Really, Don’t Believe Obama!
(And Here Are The Citations)
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Last week’s Grassroots Alert story on Barack Obama entitled “On The Second Amendment, Don’t Believe Obama!” received a great deal of attention. Amazingly, some people still don’t believe Obama is radically anti-gun, and some have gone so far as to claim that NRA was actually misrepresenting Obama’s anti-gun positions. Well, sometimes the truth hurts, and for those who continue to believe that Obama is a friend of gun owners, here is the proof he most definitely is not.
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Are You A Poacher If You Support The Right To Self-Defense? One of the most basic rights we as lawful Americans enjoy is the right to defend our families and ourselves. The right to self-defense should not end simply because one crosses an invisible boundary line and enters a national park or wildlife refuge.
This is the current, dangerous situation that will continue to exist, however, if you don’t take action right now.
Anti-Gunners Use Specter Of Defeat To Rally Supporters: While no one knows exactly how the Supreme Court will rule on the Heller case this month, one thing is certain-the Court’s ruling will not mark the end of our battle, but rather, a new beginning.
Ohio Expands Right to Self-Defense: This week, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (D) signed NRA-backed “Castle Doctrine” legislation into law to expand the self-defense rights of law-abiding citizens. SB 184, sponsored by State Senator Steve Buehrer (R-1), protects the rights of innocent victims to defend themselves from criminal attack, while expanding the rights of concealed-carry permit holders.
NRA Thanks U.S. House and Senate Leaders for Including “Open Fields Initiative” in 2008 Farm Bill: NRA leaders today thanked U.S. Sens. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Pat Roberts (R-Kans.) and John Thune (R-S.D), as well as Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), ranking member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Reps. Jerry Moran (R-Kans.) and Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) for their instrumental support in including the “Open Fields Initiative” language into the House and Senate passed 2008 Farm Bill. The original bills, SB 1502 and HR 2473, make up the Voluntary Public Access and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program to increase public access to private hunting grounds.
Proposal To Increase Hunting At Wildlife Refuges: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is planning to add one wildlife refuge to the list of refuges opened to hunting and to increase hunting at six other refuges.
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
Seeking Nominations For 2007 NRA-ILA Volunteer Awards: The “Jay M. Littlefield Memorial NRA-ILA Volunteer of the Year Award” is an annual honor that recognizes an NRA member who demonstrates exceptionally meritorious activism in defense of our Second Amendment rights. Similarly, the “NRA-ILA Volunteer Organization of the Year Award” is bestowed upon a group that has gone above and beyond the call of duty in defending our freedom over the past year. Nominations for the 2007 honors should be submitted to: NRA-ILA Volunteer Awards, c/o Katrina Ruminski, NRA-ILA Grassroots Division, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030. Nominations may also be faxed to Katrina at (703) 267-3918, or e-mailed to [email protected]. All nominations must be submitted by NRA members in good standing and be accompanied by a one-page description of why the nominee is deserving. Winners will be selected by NRA-ILA staff and will be acknowledged at this Fall’s NRA Board of Directors Meeting. The deadline for submissions is July 14, 2008.
Grassroots Minute Video: To view this week’s “Grassroots Minute” video, please click here: mms://media.streamtoyou.com/nra/2008/ilamin061308.wmv
STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
CALIFORNIA: Senate to Consider Sweeping Restrictions on Ammunition Sales! On Tuesday, June 17, Assembly Bill 2062 is scheduled to be considered by the Senate Public Safety Committee. AB2062, among other things, would make it a crime to privately transfer more than 50 rounds of ammunition per month, even between family and friends, unless you are registered as a “handgun ammunition vendor” in the Department of Justice’s database. Please contact the members of the Senate Public Safety Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to oppose this onerous attack on our Second Amendment freedoms. Contact information can be found here.
