Grassroots Alert: Vol. 15, No. 19 5/9/2008

Make Your Voice Heard

On Right-to-Carry in Our National Parks!

Non-Partisan Voter Registration Drive To Commence In Louisville:  In addition to the myriad other activities that will occur next week during NRA’s Annual Meetings in Louisville, NRA-ILA’s Grassroots Division will be kicking off the Association’s largest voter registration drive ever.

Not Content With Crushing Second Amendment, Bloomberg Disregards The First:  A story in today’s New York Sun, (http://www2.nysun.com/new-york/gag-on-2nd-amendment-is-citys-aim-in-guns-suit/) demonstrates that gun-hating Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s disdain for the Constitution isn’t just limited to his abhorrence of the Second Amendment.

ILA Dinner and Auction At Annual Meetings:  The Institute for Legislative Action will hold its Second Annual Dinner and Auction in conjunction with the NRA Annual Meetings in Louisville, Kentucky next Friday evening, May 16^th. 

Last Call To Register For Louisville Workshop!  This is the last call to register for the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division’s FREEGrassroots Workshop being held next week at NRA’s Annual Meetings in Louisville.  This Workshop has been a regular part of NRA’s Annual Meetings for more than a decade.  At this event, you will hear from NRA officers, NRA staff, and your fellow NRA members on what you can do in your own community to ensure victory for the Second Amendment in this year’s elections.

Special Session Event Planned For Louisville!  In addition to the FREE Grassroots Workshop being held in conjunction with NRA’s Annual Meetings in Louisville, the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division is holding an additional FREE “In Their Own Words” Special Session in Louisville.

Grassroots Minute Video:  To view this week’s “Grassroots Minute” video, please click here:  mms://media.streamtoyou.com/nra/2008/ilamin050908.wmv

Stop BATFE Abuses -- Urge Your Congressman To Cosponsor H.R. 4900: Continuing concern about the treatment of firearm dealers by BATFE has caused members of the U.S. House of Representatives--with NRA-ILA’s full support--to push for new and improved reform legislation.  That push has taken the form of H.R. 4900 -- the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act.” 

Help Protect Your Right to Self-Defense!  Last month, Florida became one of a handful of states to enact a law to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners to keep a firearm in their vehicle for personal protection.  Unfortunately, this law is facing opposition by large corporate giants such as Disney, Walmart, Publix, and several others.  They have even filed a federal lawsuit to try to overturn this important self-defense law.  NRA is committed to fighting for the rights of gun owners in Florida and across the country but we can’t fight these attacks alone!  We need your help to ensure that all the hard work by the pro-gun community, and all that was accomplished in Florida, isn’t defeated by those who want to destroy our rights.  Please consider making a contribution TODAY and join NRA in protecting the Second Amendment!  To contribute, please click here.

STATE ROUNDUP  (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)

ALABAMA:  “Handgun Permit Confidentiality” Passes House!  House Bill 700, “Handgun Permit Confidentiality” legislation, has already passed the House and on Tuesday, April 29, it had its second reading in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.  HB700 would restrict public access to the records of concealed handgun permit holders and prohibit their publication.  It is imperative that you contact your State Senator in support of HB700 today! Your State Senator can be reached at (334) 242-7800. To identify your State Senator, or for more contact information, please click here.

ARIZONA:  Senate Playing Politics with Our Rights!  As the legislative session in Arizona is starting to wind down, a number of important bills that protect our Right to Keep and Bear Arms are being held hostage in the Arizona Legislature.  In the Senate there is bickering over other issues such as the budget. The rights of gun owners should NEVER be used as “trade goods” in petty political infighting.  For more information on pending legislation and how to take action, please click here.

ARKANSAS:  Arkansas Primary Elections, Tuesday, May 20!  Tuesday, May 20 is Primary Election Day in Arkansas.  Please be sure to go to the polls and “Vote Freedom First.”   For candidate ratings and endorsements, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) or visit www.NRAPVF.org.  For more information about voting in Arkansas, please click here.   Remember to Vote Freedom First on Tuesday, May 20!

CALIFORNIA:  Urgent Action Needed to Protect Our Rights!  Three threats to our Second Amendment rights are still pending action in the California Legislature and we must take action today to preserve our freedoms.  Legislation to prohibit the sale of firearms at the Cow Palace, severely restrict the sale of ammunition, and require “smart guns” could all be heard or voted on soon.  Please click here for more information and to learn how to take action.

CONNECTICUT:  Legislature Adjourns Without Passage of Gun Bills  The Connecticut Legislature adjourned Wednesday, May 7 after an unusual legislative year.  Despite the fact that lawmakers were expected to hear the largest number of anti-gun bills to be considered in years, no pro-gun or anti-gun legislation was passed.  Please continue to check back to www.NRAILA.org for updates. 

