SUPREME COURT POSTPONES ANNOUNCEMENT
ON D.C. SECOND AMENDMENT CASE
The Supreme Court’s orders announced Tuesday, November 13, did not mention any action on District of Columbia v. Heller (formerly known as Parker v. District of Columbia) or on the related petition by the plaintiffs who were denied standing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Any guessing about the reasons for the delay would be just that. Based on the Court's current calendar, the next possible date for an announcement on the case would be November 26.
Brady Campaign Takes Another Shot At “Parker”: As the Supreme Court considered whether to review District of Columbia v. Heller (formerly Parker v. District of Columbia), the Brady Campaign posted on its website two more essays (in addition to three previously posted ones) faulting the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in that landmark case.
“Hunting and Fishing Bill of Rights and Responsibilities?” In an attempt to camouflage and deflect criticism from his anti-gun, anti-sportsmen record, former U.S. Senator and current Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards (D-N.C.) last month proposed a “Hunting and Fishing Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.”
While Edwards’ proposal may fool his stylist, most NRA members are well aware of the former senator’s anti-gun and anti-sportsmen record, which leads us to…
“…The Privilege Of The People To Keep And Bear Arms, Shall Not Be Infringed”: You may recall that in concluding a YouTube interview last May, the former Senator engaged in a segment called “right or privilege.” During this segment, the interviewer peppered Edwards with a series of questions asking if he considered each a right or a privilege. In response to the proposition of “owning a handgun,” and following a pregnant pause, came the former Senator’s one word answer: “privilege.” Also surprising is what Edwards feels constitutes a “right.” To see the interview, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQFhdFfl6rM.
This week’s outrage comes from Smithville, Missouri, where hunter and high school senior Steven Weeks was suspended for leaving his unloaded .22 rifle in his locked pickup truck while attending a Smithville High football game.
STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
ILLINOIS: Continue to Express Your Opposition to Proposed FOID Card Regulations! As we have previously reported, the Illinois State Police has proposed enacting an age limit to obtain an Illinois Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) card. This appears to be in response to an editorial by Daily Southtown columnist Howard Ludwig, who created controversy where none existed when he wrote an article about obtaining a FOID card for his ten-month-old son. Illinois law does not set an age requirement for issuance of a FOID card with a parent’s consent, but imposing one could have disastrous effects on Illinois’ rich hunting heritage and would endanger the lives of children. The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) will determine if this rule will be enacted, but you can still submit comments in opposition to the proposal. Please address your comments to: Mr. John M. Hosteny, Interim Chief Legal Counsel, Illinois State Police, 801 South 7th Street, Suite 1000-S, P.O. Box 19461, Springfield, IL 61794-9461. Please be sure to ask Mr. Hosteny to share your comments with the members of JCAR. You can also send your comments directly to the JCAR at 700 Stratton Office Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706 or email [email protected].
Counties Supporting the Second Amendment! Currently, 60 of the 102 counties in Illinois have passed resolutions stating support of the individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment. This growing movement should be noted by state lawmakers in Springfield. Mostly symbolic, these proclamations state support for the Second Amendment and opposition to efforts to restrict that right in the Illinois General Assembly. For more information on this effort, go to http://www.pro2aresolution.com/.
LOUISIANA: Saturday, November 17 is Election Day! Please be sure to go to the polls and protect our Second Amendment rights. Please visit http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/ for more information about voting in Louisiana. For candidate ratings and endorsements, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) or visit www.NRAPVF.org. Remember to “Vote Freedom First” on Saturday, November 17!
MASSACHUSETTS: Emergency Powers Legislation Needs Your Help! State Senator Richard Moore (D-Worcester and Norfolk) has proposed Senate Bill 1401, legislation that would prohibit law enforcement or government officials from confiscating the "lawfully owned or lawfully carried" firearms of citizens during a declared state of emergency. S.1401 would also penalize those officials who choose to ignore this law and attempt to confiscate firearms. Please contact your State Legislators today at (617) 722-2000 and respectfully urge them to write a letter to the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, asking that S.1401 be released with a favorable report before the holiday break. Contact information can be found by visiting http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm.
PENNSYLVANIA: House Judiciary Committee Scheduled to Vote on Anti-Gun Bill Package! Requested by Governor Ed Rendell (D), the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a meeting on Tuesday, November 20 at 10:00 am to vote on a number of anti-gun measures. This package of bills is comprised of a “one-gun-a-month” gun-rationing scheme, a requirement for individuals to report lost or stolen firearms, and legislation aimed at dismantling Pennsylvania’s preemption law. It is vital that you contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee today and respectfully urge them to protect our Second Amendment rights by opposing this anti-gun package of bills. Contact information for the Committee can be found by clicking here.
VIRGINIA: Hunting With Hounds Under Review: The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has launched a review of hound hunting in the Commonwealth. Focus group meetings will be held around the state during November and December and are being conducted by Virginia Tech. Trespass complaints from property owners have sparked this review. The Department’s goal is “To provide diverse opportunities for hunting with hounds in Virginia in a manner that is fair, sportsmanlike and consistent with the rights of property owners and other citizens.” The process includes many avenues for hound hunters to participate, such as focus group meetings with individual stakeholder groups, a survey conducted through the Department’s web site, opportunity to review all developments, public meetings, and by letter or e-mail. About half of the focus groups will be made up of bear, deer, fox, and raccoon hound hunters. The remainder of the focus groups will be populated by landowners, government representatives, other hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. If you are a hound hunter, make your views known during this public process. Go to www.dgif.state.va.us/hunting/hounds for more information about how you can participate.
NRA will be closing at noon next Wednesday, November 21, 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 26, at 8:30 a.m., EST, and will resume our normal Friday Grassroots Alert transmission schedule on November 30.
Please have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday!
