NRA, Heller Take District Back To Court
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Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the District of Columbia’s gun ban, the District, Mayor and City Council are being sued again over the District’s thinly veiled attempt to continue its restrictions on firearm ownership. D.C. residents Dick Anthony Heller and Absalom F. Jordan, Jr., in conjunction with lawyers for the NRA, filed a complaint against the District of Columbia and Mayor Adrian Fenty challenging D.C.’s Firearms Control Emergency Amendment Act of 2008. |
Bi-Partisan Bill Introduced to Restore the Second Amendment Rights of D.C. Residents: This week, in a bi-partisan effort, Congressmen Travis Childers (D-Miss.), John Dingell (D-Mich.), John Tanner (D-Tenn.), Mike Ross (D-Ark.), and Mark Souder (R-Ind.), along with 47 of their colleagues, introduced the “Second Amendment Enforcement Act” (H.R. 6691). This critical legislation overturns D.C.’s recently enacted emergency laws that continue to defy the recent Supreme Court ruling by continuing to restrict District of Columbia residents’ right to self-defense. This NRA-backed bill is needed to enforce the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in District of Columbia v. Heller.
Federal Judge Upholds Florida’s NRA-Backed “Guns at Work” Law: This week, a federal judge handed down a decisive victory for gun owners in Florida. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled that state law allowing employees with Right-to-Carry permits to keep a firearm in their private vehicles while at work is constitutional. The “Guns at Work” law, as it is known, has been part of a three-year effort by NRA to expand the self-defense rights of law-abiding gun owners.
Help Defend Your Gun Rights One Easy Click At A Time: We are excited to announce a new, revolutionary, yet simple tool that will allow you to stay connected to NRA-ILA and raise valuable contributions to defend our Second Amendment rights without spending a dime! You can make a difference by downloading and using the new NRA-ILA Toolbar.
Time Running Out To Comment On Right-To-Carry In National Parks: Comment Period Closes Friday, August 8th: For more than two months, we have been asking NRA members and gun owners to submit comments in support of allowing law-abiding citizens to carry their legally-owned firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges -- and tens of thousands of you have done so. The deadline to submit comments expired on June 30 -- or so we thought.
New NRA T-Shirts Available NOW! We know that by now you’ve probably heard the Barack Obama “bitter” quote. Well, in addition to the new yard sign we designed, we’ve created a way for all of you “bitter” gun owners to wear your message to Obama and all of the other legislators seeking your vote this election season: A new "I'm a Bitter Gun Owner and I Vote!" T-shirt, and our re-designed “I’m the NRA and I Vote” T-shirt!
“I’m A Bitter Gun Owner And I Vote!” Yard Signs Available Now: We’ve created a new yard sign that will send a message from all of you “bitter” gun owners to Obama this election season with our own slogan: “I’m a Bitter Gun Owner and I Vote!”
Grassroots Minute Video: To view the most recent “Grassroots Minute” video, please click here: mms://media.streamtoyou.com/nra/2008/ilamin080108.wmv
STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
INFORMATION SHEET ON “Guns-at-Work” RULING! The Florida Chamber of Commerce and The Florida Retail Federation argued for three years that business owners had an absolute right to control their employees. That's why they kept calling it the "take-your-guns-to-work" legislation. They claimed they could search employee vehicles and ban firearms from those vehicles in the employer's parking lot. They claimed businesses didn't care if customers had guns in cars, they only cared about their right to control employees. When the legislature passed the law protecting the rights of workers, The Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Retail Federation filed a lawsuit in federal court asking the Court to throw out the law. They argued that the law requiring businesses to allow guns in vehicles in their parking lots constituted an unconstitutional "taking" of their property. In court, the federal judge ruled against them. They argued that OSHA regulations require them to provide a safe work environment for their workers, which required them to bans guns in parking lots to comply with OSHA requirements. In court, the federal judge ruled against them. They argued that, as employers, they had an absolute right to control the conduct of their employees and could ban guns from employee vehicles in company parking lots while employees were at work. In court, the federal judge ruled against them. THEY LOST ON ALL THREE POINTS. To read more, please click here.
CALIFORNIA: Management Plan for Sacramento, Delevan, Colusa, and Sutter National Wildlife Refuges is Open for Public Comment: The US Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared a plan for these refuges encompassing 24,000 acres in the Sacramento Valley, approximately 90 miles north of the city of Sacramento. The plan offers three management alternatives to the present management approach that allows hunting with a focus on youth and disabled hunters. The plan is available for viewing and downloading online at http://sacramentovalleyrefuges.fws.gov. The comment period is open until September 12. Comments can be sent via electronic mail to [email protected]. If you hunt on these lands, please take time to review and comment on the plan.