The Six Rivers National Forest near Redwood, CA is hosting a public workshop on June 28th for a final review of the inventory maps of roads within its Trinity and Mad River Ranger Districts. This is part of the Forest Service’s process in developing travel management plans for off-highway vehicle (OHV) use within Six Rivers. The plan will designate what roads will be remain open to OHV use. Closure of certain roads could affect hunter access and game retrieval. It is important that all who use these roads attend this workshop. It will take place at the Six Rivers National Forest Headquarters, 1330 Bayshore Way, Eureka, CA, and will be open house style and informal. No formal presentations are scheduled. People are invited to come in any time during these 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. workshops. Forest employees will be present to meet with the public one-on-one to collect additional information and answer questions. Please refer to the information posted at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sixrivers/projects/ohv/ or you may call Six Rivers National Forest at 707-442-1721.
GEORGIA: The Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that it will prepare a management plan for the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex. The 56,000-acre Complex is comprised of a chain of refuges that together span a 100-mile coastline. Deer hunting is allowed on a number of the refuges that make up the Complex. The Service is asking for suggestions and information on the scope of the issues to consider in the planning process. Comments must be submitted by July 3. An open house will be held during the scoping phase. Questions and comments should be directed to Jane Griess, Project Leader, at 912-652-4415, or at [email protected]. If you hunt on any of the refuges within the Complex, it is important for you to participate in the planning process to secure hunting opportunities for the future.
KENTUCKY: Please Submit Your Application Today for a Kentucky NRA Specialized License Plate! The Kentucky specialized NRA license plate provides an ideal opportunity to showcase your pride as an NRA member and your steadfast dedication to preserving our cherished Second Amendment freedoms. Your support of this program will help ensure hunting and shooting traditions in the Bluegrass State for generations to come. The Kentucky Department of Motor Vehicles will only produce the plates if it receives at least 900 applications for the NRA license plate. The initial application fee is $28.00. For information on where to send your payment and where to submit your application, please click here.
LOUISIANA: Critical Pro-Gun Bill Needs Your Help Now! On Thursday, June 12, the Louisiana House was set to take up Senate Bill 51, NRA-backed legislation sponsored by State Senator Joe McPherson (D-Woodworth) that would allow employees and customers to transport and store firearms in their private, locked motor vehicles while parked in publicly-accessible parking areas. House members opposing SB 51 took their cues from big business and industry lobbyists and attempted a number of procedural maneuvers, all designed to prevent the bill from being voted on by the full House this session. NRA-ILA worked House members all afternoon to try and resurrect the bill, and eventually won a motion to discharge the bill from the Civil Law committee on a 61-31 vote. This places the bill back on the House calendar for floor consideration this coming Tuesday or Wednesday. It is critical that you contact your State Representatives and urge him or her to support SB 51, to oppose any further procedural attempts to delay or deny a vote on SB 51 this session, and to oppose any gutting amendments to the bill. Please contact their district offices over the weekend and leave a message for them; let's make sure district staff members find those voicemail boxes full on Monday! Then please contact them again by email and by phone in Baton Rouge next week at (225) 342-6945. Contact information for your State Representatives can be found here.
Also, the Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that it will prepare a management plan for the Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Ouachita Parish, LA. The 4,500-acre Refuge is three miles north of Monroe. Resident game and migratory game bird hunting occur on the refuge. The Service is asking for suggestions and information on the scope of the issues to consider in the planning process. Comments must be submitted by June 23. An open house will be held during the scoping phase. Questions and comments should be directed to Tina Chouinard, Natural Resource Planner, at 318-305-0643, or at [email protected]. If you hunt this Refuge, it is important for you to participate in the planning process to secure hunting opportunities for the future.
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]. For additional information you may call 406-533-7638. It is critical that gun owners and sportsmen take an active role in this process!
MASSACHUSETTS: Emergency Powers Legislation Stalled in Senate Committee! S.1401, "An Act Prohibiting the Confiscation of Lawfully Owned Firearms During a State of Emergency", sponsored by State Senator Richard T. Moore (Worcester and Norfolk), is being held up in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. S.1401 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 New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Please contact the members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee TODAY and urge them to support S.1401. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
MICHIGAN: Registration Reform Heads to Senate for Consideration! On Thursday, June 12, Senate Bill 370 and Senate Bill 371 passed the Senate on a preliminary vote and they could be up for final consideration in the full Senate as early as Tuesday, June 17. 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 these bills will address that inconvenience. Please contact your State Senator TODAY and respectfully urge him or her to support Senate Bills 370 and 371. Their contact can me found by clicking here.
