Continue To Urge Support Of Tiahrt Amendment
For more than five years, cities suing the gun industry and anti-gun organizations have sought access to confidential law enforcement data on firearm traces — records that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) compiles when it traces firearms in response to requests from law enforcement agencies.
Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons Signs NRA-Backed “Emergency Powers Protection Act”
This week, Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons (R) signed into law NRA-backed Assembly Bill 95 (AB95)--the “Emergency Powers Firearms Protection Act.” This new law will prevent a governmental entity or law enforcement agency from confiscating firearms from law-abiding citizens during a declared state of emergency.
NRA Joins Lawsuit To Protect Ohio Firearms Preemption:
On Tuesday, NRA entered (as a defendant-intervenor) into a lawsuit brought by the City of Cleveland against the State of Ohio, in an attempt to usurp state firearms law pertaining to the possession, sale and transportation of firearms in Ohio. If the court accepts NRA's intervention, NRA will be able to participate fully on behalf of our members in defending the state preemption law that NRA was instrumental in passing.
STATE ROUNDUP(please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
CALIFORNIA (1): Sacramento City Council Considering Anti-Gun Ordinances! The Sacramento City Council could vote any day on two anti-gun ordinances. The first ordinance would require that the purchaser of ammunition be subject to unnecessary forms, fingerprinting, and a background check for each and every retail purchase. The second ordinance would dictate that a lost or stolen firearm must be reported to law enforcement within 48-hours of the discovery. Please contact Mayor Heather Fargo and the Sacramento City Council and respectfully urge them to oppose these unwarranted anti-gun measures. For contact information for the Mayor and the City Council, please click here.
CALIFORNIA (2): Update on Pending Anti-Gun Legislation in California (AB334, AB1471, AB821, AB1634) On Tuesday, May 29, two bills, Assembly Bill 334 and Assembly Bill 1471, aimed at stripping away our Second Amendment rights passed the Assembly and are now pending in the Senate for consideration. In addition, the Senate may soon also consider Assembly Bill 821, which passed the Assembly earlier this month. Please contact your State Senator today and respectfully urge him or her to OPPOSE AB334 (lost & stolen), AB1471 (micro-stamping), and AB821 (lead ammo ban). Contact information for your Senator can be found by clickinghere. In the Assembly, Assembly Bill 1634 is still pending action on the Assembly floor. It is critical that you contact your State Assembly Member and ask that he or she oppose this overreaching and discriminatory legislation. Please ask them to vote "no" on AB1634 (hunting dog restrictions). Contact information for your Assembly Member can be found by visiting http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset7text.htm.
CALIFORNIA (3): California Ammunition Registration Bill Heading to Assembly Floor! On Thursday, May 31, Assembly Bill 362 was amended and voted out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee. AB362 would require identification be presented for all mail order and face-to-face ammunition sales. Sellers of ammunition would be forced to keep detailed and accurate sales records of all ammunition sales. No retail seller of ammunition would be able to sell, offer for sale, or display for sale any ammunition in a manner that allows ammunition to be accessible to a purchaser without the assistance of the retailer or authorized employee. The bill was amended to include a “user fee” on ammunition sales to defray the cost of background checks on purchasers. NRA-ILA will have more information on the new amendments once they are in print. It is critical that you contact your Assembly Member TODAY and ask that he or she oppose AB362. Contact information for your Assembly Member can be found by visiting http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset7text.htm.
CONNECTICUT: "Lost and Stolen" Gun Bill Still Pending in Connecticut House! On Wednesday, May 23, the Connecticut Senate amended Senate Bill 903 into Senate Bill 938 and approved it by a vote of 24 to 11. Senate Bill 938 will now make it a crime for gun owners to not report the loss or theft of a firearm with 72 hours of when you “discover or should have discovered” it missing. Reporting the loss or theft of a handgun to police would immediately trigger an investigation into the whether the owner “should have discovered” the missing gun and exposes the owner to criminal prosecution. Please call your State Representative TODAY at (860) 240-0400 and urge him or her to OPPOSE Senate Bill 938.