DELAWARE:  “Landowner Liability Protection Act” Delayed in Committee!  As we previously reported, House Bill 341, “Landowner Liability Protection Act,” was scheduled for a vote in the House Housing & Community Affairs Committee, but was delayed because of opposition from the Delaware Trial Lawyers Association.  HB341 would ensure that landowners who allow public hunting access incur no liability for property damage or personal injuries caused by hunters -- regardless of whether the damage occurs on or off the landowner's property.  If HB341 is not enacted, landowners will continue to deny access to hunters for fear of being sued. Please contact the members of the House Housing & Community Affairs Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to support this crucial piece of legislation.  To find contact information for the committee members, please click here.

FLORIDA:  Help Protect Your Right to Self-Defense!  Last month, Florida became one of a handful of states to enact a law to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners to keep a firearm in their vehicle for personal protection.  Unfortunately, this law is facing opposition by large corporate giants such as Disney, Walmart, Publix, and several others.  They have even filed a federal lawsuit to try to overturn this important self-defense law.  NRA is committed to fighting for the rights of gun owners in Florida and across the country but we can’t fight these attacks alone!  We need your help to ensure that all the hard work by the pro-gun community, and all that was accomplished in Florida, isn’t defeated by those who want to destroy our rights.  Please consider making a contribution TODAY and join NRA in protecting the Second Amendment!  To contribute, please click here.

Management Plan for Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge is Opened for Comments:  The Fish and Wildlife Service has drafted a 15-year management plan for the 21,500-acre Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge.  Deer and feral hog hunting is provided on the refuge.  The four management alternatives would either maintain hunting opportunities at current levels or expand those opportunities to turkey hunting.  It is important to the future of hunting on this refuge that hunters in the community and in the state review the draft plan and submit comments to Cheri Ehrhardt, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, PO Box 6504, Titusville, FL 32782 or e-mail to [email protected].  The plan can be viewed at http://fws.gov/southeast/planning.  Comments are due by May 23.

GEORGIA:  Governor Perdue Needs to Hear from You Today!  On April 4, the Georgia legislature passed House Bill 89 and sent it to Governor Sonny Perdue (R) for his consideration. This NRA-supported measure makes numerous improvements to Georgia’s Right-to-Carry laws and represents the most comprehensive pro-gun reform measure to pass in nearly 20 years.  Unfortunately, more than a month later, Governor Perdue has yet to sign this critical pro-gun reform measure into law, and during a news conference yesterday he expressed some uncertainty over whether he would sign HB89 into law.  It is critical that Governor Perdue hear from you TODAY!  Please call and email the governor and respectfully urge him to protect our right to self-defense by signing this important legislation TODAY.  The Governor can be reached by phone at (404) 656-1776 or via email by clicking here. 

ILLINOIS:  Anti-Gun Bill Heads to Full Senate!  On Thursday May 1, the Illinois House of Representatives passed House Bill 5191.  This dangerous bill would create a new path that the anti-gun community could take in order to revoke FOID cards from gun owners with children.  Your FOID card could be revoked if a minor is able to gain access to your firearm on more than one occasion, if the government has decided (with little opportunity for a challenge) that your child has met the basic criteria for a severe or major mood disorder or severe conduct disorder.  Much of this revocation process can be based on allegations that may not be supported by independent judicial findings, or "documented" cases where the FOID Card holder is unable to challenge or appeal the "documentation."   HB5191 will now head to the State Senate and we must let our opposition be known.  Please call your State Senator and urge him or her to defeat this outrageous bill.  You can find the contact information for you State Senator by clicking here.

Magazine Ban Bill Up for Consideration!  The House could take up Senate Bill 1007, which would ban the manufacture, possession, delivery, sale, and purchase of standard capacity ammunition magazines capable of holding more than ten (10) cartridges.  This bill is worded so broadly that it would also ban certain firearms, such as some Henry rifles, which have attached tubular magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition. This lever-action rifle, whose design dates back to the 1860s, could be prohibited under SB 1007, making this bill far more than a magazine ban.  Please contact your State Representative and respectfully urge him or her to oppose SB 1007.  Contact information can be found here.

KENTUCKY:  National Rifle Association Specialized License Plates!  Beginning Friday, May 9, we will be working to create a specialized NRA license plate for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  The Kentucky Department of Motor Vehicles is charged with producing the plates but under state law at least 900 applications for the special NRA license plate must be received or the plate will not be produced.  This is an ideal way to show your pride in NRA and the Second Amendment!  For more information on how to order, please click here.

Kentucky Primary Elections, Tuesday, May 20!  Tuesday, May 20 is Primary Election Day in the Bluegrass State.  Please be sure to go to the polls and “Vote Freedom First.”   For candidate ratings and endorsements, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) or visit www.NRAPVF.org.  For more information about voting in Kentucky, please click here.   Remember to Vote Freedom First on Tuesday, May 20! 

