More Gun Laws, More Violent Crime
In January, the Brady Campaign released its annual “State Report Cards,” scoring the states according to their gun laws.
Once again, the Brady rankings clearly demonstrate that states that have the most gun control tend to have the most violent crime.
New Gun Show Legislation Introduced: As expected, anti-gun Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced his “gun show” legislation this week.
Support Legislation To Improve & Modernize BATFE: As we’ve recently reported, two bills considered in the last Congress--H.R. 5005 & H.R. 5092--have been combined, improved, and re-introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives as H.R. 4900--the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2007.” H.R. 4900 is cosponsored by Representatives Steve King (R-Iowa) and Zack Space (D-Ohio).
Senate May Consider Change In National Park Firearm Rules: The U.S. Senate is likely to consider S. 2483, the “National Forests, Parks, Public Land, and Reclamation Projects Authorization Act,” next week. If that happens, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is expected to offer an amendment to S. 2483 to allow state law to govern the carrying and transportation of firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges.
New Video Component To Grassroots Alert: Starting this week, we’re adding video coverage to the Grassroots Alert when possible. To view this week’s “Grassroots Minute” video, please click here: mms://media.streamtoyou.com/nra/020108ila_minute.wmv.
Outrage of the Week--Crossing the Line: This week’s outrage comes from Pasquotank County in North Carolina.
If you want a gun permit in Pasquotank, you can go to the new Pasquotank Public Service Building in Elizabeth City, but you must stand in line. The only problem is that you, a law-abiding citizen, may have to stand in that line with convicted sex offenders. That’s because if you’re there to get a gun permit, there’s only one line you’re allowed to stand in; and the sign at the head of that line reads, “Gun Permits/Sex Offender Registration.”
STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
COLORADO: “Castle Doctrine” Bill to be Heard on Wednesday, February 6! Sponsored by State Representative Cory Gardner (R-63), House Bill 1066 will be heard by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, February 6. HB1066 would extend self-defense protections beyond the home to include businesses, and grant civil and criminal immunity for using deadly force if a person is faced with a threat of great bodily harm or death in his or her home or business. Please contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee and respectfully urge them to support HB1066 to allow business owners to protect themselves and their place of business. Also, please contact your State Representative at (303) 866-2904 or toll-free at 1-800-811-7647 and respectfully urge him or her to support HB1066 to allow business owners to protect themselves and their place of business.
Bills Proposed to Limit Hunting Access! Several bills have been proposed in the Colorado Legislature that seek to severely restrict and limit the access to Colorado’s sportsmen. House Bill 1069 presumes all unmarked trails are closed to motorized vehicles. This bill would restrict access to hunters using ATVs and create penalties for infractions. House Bill 1137, sponsored by State Representative Jerry Sonnenberg (R-65), would force the Division of Wildlife to sell an equal amount of public hunting land for every purchase, grant, or gift of hunting land it inherits - an anti-“No-Net Loss” bill. Finally, House Bill 1096, introduced by State Representative Debbie Stafford (D-40) would prevent anyone to hunt behind an enclosure, no matter how large the enclosure. The language is so broadly written that it will eliminate hunting on all fenced properties, regardless of their size. Please click here for contact information.
Bill to Limit Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s Hours Scheduled for Hearing! Introduced by State Representative James Kerr (R-28), House Bill 1190 would eliminate the requirement that the Colorado Bureau of Investigation remain open for business for at least 12 hours on Sundays in order to process requests for instant criminal background checks. This requirement will exacerbate wait time for purchasing a firearm, especially since most firearm purchases occur on weekends. HB1190 will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, February 12. Please contact the members of the committee and respectfully urge them to oppose HB 1190. Contact information can be found here.
Criminal Protection" Bill Introduced! Legislation that would render homeowners defenseless and gives intruding criminals the upper hand has been proposed by State Senator Sue Windels (D-19). Under Senate Bill 49, adults would be forced to store their firearms under lock and key or face prosecution if their firearm is used in a suicide or crime. No hearing date has been scheduled in the Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs. Please contact the members of the Committee today and respectfully urge them to oppose SB49. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
ILLINOIS: Gun Rights Under Assault in Cook County! As we reported previously, Cook County is currently considering two anti-gun proposals that must be defeated! First, the Safe Streets/Weapons Registration Ordinance requires the registration of all firearms and firearm owners in the county. As written, it is an outright gun ban and prohibits the transport of a firearm in your vehicle unless the firearm is "broken down in a nonfunctioning state." The other proposed ordinance would amend the county's "Deadly Weapon Dealers Ordinance" to completely ban all gun shows within the county, and prohibits federally licensed dealers from operating within 10 miles of one another. Please contact the Cook County Board of Commissioners today and respectfully urge them to oppose these ordinances. Contact information for the Board can be found by clicking here.
