Victory In The Supreme Court!

NRA Files Second Amendment Lawsuits In Illinois And California Following Supreme Court Ruling:  Following up on yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling that the Second Amendment protects a private right to possess firearms that is not limited to militia service, the NRA today filed five lawsuits challenging local gun bans in San Francisco, and in Chicago and several of its suburbs.

Obama Tries To Move Forward By Backpedaling:  By now we all know where presidential nominee Barack Obama stands on the Second Amendment.  During the primaries, Obama tried to hide behind vague statements of support for “sportsmen” or unfounded claims of general support for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.  But don’t listen to his campaign rhetoric!  His real record, based on votes taken, political associations, long-standing positions, and his own words, shows that Barack Obama is a very serious threat to our Second Amendment liberties

Time Is Running Out To Protect Your Right-to-Carry:  Comments MUST Be Received By Monday!  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.

New “I’m a Bitter Gun Owner and I Vote!” Yard Signs Available Now:  By now, you’ve all heard the Obama “bitter” quote:  “And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”  And it probably struck a nerve with you.  Well, we’ve created a new yard sign that will send a message from all of you “bitter” gun owners to Obama this election season: Our “I’m a Bitter Gun Owner and I Vote!” yard sign.

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 open to hunting and to increase hunting at six other refuges.  

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 a 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. 

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

ALEC Adopts “Campus Personal Protection Act”!  The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is an organization comprised of public and private sector members (largely made up of state legislators and corporate/association government affairs representatives) from all 50 states that share common support for free market principles and individual liberties. On Monday, June 23 the model for "Campus Personal Protection Act,” previously discussed in May at ALEC’s Spring Task Force Summit, was officially adopted as model legislation.  Brought forth by NRA-ILA, the act calls for the repeal of state restrictions on the possession of firearms by valid concealed handgun licensees on college and university campuses and preempts governing bodies of postsecondary educational institutions from imposing such restrictions on permit holders.

ARIZONA:  Pro-Gun Bill to be Heard Before Session Ends!  House Bill 2389 has passed out of a Senate conference committee where a number of differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill were ironed out.  HB2389 makes it clear under Arizona law that you may carry a firearm by means of any transportation—other than public transportation—without a concealed carry permit.  The bill is now headed back to the House where it must be voted on one last time before being sent to Governor Janet Napolitano (D) for her consideration.  With session coming to a close soon, it is vital that you contact your State Representative IMMEDIATELY and ask him or her to support HB 2389.  Please also contact Speaker Jim Weiers (R-12) and urge him to schedule a vote in the House for this bill.  You can find contact information for your State Representative and Speaker Weiers by clicking here. 

Candidate Forum Being Held in Your Area!  On Wednesday, July 2, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission and the Children's Action Alliance will be hosting a candidate forum, which will include the Arizona House and Senate candidates running in Legislative District 26.  We are hoping to have a strong showing from the pro-gun community to ensure that our voice is heard and that we have a clear understanding of where the candidates stand on Second Amendment issues.  Please take the time to attend the forum, which will be held at the Nanini Branch Library at 7300 N. Shannon Road in Tucson from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Invited House candidates are Trent Humphries, Vic Williams and Marilyn Zerull - invited Senate candidates are Pete Hershberger and Al Melvin.  While serving in the state house, State Representative Pete Hershberger repeatedly voted against Arizona’s law-abiding gun owners. Most recently Representative Hershberger voted against two pro-gun bills: House Bill 2629, the defensive display measure, and House Bill 2630, which would have reduced the penalty for carrying a concealed weapon to a petty offense.   It's important we hold our politicians accountable, so please take the time to attend the candidate forum and let Representative Hershberger know you disapprove of his attacks on Arizona’s gun owners.

CALIFORNIA:  Help Stop Three Anti-Freedom Bills Looming Over the Golden State!  The California Senate is considering three anti-gun bills which attack different facets of our Second Amendment and hunting freedoms.  Assembly Bill 1634, “The California Healthy Pets Act,” threatens to keep hunters and other dog owners from making decisions based upon their own personal circumstances by requiring every dog older than four months to be spayed or neutered.  Assembly Bill 2235 would prohibit the sale of handguns other than "owner-authorized (or “smart”) handguns"-- that is, handguns with a permanent, programmable biometric feature that renders the firearm useless unless activated by the authorized user.   No proven, viable handgun of this type has ever been developed.  AB1634 and AB2948 are on their way to the Senate Appropriations Committee.  Finally, Assembly Bill 2948 could be headed for action on the Senate floor.  Introduced by State Assembly Member Mark Leno (D-13), this dangerous bill would ban the sale of firearms and ammunition on the property or inside the buildings that comprise the Cow Palace.  Please contact your State Senator and the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to oppose these threats to our Second Amendment and hunting freedoms.   Contact information can be found here.