LOUISIANA:  NRA-Backed Right-to-Carry Reform Bills on the Move!  This past week, the Senate approved Senate Bill 142.  SB 142, the NRA-backed concealed carry permit confidentiality bill now heads to the House for consideration.  On Monday, May 12, the Louisiana House will vote on House Bill 199.  HB 199 would allow Louisiana concealed carry permit holders to protect themselves on college and university campuses and remove the state restriction on "gun-free school zones" for permittees.  Please contact your State Representatives and respectfully urge them to support HB 199 and to resist any amendments that State Representative Wooton does not support.  Call your State Representatives in Baton Rouge on Monday at (225) 342-6945 or send them emails in support of HB 199 over the weekend.  Email addresses can be found here.

“Assault Weapons” Ban Legislation Pulled From Committee Agenda!  The House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee was scheduled to hear arguments for House Bill 68 and House Bill 78, both sponsored by State Representative Cedric Richmond (D-New Orleans).  On Wednesday, May 7, Representative Richmond decided to pull both bills out of the committee and it is anticipated that they will not be heard this session.  HB68 seeks to ban pump-action firearms as well as semi-automatics, and millions more firearms than the Clinton "assault weapons" ban of 1994-2004.  HB 78 would have created a limited ban on the possession of so called “assault weapons” by some people and would have opened the door in the future to broader prohibitions.  Thank you to the law-abiding, gun-owning community in Louisiana for all the emails and phone calls that stopped these egregious attacks on our rights from being heard!  Please keep checking www.NRAILA.org and your email for updates of other important legislation this session. 

Plan for Red River National Wildlife Refuge Includes Hunting:  The Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a draft plan for the Red River National Wildlife Refuge, a unit of the North Louisiana Complex.  Plans to expand current hunting opportunities are included in the Service's proposal for managing the refuge over the next 15 years.  Comments will be accepted until May 14th and can be sent via electronic mail to:  [email protected].  The plan is available for review at http://southeast.fws.gov/planning, or may be mailed to Tina Chouinard, Natural Resource Planner, Fish and Wildlife Service, 6772 Highway 76 South, Stanton, TN 38069.  In order to assure that sportsmen's interests are anchored in this planning process, it is important that hunters take the time to submit comments.

MICHIGAN:  Registration Reform Bill Sent to Senate Judiciary Committee!  House Bill 4490 sponsored by State Representative Paul Opsommer (R-93) and House Bill 4491 introduced by State Representative Joel Sheltrown (D-103) have passed the House and have been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.  A hearing date has not been scheduled yet.  The bills would repeal the required "safety inspection" for newly obtained handguns.  Michigan law requires anyone who comes into possession of a pistol to take it to the police or sheriff’s department for a safety inspection.  The requirement of a safety inspection is a burdensome waste of time for law-abiding gun owners and the bills will end that inconvenience.  Please contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and respectfully urge them to support these necessary pieces of legislation. For committee member contact information please click here.

MISSOURI:  Senate Passes Major Firearms Reform Legislation!  On Monday, May 5, by a vote of 30 to 4, the Missouri Senate passed House Bill 2034.  This bill makes a series of positive changes to various areas of Missouri's firearms statutes, including: sweeping and meaningful protections of shooting ranges and hunting preserves; liability protection for landowners allowing public hunting access; prohibiting the unlawful refusal to transfer a firearm by denying a sale to a person entitled to possess a firearm under state and federal law; eliminating the six-month residency requirement in order to apply for a license to carry a concealed firearm; sealing "permit to acquire" concealable firearm records; and makes necessary revisions to existing statutes regarding the possession of explosives and felony possession of firearms.  HB 2034 now goes back to the state House of Representatives for final consideration.  Please contact your State Representative TODAY and strongly encourage him or her to support the Second Amendment, and Missouri's time-honored hunting and sport shooting heritage by voting in favor on HB2034. You can find your State Representatives by clicking here.

MONTANA:  BLM to Close Land to Recreational Shooting Outside Helena:  The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on its proposal to close land within the 4,700-acre North Hills Recreation Area located northeast of Helena.  BLM proposes to close the entirety of Section 34, Township 12 North, Range 3 West.  This would close several user-created shooting areas that are located adjacent to the main access road to the Recreation Area.  The area would not be closed to hunting during the big game season.  All BLM lands outside of the closed area would remain open yearlong to recreational shooting.  The deadline for comments is June 15th.  Comments should be submitted to BLM Butte Field Office, 106 North Parkmont, Butte, MT 59701 or electronically to [email protected].  A public meeting will be held May 29th at 7:00pm at the Montana Association of Counties at 2715 Skyway Drive, Helena.  For additional information you may call 406-533-7638.