KANSAS: Early Voting Has Begun for the 2008 Kansas Primary! Tuesday, August 5 is Primary Election Day in Kansas. Early in-person voting has already begun, so please be sure to vote early. Early in-person voting ends on Monday, August 4. NRA members are encouraged to head to the polls and vote for those candidates who support our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Please be sure to encourage your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to do the same. Early in-person voting will be held in designated areas within your County Courthouse. For more information about early in-person voting please visit http://www.kssos.org/elections/elections_registration_voting.html. For candidate ratings and endorsements, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683). Further information will be posted soon to the NRA-PVF website at www.NRAPVF.org. Be sure to Vote Freedom First on Tuesday, August 5!
MASSACHUSETTS: Emergency Powers Legislation Heads to the Desk of Governor Patrick! 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), passed out of the State House of Representatives and now heads to Governor Deval Patrick (D) for his signature. 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 Governor Patrick’s office TODAY at (617) 725-4000 and respectfully urge him to sign S.1401.
Massachusetts: Governor’s Gun Tax Stripped From Bill! On Tuesday, July 29, the State House of Representatives took up the Governor's appropriations bill H.5022 (formerly H.4971). As reported earlier this week, sections 24-27 would more than double certain firearm license and dealer fees. Thanks to your hard work and the actions of State Representative Denis Guyer and nearly 60 co-sponsors, the House Committee on Ways and Means removed sections 24-27 from the bill prior to it being released to the floor for a vote. Please keep checking your email and www.NRAILA.org for further updates.
MISSOURI: Missouri Primary Elections, Tuesday, August 5! Tuesday, August 5 is Primary Election Day in Missouri. 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 Missouri, please click here. Remember to Vote Freedom First on Tuesday, August 5!
NEVADA: Change of Date for Important Right-to-Carry Forum! The Nevada Sheriffs and Chiefs Association's (NVSCA) had previously scheduled a right-to-carry open forum for Tuesday, August 5 to be held at the Clark County Government Center. The forum has been rescheduled for Wednesday, September 10 but a time and location have not been set. We will be sending you updated information as soon the details are made public. Please make plans to attend this important forum. Last year's event in Carson City generated hundreds of members who had an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns regarding all areas of Nevada's right to carry permit system. This year, it's Southern Nevada's turn to make their voices heard! For more information on the Association, please click here.
NORTH CAROLINA: Management Plans for Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge and Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge are Open for Public Comment: The US Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared plans that will guide management of two refuges in Hyde County, NC for the next 15 years. Swanquarter is a 16,000-acre refuge and Mattamuskeet is a 50,000-acre refuge. The Swanquarter Refuge is opened to waterfowl hunting. The plan offers two management alternatives to the present management approach for Swanquarter. Alternative B would expand hunting opportunities by increasing the number of use days and introducing deer hunting with archery equipment. Alternative C would add even more use days and deer hunting with primitive firearms. The public comment period is opened until Monday, August 4th. You may view the planning document at http://southeast.fws.gov/planning, and submit your comments at that address, or to [email protected].
Mattamuskeet currently allows deer and waterfowl hunting, including a program for youth. The plan offers two management alternatives to the present management approach for Mattamuskeet. Alternative B would continue the existing hunts, but the refuge would explore how to increase youth hunting opportunities for deer and waterfowl and would work with the state to conduct activities that promote hunter recruitment and retention. Alternative C would expand on those efforts. The deadline for comments on this plan is August 18th. Comments may be sent to the above addresses. It is important for the Service to hear from the hunting community on its proposals to expand hunting on these two refuges. Please take the time to review the plan and comment.
NORTH DAKOTA: Anti-Hunting Ballot Initiative Being Circulated for Signatures! North Dakota sportsmen should be aware that a group cleverly calling itself North Dakota Hunters for Fair Chase is circulating petitions for signatures to place an anti-hunting initiative on the 2008 General Election ballot. Make sure that you and your family and friends do not contribute to this misleading, anti-freedom effort by signing these petitions! This initiative effort is supported by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), a Washington D.C.-based lobbying organization that spends $120 million a year in an effort to end all hunting and animal agriculture in the United States. The proposed initiative would ban private big game hunting preserves in North Dakota, a long-standing tradition in the state. This violates basic American principles of private property rights and sportsmen deciding for themselves how and where to hunt. Hunting ethics should be decided by each individual hunter, not by politically-motivated laws supported by radical animal “rights” interest groups. Please work to inform your family, friends and fellow sportsmen in North Dakota that they should not sign these anti-freedom petitions now being circulated! For more information, please go to www.ndpropertyrights.com.
TENNESSEE: Tennessee Primary Elections, Thursday, August 7! Thursday, August 7 is Primary Election Day in Tennessee. 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 the Volunteer State, please click here. Remember to Vote Freedom First on Thursday, August 7!
WASHINGTON: Washington State Primary Elections, Tuesday, August 19! Tuesday, August 19 is Primary Election Day in Washington. 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 Washington, please click here. Remember to Vote Freedom First on Tuesday, August 19!