IOWA: “Shall-Issue” Legislation Re-Introduced! State Representative Clel Baudler (R-58) and 40 bi-partisan cosponsors have re-introduced legislation that would reform Iowa’s concealed handgun statute and make Iowa a “shall-issue” state. Per House File 2092, any law-abiding persons 21 years of age or older would be eligible for a permit to carry a concealed handgun if they pass a training and marksmanship course. HF2092 also has a reciprocity provision that allows a person possessing a valid out-of-state permit to carry a handgun in Iowa subject to the restrictions of Iowa law and provided that the state that issued the license has requirements that are equal to or greater than Iowa’s requirements. The Department of Public Safety would be required to determine which states qualify as reciprocal states. HF2092 has been sent to the House Committee on Public Safety, however no hearing has been scheduled. Please check your email and www.NRAILA.org for any updates on this and other Second Amendment related legislation in Iowa.
KENTUCKY: Self-Defense Legislation Needs Your Help Today! House Bill 114, sponsored by State Representative Robert Damron (D-39), is currently stuck in the House Judiciary Committee even though more than sixty legislators have signed on as co-sponsors. HB114 requires that universities, colleges, and postsecondary institutions comply with current law allowing law-abiding citizens to keep firearms in their locked vehicles on university property. Don’t allow anti-gun legislators to dictate your Second Amendment rights. It is important that the House Leadership hear from you. Please contact the Leadership of the Kentucky House of Representatives and respectfully ask them to support this important piece of self-defense legislation by scheduling it for a vote in the House Judiciary Committee. Please click here for contact information.
MARYLAND: De Facto Gun Registration Scheme Proposed! On Tuesday, February 26, the House Judiciary Committee and the House Ways & Means Committee have scheduled a hearing to consider House Bill 517. HB517 would require ammunition manufacturers to encode a serial number on all ammunition for regulated firearms (handguns and “assault weapons”) sold in the state. Shotgun ammunition is exempted. The bill would also create an intrusive database of ammunition purchasers, including the name, date of birth, driver’s license number, serial number of ammunition purchased, and “any other information the Secretary (of State Police) considers necessary” would be compiled. Please contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Ways & Means Committee and respectfully urge them to oppose this onerous attack on our privacy and Second Amendment rights. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
MISSISSIPPI: Two Bills Introduced to Protect Ranges! Earlier this week, two bills were proposed in the Mississippi Legislature that would expand the scope of protection for shooting ranges and gun club facilities within the state. Senate Bill 2466 and House Bill 346 would prohibit local governments from placing restrictions on existing shooting ranges by prohibiting any new laws or ordinances from being enacted. Please contact your State Legislators and respectfully urge them to support both SB 2466 and HB 346 once they are assigned hearing dates within their referred committees. Contact information can be found here.
NEBRASKA: Legislature to Consider Gun Control Bill! The Judiciary Committee of the Nebraska Legislature will consider a bill that if passed, will have serious consequences for law-abiding gun owners in the Cornhusker State. LB958, among other things, would victimize Nebraska’s law-abiding gun-owners a second time by requiring them to report to police the loss or theft of a firearm within 48 hours of the discovery of the loss or face criminal prosecution. This bill would also mandate that every firearm sold be accompanied with a gun lock or trigger lock and require retailers to post a sign and provide written notice to buyers that all firearms should be stored locked. LB958 would also create a “Gun Violence Commission,” to investigate “gun violence and gun-related deaths in Nebraska” as well as any “factors that contribute to gun violence.” Please contact your State Senator today and respectfully urge him or her to protect Nebraskans’ Right to Keep and Bear Arms by opposing LB958. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
NEW JERSEY: Animal "Rights" Activists Back at it in Trenton! A1202, sponsored by Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-31), would stack the Fish & Game Council with five individuals recommended to the Governor by acknowledged anti-fishing and anti-hunting organizations: The New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance, The Bear Education and Resource Group, and the Humane Society of the United States. The five anti-fishing and anti-hunting nominees would be based upon their “experience in environmental protection or other fields relevant to animal welfare and with a background in the preservation of wildlife.” A1202 is just one more attempt by animal “rights” extremists to destroy our outdoor heritage in New Jersey. Please contact your Assembly member today and respectfully urge him or her to oppose this legislation. Your Assembly member can be found by visiting http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp.