NEW JERSEY: Assembly Committee Passes Gun Ban! Thursday, June 12, the New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee passed A2116 by a vote of 5-1. As passed, the legislation will ban virtually all firearms .50 caliber or larger. While the Committee attempted to address some of the concerns of gun owners and sportsmen, it still bans many popular hunting guns, historical American firearms, and large bore target firearms, based on alleged public safety concerns. Included are historical American firearms and replicas, including those from the Revolutionary War and Civil War eras. The legislation makes the fundamental mistake of banning guns based on the size of the barrel rather than punishing criminal behavior. Please call and thank the lone opponent of this legislation, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-12), at (732) 866-1695 and thank her for her efforts in defending New Jersey’s sporting and firearms heritage. Also please immediately email, call, and/or fax your Assemblymembers and respectfully urge them to oppose A2116! Contact information for your Assemblymembers can be found here.
Also, Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-22), Deputy Speaker, is a candidate for the United States Congress in Congressional District 7, and she needs to hear from law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen. As Deputy Speaker, she is well within her power to decide the outcome of A2116. Please contact Assemblywoman Stender TODAY and respectfully urge her to keep this bill from becoming law and to oppose any effort to demonize law-abiding owners of .50 caliber hunting and target firearms. Assemblywoman Stender can be reached by phone at (908) 668-1900, by fax at (908) 668-9962, or email [email protected].
Bow Hunting Bill Heads to Assembly Floor! A595, a pro-hunting bill that changes the perimeter for bow and arrow hunting around occupied buildings, was approved on Friday, June 13 by the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow (R-23) and Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose (R-24), A595 reduces the buffer around occupied buildings from 450 to 150 feet. The legislation also requires bow hunters to obtain explicit written consent from the owner of the property prior to hunting. The bill now heads to the General Assembly for a full vote. Please contact Assemblywoman Karrow at (973) 300-0200 or (973) 584-4670and Assemblywoman McHose at (908) 782-5127 and thank them for their work and staunch support in preserving New Jersey’s hunting heritage.
NEW YORK: Anti-Gun Bills Still Pending Action in Senate Committee! Several anti-gun bills that have already passed the State Assembly and are pending in the State Senate Codes Committee. AB 6525A would create new requirements and liability for gun dealers. AB 9819A, would seek to ban the sale of semi-automatic handguns not equipped with so-called "micro-stamping" technology. AB 7331 would expand the ban on so-called “assault weapons.” AB 3451 would expand the ballistic imaging program. AB 2772 would ban certain .50 caliber firearms. AB 829 would require "childproof" firearms. AB 76 would require mandatory storage. AB 3447 would ban frangible ammunition. Please contact your State Senator today at (518) 455-2800 and respectfully urge him or her to vote "NO" on these NRA-opposed measures. To find your State Senator, please click here.
NORTH CAROLINA: Important Bill Needs Your Attention Today! NRA has been working with legislators in Raleigh on Senate Bill 2081, a bill that would make critical changes to North Carolina law in order to get the Tar Heel State in compliance with the federal “NICS Improvement Act,” which was signed into law in January of this year. NRA is currently neutral on S 2081, but we have been working closely with State Senator Tony Rand’s (D-19) office, as well as other interested parties, to ensure the legislation is crafted appropriately. The bill has already been amended to address several areas of concern raised by NRA, and we will continue to work with Senator Rand and others to make sure S 2081 has no significant problems for law-abiding gun owners. Please contact your State Senator and urge him to work with NRA to make sure S 2081 does not adversely affect our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Please also take the time to contact your State Representative with the same message. Both can be reached by phone at 919-733-7928.
OHIO: Buckeye State Expands Right to Self-Defense! On Wednesday, June 11, Governor Ted Strickland (D) signed Senate Bill 184, NRA-backed “Castle Doctrine” legislation. This bill protects the rights of innocent victims to defend themselves from criminal attack while expanding the rights of concealed-carry permit holders. Also included in SB 184 are several pro-gun provisions that make Ohio's concealed carry laws more “user friendly”. Among these revisions are important provisions allowing people without a Concealed Handgun License (CHL) to legally transport firearms in an automobile, and allowing license holders to pick up or drop off students in school safety zones. The bill also requires awards of legal fees to gun owners who get court orders to have firearms returned to them, decriminalizes concealed carry in privately owned parking garages, allows permit holders to carry a firearm in an unlocked glove compartment or center console and removes the written test requirement for renewal of a concealed handgun license.