DELAWARE (1): “Emergency Powers” Bill Heads to House Floor! House Bill 175 would protect our Second Amendment rights by prohibiting any government agency from confiscating or regulating the lawful sale, possession, transfer, transport and carry of firearms, during a state of emergency. Please contact your State Representative at (302) 744-4087 and ask him or her to defend your Second Amendment rights by supporting HB175.
DELAWARE (2): Bill to Allow Hunting with Handguns Passes Senate! Senate Bill 93, legislation that will allow hunters to hunt with a handgun, instead of a shotgun or muzzle-loading rifle, during the regular shotgun and muzzle-loader seasons. SB 93 may be considered in the Delaware House sometime next week, so please contact your Delaware State Representative today at (302) 744-4087 and ask him or her to support SB 93!
INDIANA: Discharge Ban Advancing in Indianapolis-Marion County, Indiana! On May 22, the Indianapolis-Marion City-County Council’s Rules and Public Safety Committee approved Proposal 174. This measure will prohibit the lawful discharge of firearms within the consolidated city-county boundary. Arbitrarily establishing that private property owners must have a minimum of five acres, zoned for agriculture, in order to lawfully hunt or shoot. Proposal 174 now goes before the full City-County Council for consideration – possibly as soon as Monday, June 11! Please contact your City-County Councilor and strongly encourage him or her to reject Proposal 174, and rather, focus on enforcing existing state law that addresses the reckless use or dangerous discharge of firearms. Contact information and District maps can be found at www.indygov.org.
LOUISIANA: Update on Pending Anti-Gun Measures in Louisiana! House Bill 869, legislation establishing far-reaching restrictions on semi-automatic firearms (dubbing them "assault weapons") and ammunition magazines, was voluntarily deferred by the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee, at the request of the bill’s author, State Representative Cedric Richmond (D-101). This means that the committee did not consider the bill, and as it stands now, HB 869 is not on the June 5 committee agenda. However, the sponsor could request that it be set for a hearing at a future point in time. NRA-ILA will continue to monitor the committee’s future agendas and will alert you if, indeed, the bill gets set again for a hearing. Also, the committee voted down HB 461 by State Representative Rick Gallot (D-11), which would ban the possession of firearms by students and non-students in college and university dormitories.
MASSACHUSETTS: One-Gun-A-Month Bill Still Looming In Massachusetts! House Bill 3991, filed by Governor Deval Patrick (D) is still pending in the Judiciary Committee. This proposal would prohibit law-abiding Massachusetts gun buyers from purchasing more than one firearm per month. Please contact the Judiciary Committee members today and respectfully urge them to oppose H 3991 and any other proposal that limits the rights of lawful gun owners. Also, please contact Governor Patrick and politely ask him to withdraw this anti-gun legislation. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
MAINE (1): Legislature Defends Maine’s Hunting Heritage! On Wednesday, May 23, the Maine House of Representatives voted 82-60 to uphold an “ought not to pass” recommendation for Legislative Document 1635, "An Act To Prohibit Recreational Bear Trapping." LD 1635 would have abolished the open season on trapping bears. Bear trapping has been a long-standing method of bear hunting in Maine. In fact, the bear management program is based upon the use of this form of hunting in order to maintain a healthy bear population in Maine. Please contact your State Senator today at (207) 287-1583 and your State Representative at (207) 287-1400 to thank them for accepting the “ought not to pass” committee report for LD1635.
MAINE (2): Waiting Period Bill Defeated in Maine! Legislative Document 361, legislation that would have mandated a 10-day waiting period for certain individuals who purchase firearms in Maine, was defeated this week. Please contact your State Representative at (207) 287-4469 and your State Senator at (207) 287-1540 to thank them for preserving your Second Amendment rights.
MICHIGAN: Michigan “No-Net-Loss” Bill Still Pending in Committee! House Bill 4597, “No-Net-Loss” of public hunting lands, is still pending in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs. A vote could come as early as next week. Please contact the members of the Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs and respectfully urge them to send HB 4597 on to the full State Senate for a vote. Please click here for contact information for the Committee.