The Six Rivers National Forest near Redwood, CA is hosting a public workshop tomorrow, June 28^th, 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 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.

ILLINOIS:  Make Your Voice Heard for Gun Rights in Lake County!  For more than a year now there has been an effort in Illinois to pass resolutions in support of the Second Amendment at the county level.  Although two counties passed resolutions in 2003, the real effort to promote this program began last March, while pro-gun activists were traveling to IGOLD (Illinois Gun Owners’ Lobby Day) in Springfield.  Currently, 82 of the state’s 102 counties have passed resolutions supporting the Second Amendment.  In Lake County, there is a petition drive to promote passage of a resolution, which has already collected approximately 3,000 signatures.  In light of the recent Supreme Court of the United States ruling that the Second Amendment protects an individual right, many of the 20 remaining counties, including Lake County, should be interested in showing their support of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.  If you wish to help with this effort in Lake County you can sign a petition supporting the passage of a resolution or you can contact members of the Lake County Board and urge them to support passage of a resolution supporting the Second Amendment.  For information on petition locations and how to contact the county board, please click here.

Attention Illinois Gun Owners:  Please attend "The Second Amendment Freedom Rally" in Chicago on Friday, July 11, 2008!  Sponsored by the Illinois State Rifle Association and IllinoisCarry.com, this historic event will allow all law-abiding gun owners to stand together, in the heart of downtown Chicago, and celebrate the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision formally recognizing the Second Amendment as an individual right!   

In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling, Governor Blagojevich was quoted as saying; “I want express my extreme disappointment with the decision issued today by the Supreme Court,” and, “I am an advocate for common sense gun laws.”  The Supreme Court says we’ve been right all along, but Governor Blagojevich thinks he knows better.  Come to “The Second Amendment Freedom Rally” and show the anti-gun governor that Illinois gun owners side with the Supreme Court, not him.

The event will be held July 11, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the James R. Thompson Center, located at 100 W. Randolph Street, in Chicago.  For more information, details on transportation, and parking options, please contact the Illinois State Rifle Association at (815) 635-3198, or go to www.ChicagoRally.isra.org.  Don't miss this first-of-its-kind rally in the history of Chicago!

INDIANA:  Gun Ban Voted Down by Council!  On Monday, June 23, the South Bend Common Council decided not to consider a proposal that would have banned the possession and carrying of firearms on city-owned property. While the measure is technically still alive, it appears that the Common Council will officially table this misguided proposal at its next regularly scheduled meeting.  

Special thanks to the numerous NRA members from throughout Indiana, the Second Amendment Patriots and the Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association members for contacting South Bend officials and urging them to set aside the proposed gun ban.   

Please continue contacting the members of the council to ensure that they table this outrageous measure.  Contact information can be found here.

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.

MICHIGAN:  Pro-Gun Legislation Being Heard in the Last Hours  This week, the House Tourism and Natural Resources Committee approved Senate Bill 370.  The bill is scheduled for a full House vote in the coming days.  This important bill will remove the cumbersome post-purchase “safety inspection” on handguns.  The House companion bills, House Bills 4490 and 4491 have already passed the House and are waiting a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Please continue checking www.NRAILA.org for future updates on this bill.

NEVADA:  Clark County Shooting Park in Danger!  The Clark County Board of Commissioners has placed on its July 1 agenda a public comment period to address the Clark County Shooting Park and the outrageous claims brought forward by a small, yet vocal group of homeowners whose sole purpose is to prevent the shooting center from opening.  It is vital that NRA members attend the public meeting or contact the Commissioners to voice their strong support for this much-needed shooting park.  Please ask the commissioners not to alter the current design and to support the current plan.   The meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. in the Commission Chambers of the Clark County Government Center at 500 Grand Central Parkway in Las Vegas, Nevada.  If you are unable to attend, please contact the County Commission at (702) 455-3500 or click here for a list of email addresses.

NEW JERSEY:  Gun Rationing Bill Heads to Senate!  On Monday, June 23, A339 passed out of the full Assembly by a vote of 47-28-4.  This bill would prevent law-abiding citizens from purchasing more than one handgun within a 30-day period. This gun rationing scheme falsely assumes that criminals will follow the law by submitting the proper paperwork and purchase firearms from licensed dealers.  A339 will do nothing to stop the criminal misuse of firearms but would criminalize the purchase of more than one handgun a month by law-abiding citizens who have already undergone extensive background checks and fingerprinting.  This anti-gun bill, spearheaded by Assemblywoman Joan Quigley (D-32), implies that law-abiding citizens who purchase more than one-gun-a-month are gun traffickers.  This bill will now head to the Senate.  Please contact your State Senator TODAY and respectfully urge him or her to oppose this attack on our Second Amendment Rights.  To find contact information for your State Senator, please click here.