TEXAS: Dallas City Council Considering Mandatory Spay or Neuter Ordinance! The Dallas City Council plans to consider a mandatory spay and neuter ordinance as early as Wednesday, June 18. Sportsmen must take action now in order to prevent this draconian ordinance from being approved. With very limited exceptions, this measure requires every dog older than six months to be spayed or neutered. Owners hoping to breed their dogs at some point during their lives would be required to apply annually for an "intact" permit referred to as a “breeding permit” costing $500. Permits will not be issued for any dogs that are not of a pure breed recognized by a national breed registry such as the American Kennel Club. It will prevent many hunters from continuing the tradition of occasionally breeding their favorite dog in order to provide other hunters with good dogs and defray some of the costs associated with caring for their animals. From a financial perspective, the annual $500 permit fee discriminates against hunters with limited budgets. Please contact the Mayor, the City Manager, the City Attorney, and each member of the Dallas City Council (primarily Districts 1 and 4) and respectfully urge them to oppose any proposal mandating that dogs be spayed or neutered by their owners. Please click here for contact information.
UTAH: Utah Primary Elections, Tuesday, June 24! Tuesday, June 24 is Primary Election Day in Utah. 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 Utah, please click here. Remember to Vote Freedom First on Tuesday, June 24!
VIRGINIA: Indoor Shooting Facility Gets Initial Approval by Board By a vote of 8-0-1, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted to advance a special use exemption for the Beaumeade Gun Club that will allow for the construction of an indoor shooting facility in Ashburn. The proposed facility will house a private gun club and offer defensive firearms training. The measure will be considered for final approval at the Board's next regularly scheduled meeting in July. Please contact your Supervisor, as well as Board Chairman Scott York, and thank them for their support of this project, and strongly encourage them to give their final approval next month! You can contact the board members at (703) 777-0204 or for a list of email addresses, please click here.
WASHINGTON: Seattle Mayor Brazenly Attacks Right-to-Carry! In a knee-jerk reaction to a recent shooting, Mayor Greg Nickels signed an executive order on Monday, June 9 prohibiting firearms at Seattle Center, parks, community centers, and city-owned buildings. This ban, which includes Right-to-Carry permit holders, does not require review by the City Council and directs that a plan be drawn-up in 30 days to establish the prohibition. Mayor Nickels’ ban is a clear violation of Washington State’s preemption statutes, which say that only the State Legislature can enact laws pertaining to firearms. It is important that NRA members, Right-to-Carry permit holders, firearm owners, and anyone interested in the rule of law respectfully make their voice heard against this unlawful proposal. Please contact Mayor Nickels, write a letter to your local newspaper(s), call in to radio talk shows, and urge your legislators to speak out against this unwarranted attack on law-abiding gun owners. For contact information, please click here.
Montesano City Council Follows in Seattle's Footsteps, Bans Concealed Carry! On Tuesday, June 10, the Montesano City Council voted 4-3 to enact a new parks ordinance banning the carrying of concealed firearms in the city’s parks. This move, similar to that of Seattle’s, is a flagrant violation of Washington’s preemption statutes. Councilmen Albert Collins, Chris Hutchings, and Nick Swinhart opposed the ordinance while Councilmen Chris Thomas, Doug Streeter, Pat Herrington and Rich Klinger voted in favor of it. Please contact the mayor of Montesano, Mayor Ron Schillinger TODAY and respectfully urge him to oppose this violation of state law and this unjust and unwarranted attack on our right to self-defense and Second Amendment freedoms. Mayor Schillinger can be reached by phone at (360) 249-3021, ext. 102 or via email at [email protected]. Also, please contact the members of the City Council and respectfully ask them to reconsider this illegal and unjustified measure. They can be reached by phone at (360) 249-3021, ext. 109 or email [email protected] with an attention to the desired council member(s).