NEVADA: Nevada: More Pro-Gun Bills Heading To The Governor’s Desk! Two more important pieces of pro-gun legislation are on the desk of Governor Jim Gibbons (R). Senate Bill 237, will allow Nevada to negotiate Right-to-Carry reciprocity agreements with states whose training standards match Nevada’s. Senate Bill 92, also sponsored by Senator John Lee, amends the state firearms preemption statute that mandates immediate handgun registration for any firearm owner who enters Clark County by extending it from immediate registration to sixty days. While this bill does not go far enough, it is a step in the right direction toward eliminating Clark County’s registration requirements. Please keep checking your email and www.NRAILA.org for updates on these two important pro-gun bills.
NEW JERSEY (1): Update on Tabernacle Township, New Jersey Anti-Gun Ordinance On May 29, the Tabernacle Township Committee voted to table an ordinance regulating the use of firearms on private property. The Committee will be looking at the proposed ordinance during a public Committee work session on Monday, June 11. Please make your voice heard once again by attending the Committee meeting or contacting the members of the Committee and urge them to defeat this attack on your Second Amendment rights once and for all. The Committee can be reached by calling (609) 268-1220.
NEW JERSEY (2): Tuesday, June 5 is Primary Election Day in New Jersey! Tuesday, June 5 is Primary Election Day in New Jersey. If you have questions about candidate grades and endorsements, please call our Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683. For more information about voting in New Jersey, please visit: http://www.state.nj.us/oag/elections/electionshome.html. Be sure to “Vote Freedom First” on Tuesday, June 5!
NEW YORK (1): Join NRA President John Sigler at the 2007 New York State Rifle and Pistol Association Annual Meeting! The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association (NYSRPA) annual meeting is coming soon! Register early, this event sells out fast! Here’s your chance to meet keynote speaker, NRA’s new President John Sigler, as well as enjoy a day of fun with the family at the range! The meeting will be held Saturday, June 9 at the Wallkill Rod & Gun Club, 316 Bruyn Turnpike, Wallkill, NY 12589. This event is open to the public and the cost is only $10.00! Tickets must be purchased by June 1. For tickets please contact the NYSRPA office toll-free at 800-469-7772 and for more information visit http://www.nysrpa.org/.
NEW YORK (2): Anti-Gun Package Still Looming in New York Legislature! A broad package of anti-gun legislation that was approved by the New York State Assembly is still pending action in the Senate. Each bill poses a very real threat to our Right to Keep and Bear Arms in the Empire State, so it is critical that you contact your State Senators at (518) 455-2800 and urge them to vote “NO” on A06525 (dealer liability), A00829 (integrated child safety devices), A02772 (.50 caliber ban), A03447 (ammunition ban), A07331 (“assault weapons” expansion), and A00076 (mandatory storage requirements)!
OREGON: Youth Hunter Mentor Bill Heading To Governor’s Desk! On Monday, May 21, Senate Bill 892 passed the House of Representatives and is now heading to Governor Ted Kulongoski’s (D) desk for his consideration. SB 892 establishes a program whereby a youth between the ages of nine and 14 may hunt for big game with a mentor, who is a licensed hunter and over 21 years of age. Thanks to all who testified at the several hearings, sent emails, and made phone calls in support of SB 892.
TEXAS: Successful Legislative Session Closes in Texas! Thanks to your phone calls and emails, NRA-ILA was able to pass four very important pro-gun measures during this year’s legislative session. Senate Bill 378, “Castle Doctrine” legislation, Senate Bill 112, “Emergency Powers” legislation, House Bill 991, Concealed Handgun License confidentiality, and House Bill 1815, which will clarify once and for all that law-abiding Texas motorists can legally transport a handgun in their vehicle without needing a CHL, all passed.
VIRGINIA: Once again, NRA is a cosponsor of the 36th Annual National Conservative 4th of July Soiree. This is an annual get-together of area conservatives for a day of fun and camaraderie. The event is open to your family and friends, and will be held July 4, at Bull Run Regional Park, in Centreville, VA, from Noon to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free, though you are requested to bring a side dish of your choice to share.
WISCONSIN: Update on Legislation Banning Private Firearm Sales in Wisconsin! The May 29 hearing on Senate Bill 104 was a success for Wisconsin’s gun owners. Supporters of the Second Amendment outnumbered those seeking to restrict private firearm transfers. SB 104 would require all firearms transfers, including those between family members, to be conducted through a federally licensed firearms dealer. However, the fight is not over. Please continue contacting the members of the Senate Labor, Elections and Urban Affairs Committee. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