NEW YORK:  Update on Governor Patterson’s Gun Proposal  As the regular legislative session came to a close, negotiations involving Governor David Paterson’s (D) gun proposal took place between the administration and the Senate and Assembly leadership.  The parties agreed to legislation that allows the State of New York to share information about an individual's involuntary commitment to a mental health facility with the FBI. The records would then be included in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which firearms dealers must check before selling guns.  Removed from the proposal were provisions strongly opposed by the NRA.  Two areas that we specifically opposed were those that would implement more requirements for pistol license applicants without making licenses more accessible to those who qualify.  The plan also would have required licenses for employees of gun stores and would have granted the State Police broad authority to impose regulations on licensed dealers and gunsmiths.  Please continue to check www.NRAILA.org and your e-mail for updates throughout the year.

Update on Pending Firearm Legislation  The 2008 New York State Legislative Session closed on Tuesday, June 24 with several anti-gun bills failing to pass in the State Senate.  It is very likely that the legislature will go into a Special Session sometime this summer and we ask that our members please continue visiting www.NRAILA.org and checking your e-mail for updates, as this special session will likely bring up several pieces of firearm related legislation and these bills could possibly be resurrected.  For more information about these bills, 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 and does not infringe on the rights of law-abiding gun owners.  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.

RHODE ISLAND:  Legislature Adjourns for Year  The 2008 legislative session came to a close but not before passing a change to state law that will allow gun owners to transport handguns and ammunition provided that the ammunition is transported in a different part of the vehicle.  Also, both the House and Senate versions of micro-stamping legislation failed to garner sufficient support to pass before the Legislature adjourned this session.  Please continue to check www.NRAILA.org and your e-mail for updates throughout the year.

SOUTH CAROLINA:  Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto of Tax Holiday for Firearm Purchases!  Thanks to your efforts, the South Carolina House and Senate voted this week to override Governor Mark Sanford’s (R) veto of S 1143.  This legislation contained a provision to create a “tax holiday” on the purchase of firearms during the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.  Dubbed the “Second Amendment Recognition Act,” this legislation was introduced by pro-Second Amendment stalwart and recent recipient of the NRA’s Rick Daniel Memorial Defender of Freedom Award, State Representative Mike Pitts (R-14).  With the override vote, the “Second Amendment Recognition Act” will go into effect July 1 of this year, making the Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving this year the first “Second Amendment Weekend.”  Again, our thanks go out to all who contacted their State Representatives and Senators, as well as to those legislators who voted to override Governor Sanford’s veto.

TEXAS:  House Committee Hears Arguments in Favor of Changing State Law  On Monday, June 23, the Texas House Committee on Law Enforcement held an interim hearing to study the impact of state laws restricting the possession of firearms on school campuses.  Representatives from NRA-ILA, the Texas State Rifle Association, the Texas Concealed Handgun Instructors Association, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, and several individual faculty members and students testified in favor of amending the Texas Penal Code to allow the carrying of handguns for personal protection by Concealed Handgun Licenses while on college and university campuses.  The committee will issue any recommendations for changes to state law as part of an interim report to the Legislature sometime this fall.  Please continue checking www.NRAILA.org for further updates on this important issue.

VIRGINIA:  Future of Hunting in Northern Virginia to be Discussed at Public Meeting!

On Wednesday, July 9, officials from the National Parks Service and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries will host a meeting to discuss the future of hunting in Northern Virginia's Dyke Marsh area. Anti-sportsmen groups and local anti-gun politicians have been very vocal in their efforts seeking to ban lawful hunting in Dyke Marsh. Please make every effort to join your fellow hunters and sportsmen at this important meeting and show your support for Virginia's rich hunting heritage! The meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 9 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Belle View Elementary School, 6701 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, 22307. Please be sure to share this information with your family, friends and fellow sportsmen.

WEST VIRGINIA:  Ranson Gun Ban Proposal Fails!  An illegal ordinance proposing a ban on concealed carry on all public property was tabled on Tuesday, June 24 during first reading and discussion by the Ranson City Council.  This move was a blatant violation of West Virginia’s preemption statutes §8-12-5a.  Due to overwhelming opposition voiced by the NRA members in Jefferson County, the City Council has decided not to bring up the ordinance preventing firearms from being carried or possessed on city owned property.  Thanks to the well-informed phone calls and emails from concerned citizens, the Mayor and City Council of Ranson realized that their actions would clearly violate the state’s current preemption statute if the ordinance were put in place.  Thank you to all NRA members who voiced their opposition to this proposed ordinance.