NEBRASKA:  Nebraska Primary Elections, Tuesday, May 13!  Tuesday, May 13 is Primary Election Day in the Cornhusker State.  Please be sure to go to the polls and “Vote Freedom First.”   For candidate ratings and endorsements, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) or visit www.NRAPVF.org.  For more information about voting in Nebraska, please click here.   Remember to Vote Freedom First on Tuesday, May 13!

NORTH CAROLINA:  Management Plan for Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge is Opened for Comments:  The Fish and Wildlife Service has drafted a 15-year management plan for Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, a 8,400-acre refuge that spans Anson and Richmond Counties, NC.  Deer, feral hog, turkey and small game hunting is provided on the refuge.  The three management alternatives would either maintain hunting opportunities at current levels or expand those opportunities.  It is important to the future of hunting on this refuge that hunters in the community and in the state review the draft plan and submit comments to Jeffrey Bricken, Refuge Manager, Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, 5770 US Highway 52 North, Wadesboro, NC 28170.  The plan can be viewed at http://southeast.fws.gov/planning and comments may be e-mailed to [email protected].  Comments are due May 22.

OKLAHOMA:  Senate Gives Final Approval to Right to Hunt Ballot Measure!  On Monday, May 5, the Oklahoma Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 38, a measure authored by State Senator Glenn Coffee (R-30) and State Representative Randy Terril (R-53), by a vote of 46 to 0! With this vote Oklahoma voters will be asked to approve a state constitutional amendment to protect the right to hunt, fish and harvest game, in this November’s General Election. If passed by the voters this fall, Oklahomans will have established the nation's most comprehensive and meaningful constitutional protections for hunters and sportsmen. Such language will serve as a model for others states in our on-going efforts to defend our hunting heritage from attacks by well-funded, radical anti-hunting groups such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).  Please call and thank your Senator for voting in support of SJR 38 and protecting Oklahoma’s cherished heritage!  To find your State Senator please click here.

OREGON:  Oregon Primary Elections, Tuesday, May 20!  Tuesday, May 20 is Primary Election Day in Oregon.  Please be sure to vote Freedom First. For candidate ratings and endorsements, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) or visit www.NRAPVF.org.  For more information about voting in Oregon, please click here.  Remember to Vote Freedom First on Tuesday, May 20!

RHODE ISLAND:  Anti-Gun (“Microstamping”) Bills Being Heard in Committee!  After being pulled from the agenda of the House Judiciary Committee, House Bill 7834 has been referred to the House Finance Committee.  HB7834, the “microstamping” proposal would ban the sale of semi-automatic handguns not equipped with so-called "microstamping" technology.  HB7834’s Senate companion bill, Senate Bill 2720, is being held up for further study in the Senate Committee on Judiciary.  Please contact the members of the House Finance Committee as well as the members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary IMMEDIATELY and respectfully urge them to oppose H7834 and S2720 respectively!  For committee member contact information please click here.                  

SOUTH CAROLINA:  Right to Hunt Amendment Still Needs Work!   NRA continues to work with key State Senators in Columbia to fix H 3202, the Right to Hunt and Fish Constitutional Amendment.  Originally, this legislation would have allowed South Carolina voters to vote on an amendment to the South Carolina Constitution that would have recognized the Right to Hunt and Fish for future generations.  This version included two of the most important protections--protecting the right to hunt species "traditionally pursued," and the right to use "traditional methods" for taking game.  In the Senate, however, these critical points were removed through amendments.  Negotiations have led to a new version, which does protect hunting wildlife "traditionally pursued," but still falls short of protecting "traditional methods."  The only way to ensure hunting is fully protected in the Palmetto State is if H 3202 includes language that protects "traditional methods" used for taking game.  Please contact your State Senator and respectfully urge him or her to work with NRA to ensure H 3202 includes specific protections for hunting game "traditionally pursued," as well as for using "traditional methods" for taking game.  To find your State Senator please click here.

TENNESSEE:  Bill Seeks to Create NRA License Plates and Aid Hunter Education in the Volunteer State!  House Bill 2453, sponsored by State Representative Eric Swafford (R-25), would create a National Rifle Association license plate and allocate 50% of the funds toward hunter education.  HB2453 is currently in the House Transportation Committee. Please continue checking www.NRAILA.org and your email for updates.

WEST VIRGINIA:  West Virginia Primary Elections, Tuesday, May 13!  Tuesday, May 13 is Primary Election Day in West Virginia.  Please be sure to go to the polls and “Vote Freedom First.”  For candidate ratings and endorsements, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) or visit www.NRAPVF.org.  For more information about voting in West Virginia, please click here.  Remember to Vote Freedom First on Tuesday, May 13!