling our Second Amendment Rights. Representative Dennis Baxley (R-24) and Senator Durell Peaden (R-2) have filed identical companion bills to stop anti-gun businesses from searching customer and employee vehicles in parking lots and from taking punitive action against people who keep firearms in their vehicles for self-defense and other lawful purposes. Please contact the members of the State Criminal Justice Committee today by visiting http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=2766.
GEORGIA
Georgia Pro-Gun Legislation Under Attack by Big Corporate Interests! Critical NRA-supported legislation to protect our gun rights is being attacked in the Senate by big corporate interests opposed to your gun rights. SB 43 would allow employees to lawfully possess firearms in their locked motor vehicles on their employer’s property. Please contact your State Senator at (404) 656-5040 and ask him to vote for SB43. Also, call Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle at (404) 656-5030 and ask him to schedule SB 43 for a vote.
ILLINOIS
Gun Ban Headed to Senate Floor Any Day! Legislation to ban countless firearms and further restrict the type of firearms law-abiding Illinoisians can own is heading to the Senate floor for a vote any day now. Please contact your State Senators at (217) 782-715 and respectfully urge them to oppose Senate Bill 1471 and Senate Bill 16.
MAINE
Bill to Establish Waiting Periods in Maine Killed! Legislative Document 361, sponsored by State Representative Margaret Craven (D-74), "An Act To Create a Waiting Period for Firearms," was voted down in the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee This legislation would have mandated a 10-day waiting period for certain individuals who purchase firearms in Maine. Thanks to your calls and efforts we were able to defeat the first anti-gun measure before the Committee this year!
Mandatory Training Legislation Still Looming in Maine Legislature! Legislative Document 778, introduced by State Senator Karl Turner (Cumberland-R) still looms in the legislature. This measure would require all new CHL applicants and renewing holders of a Right-to-Carry permit show documentation they have completed a firearms safety course that includes at least6 hours of course work! This bill also removes exemptions to current handgun safety course requirements for an applicant or holder of a Right-to-Carry permit who can personally demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter. Please call the bill sponsors today and urge them to oppose this legislation. Legislators can be reached at the following toll-free numbers: Maine House of Representatives 1-800-423-2900 and the Maine Senate 1-800-423-6900.
MISSOURI
Missouri Legislature Pushing Second Amendment Forward! The Missouri Senate passed Senate Bill 257, sponsored by Senator Kevin Engler (R-3). SB257, also referred to as the “Missouri Disaster Recovery Protection Act,” will protect your Second Amendment rights during an emergency or disaster. In addition, the House will soon resume work on three more pro-gun measures: House Bill 462, sponsored by Representative Brian Munzlinger (R-1); House Bill 845, sponsored by Representative Bob Dixon (R-140); and Senate Bill 62, sponsored by Senator Jack Goodman (R-29). Please contact your State Representative at (571)-751-3659 and strongly encourage him or her to support and vote for these important measures.
NEW MEXICO
New Mexico Legislature Adjourns Sine Die! The New Mexico Legislature adjourned sine die at noon Saturday, March 17. Late last Friday, the Senate gave final approval to House Bill 588 by State Representative John Heaton (D-Carlsbad), the NRA-backed bill allowing Concealed Handgun Licensees to protect themselves in establishments that sell alcohol for off-premises consumption. Also, NRA-ILA and the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association were successful in securing just over $1 million in additional capital outlay funding for improvements to Albuquerque's Shooting Range State Park, that will host NRA's National Police Shooting Championships for the second year in a row, this fall. Finally, Senate Bill 39, NRA-supported "Castle Doctrine" self-defense legislation sponsored by State Senator Shannon Robinson (D-Albuquerque) passed the Senate and two House Committees, but failed to be considered by the full House for final approval in the days leading up to adjournment because of procedural maneuvers by two key committee chairs who opposed the measure.
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania House Committee Schedules Statewide Hearings on “Gun Violence!” The House Judiciary Committee, Chaired by Tom Caltagirone (Berks -D) has scheduled statewide hearings on gun-related crime. This will be an opportunity for gun owners in Pennsylvania to express their concerns regarding the many recent anti-gun proposals introduced in the House of Representatives, that include "one-gun-a-month" schemes and semi-automatic firearm bans. If you are unable to attend these hearings, please call your State Representative at (717) 787-2372 and urge him or her to support your Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
Pennsylvania Right to Keep and Bear Arms Press Conference Scheduled! Pennsylvania grassroots sportsmen's organizations have scheduled a Second Amendment Press Conference for Tuesday, April 24 at the Capitol Building steps in Harrisburg. This event will give Pennsylvania gun owners the opportunity to speak out against recently introduced anti-gun bills which include “one-gun-a-month” schemes and semi-auto bans.
TEXAS
Texas Pro-Gun Legislation on the Move! By an overwhelming 133-13 vote, the Texas State House gave final approval this week to the NRA-backed "Castle Doctrine" self-defense bill sponsored by State Senator Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) and carried by State Representative Joe Driver (R-Garland) in the House. Also, NRA-backed legislation allowing employees who are Concealed Handgun Licensees to transport and store handguns in their private vehicles while parked on their employer's property, advanced out of both House and Senate committees this week.
VERMONT
Vermont’s Bill to Ban Lead Ammunition Appears To Have Been “Hung On The Wall!” Due to the overwhelming and exceptional actions of Vermont’s gun owners and sportsmen, H. 352 appears to be dead for the 2007 legislative session. H. 352 is being disguised as a “help the children lead ban” bill to remove lead hazards from homes and businesses. Unfortunately, H. 352 is too broad and leaves interpretation open for municipalities to ban manufacture, sales, and possession of lead ammunition.
VIRGINIA
Committee Formed to Protect Virginia’s Right-to-Carry Permit Holders! As we reported earlier, an editorial that appeared in the Sunday, March 11 edition of The Roanoke Times that purported to simply shed a little light on who in the Commonwealth has obtained a carry permit, as well as some of the discrepancies and inaccuracies within the permit record keeping system, actually went a few steps beyond that. In response to the voices of thousands of concerned Virginians, on Tuesday, March 19, the General Assembly’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Council established a sub-committee to study the issue and provide for an appropriate remedy to ensure that such sensitive information is never again used so recklessly and irresponsibly. NRA will be an active participant in the Council’s study and the resulting process.
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine Signs Three Important Bills! On Friday, March 23, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D), signed three critical pieces of legislation all sponsored by Delegate Scott Lingamfelter (R-31): House Bill 2653, prohibits gun dealer entrapment schemes, such as those orchestrated by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; House Bill 2308: provides that counties may adopt hunting regulations as provided by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries; and House Bill 2309: eliminates the three shotgun shell maximum when hunting non-migratory game. Please contact Governor Kaine at (804)-786-2211 to thank him for protecting law-abiding firearms dealers.