OHIO: “Castle Doctrine” Scheduled for Committee Hearing on Wednesday, February 6! On Wednesday, February 6, at 10:00 a.m. in the North Hearing Room, the Senate Judiciary - Criminal Justice Committee will hear Senate Bill 184. SB 184, sponsored by State Senator Steve Buehrer (R-1) would preserve an individual’s right to respond with force in defense of their lives, and the lives of their family, without fear of civil lawsuits by criminals. Please make plans to attend this important hearing to help protect the right to self-defense for all the law-abiding citizens of Ohio. If you are unable to attend, please contact the members of the Committee and respectfully urge them to support SB184. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
PENNSYLVANIA: Emergency Powers Bill Scheduled for Committee Vote! Senate Bill 1172, Pennsylvania’s “Emergency Powers” legislation, sponsored by State Senator Robert Robbins (R-50), has been scheduled for a vote in the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee on Tuesday, February 5, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 8E-B East Wing. SB 1172 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, such as occurred in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Please contact the members of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to support SB 1172. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Good news for South Dakota’s Right-to-Carry permit holders. House Bill 1086, brought by the House Education Committee, at the request of the South Dakota Board of Regents, would have allowed universities to ban firearms on university property. The bill was deferred to the 36th legislative day, effectively defeating it, by a vote of 12-0 in the House State Affairs Committee Wednesday, January 30. House Bill 1261, introduced by State Representative Thomas Brunner (R-29) and State Senator Dennis Schmidt (R-33),would prevent universities from passing regulations that infringe on the right to carry if a person is complying with existing state laws. HB1261 passed House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday by a 12-0 vote and now moves on for consideration by the House of Representatives. Please keep visiting www.NRAILA.org for updates on this and other Second Amendment legislation.
House Speaker Tom Deadrick (R-21) has introduced House Joint Resolution 1005 to place on the 2008 ballot a measure to add the Constitutional Right to hunt, fish, and trap in South Dakota. The bill has been assigned to House Committee on State Affairs, but it has not been scheduled for a hearing yet. Please contact the members of the committee and respectively urge them to support this important resolution that will safeguard our hunting heritage. Contact information can be found here.
Youth Mentored Hunting Bill Could be Heard Next Week! State Representative Mike Buckingham (R-33) has introduced legislation to create a mentored hunting program for children between ages 10 and 16. The current minimum hunting age in South Dakota is 12. While licensed youth hunters still need to take a HuntSafe course, House Bill 1263 would establish a “try before you buy” program allowing younger kids to experience their first hunts without a license under the direct supervision of a licensed adult. This bill is part of the Families Afield Initiative that is a cooperative effort between NRA, the National Wild Turkey Federation, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and National Shooting Sports Foundation. HB1263 could be heard as early as next week in the House Agriculture Committee. Please contact the members of the committee today and urge them to protect South Dakota’s rich and proud hunting heritage. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
TENNESSEE: Ammo Serialization Bill Filed in House and Senate! On Thursday, January 17, legislation was filed in both the Tennessee House and Senate that would requires all handgun ammunition manufactured or sold in Tennessee to be coded with a serial number, and entered into a statewide database at the time of sale. Encoded ammunition would be registered to the purchaser and would include the date of transaction, the purchaser’s name, date of birth, driver’s license number, and the serial number of the ammunition. SB3395, sponsored by State Senator Reginald Tate (District 33) and HB3245, sponsored by State Representative Larry Miller (District 88) pose a serious threat to our Right to Keep and Bear Arms and need to be stopped immediately. Please contact your State Legislators and respectfully urge them to protect the Second Amendment rights of Tennessee’s law-abiding gun owners by opposing SB3395 and HB3245. Please visit http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/senate/members/smembers.htm#Find for contact information for your State Senator, and http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/house/members/hmembers.htm#Find for contact information for your State Representative.
Senate Judiciary Committee to Vote on Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment! On Tuesday, February 5, Tennessee’s Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on State Senator Doug Jackson’s (D-25) House Joint Resolution 108 with amendments. The passage of this meaningful legislation will preserve the Right to Hunt and Fish in Tennessee’s constitution. Please contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and ask them to support HJR 108 with NRA-backed amendments. The future of Tennessee’s honorable hunting heritage depends on it! Please click here for contact information.
WISCONSIN: Vote on Emergency Powers Bill Imminent! A vote on Assembly Bill 581 could take place as soon as next week in the Senate Committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Workforce Development, Technical Colleges and Consumer Protection. Sponsored by Assemblyman Scott Gunderson, AB581 would prevent the state of Wisconsin from restricting the possession, transfer, sale, transport, storage, display, or use of firearms or ammunition during a declared state of emergency. This legislation will prevent government authorities from confiscating firearms from law-abiding citizens, such as occurred in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Please continue checking your email and www.NRAILA.org for updates.
Youth/Mentored Hunting to be Heard by Full Assembly! Assembly Bill 672, legislation that would establish a Youth/Mentored hunting program in the Badger State, passed the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources by an 11-2 vote on Wednesday, January 30. Sponsored by Assemblyman Scott Gunderson (R-83), AB672 would provide first-time hunters a “try before you buy” opportunity to get the full experience of hunting before committing to a hunter education course and also lower the hunting age in Wisconsin from 12 to 10 for youth participating in the mentored hunting program. Please contact your State Assembly member toll-free today at 1-800-362-9472 and respectfully urge him or her to support AB672 to ensure Wisconsin’s hunting heritage.
