Grades & Endorsements Now Available On NRA-PVF Site!
This year’s elections may well be the most important in your voting lifetime! The stakes are enormously high, and you need to be fully informed. For up-to-the-minute campaign information, and to see what you can do to help elect pro-Second Amendment candidates, members are strongly encouraged to visit the NRA-Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) website, www.NRAPVF.org.
This official NRA campaign site will serve as your one-stop campaign reference guide this election season. The site is loaded with all of the critical information you’ll need to make informed decisions on Election Day, November 4. Included on the site are news stories, articles from NRA’s magazines, NRA-PVF press releases, and a complete listing of NRA-PVF candidate grades and endorsements!
New Gun Show Study Obliterates Anti-Gunners’ Claims: A new study from researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of Maryland has found “no evidence that gun shows lead to substantial increases in either gun homicides or suicides. In addition, tighter regulation of gun shows does not appear to reduce the number of firearm-related deaths.” The study- “The Effect of Gun Shows on Gun-Related Deaths: Evidence from California and Texas" (www.closup.umich.edu/research/
workingpapers/papers/gunshows-sept08-final.pdf) compared gun deaths between 1994-2004 in two states with large numbers of gun shows annually: California, which has the greatest restrictions on gun shows, and Texas, which has none.
Absentee Voting: Bank Your Vote—Assist On Election Day! With more states than ever allowing early and absentee voting, it is critical that those pro-gun voters who think there may even be a chance they won’t be able to vote in person on November 4th, ensure they vote via absentee ballot. By banking your vote prior to November 4th, not only will you avoid potentially long lines, but you will also be freed up to assist with the Election Day activities of pro-gun candidates in your area!
Help Defend Your Gun Rights One Easy Click At A Time: We now have a 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! It’s the NRA-ILA Toolbar, and you can make a difference by downloading and using it.
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!”
STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
ARIZONA: Maricopa County to Discuss Shooting Range! The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department will be holding two public meetings to discuss the naming of the Buckeye Hills Public Shooting Range, the first of which will be held on September 26 at the Buckeye Public Library in the conference room at 310 N. 6th Street in Buckeye at 1:15 p.m. The Board of Supervisors will consider the naming the shooting range the "Joe Foss Public Shooting Range", a tribute to the former President of NRA and great American hero who rose to fame as a top Marine ace in World War II, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, and former Governor of South Dakota. Joe Foss retired to Scottsdale where he founded the Foss Institute, which remains active today. There has been some resistance relating to this nomination, which is why it's vital that NRA members attend the meetings and express their support. If you can't make the meeting on the 26th, the second public meeting will be held a the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department located at 234 N. Central Ave., Suite 6400 on October 21st at 8:45 a.m.
CALIFORNIA: Historic Briefs on Second Amendment “Incorporation” Filed! A California law suit that has been bouncing back and forth in the court for almost ten years has become the unlikely vehicle by which the question of whether the Second Amendment is “incorporated” so it restricts state and local gun control efforts may be answered. Following on the heels of the June Supreme Court ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment does protect a fundamental individual right and restricts federal action restricting the right to keep and bear arms, today members of an NRA led coalition of self-defense civil rights groups filed a flurry of “friend of the court” amicus briefs in the case of Nordyke v. Alamenda,. The Nordyke case is now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. It was filed by gun show promoters challenging an ordinance that bans guns on county property (effectively banning the gun show at the county fairgrounds). Joining the NRA’s efforts are the California Rifle and Pistol Association, Second Amendment Foundation, Gun Owners of California, The National Association of Arms Shows, and dozens of esteemed law professors from law schools across the country. Briefs arguing against the right to keep and bear arms were filed by the California State Sheriffs Association, the California peace officers Association, the California Police Chiefs Association, San Francisco, Oakland, the Legal Community Against Violence, the Brady Center, and other anti gun owner groups. All of the briefs, along with a history of the case, are posted at www.calgunlaws.com. With the supplemental briefs on the incorporation issue filed today, the Court will now set a date for oral argument. The Court will almost certainly have to decide the incorporation question, and then (assuming they find that the Second Amendment applies to the states) either decide whether the gun show ban ordinance violates the Second Amendment or send the case back (remand) to the trial court to make that determination.
IDAHO: BLM's Owyhee Field Office Releases Plan for Roads and Trails Use The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Travel Management Plan for motorized and mechanized uses for the Murphy Subregion which is a BLM planning unit in the Owyhee Front located between Wilson Creek and Castle Creek. The Plan is open for public comment until October 24th. The proposed action in the Plan would designate a route system composed of 834 miles of roads and trails, and would close 436 miles of roads and trails that are either parallel to other roads and trails or the uses are resulting in environmental damage. Comments can be sent to BLM at First Avenue South, Marsing, ID 83639 or via email to [email protected]. The Plan can be viewed at www.blm.gov/id/st/en/info/nepa/Owyhee/murphy_subregion_travel.html. For further information you may contact the Owyhee Field Office at 208-896-5925.
ILLINOIS: Show Your Support for the Second Amendment! Pro-gun activists continue their efforts to add Lake County to the growing list of Illinois counties that have passed a resolution supporting the Second Amendment. Currently, 85 of the state’s 102 counties have passed such resolutions. The Lake County Board has considered the resolution in the past, but has yet to take final action. While the resolution is not on the Board's agenda, a strong showing from the pro-gun community on October 14 could lead to it being added. The meeting is scheduled to start at 9:00 AM, but the pro-gun community is being encouraged to show up early. Please make plans to arrive early to get through the security checkpoint. The meeting will be held at 18 N. County St., 10th floor, in Waukegan. Please make plans to attend this important meeting! You can also contact members of the County Board to urge their support of this Pro-Second Amendment Resolution. For a list of Board Members, along with contact information, please click here. For additional information on this effort throughout Illinois, click here.
KENTUCKY: Management Plan Being Written for Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge. The Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that it will begin writing a 15-year plan for the management of Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is about 8,500 acres with an approved acquisition boundary of approximately 18,000 acres that extends along the East Fork of the Clarks River from just south of Benton, northwest to within five miles of Paducah. The federal agency is inviting the public to submit comments on how they want to see the Refuge managed in the future. Because hunting is allowed, it is important that hunters get involved in the planning process to ensure that hunting is protected and enhanced in future years. You may submit your comments to Tina Chouinard, Natural Resource Planner, at [email protected]. For further information, you may call 731-780-8208. The deadline for comments is October 14th.
NEW JERSEY: Two Pro-Hunting Bills Pending Action! Two bills of importance to New Jersey Sportsmen will be heard in the New Jersey Senate Environment Committee on Monday, October 6th at 10:00am in Committee Room 10 on the 3rd floor. S802, sponsored by State Senators Stephen M. Sweeney (D-3) and Kevin J. O’Toole (R-40), authorizes deer hunting with bow and arrows on Sundays. The second bill, S976, reduces the distance from 450 feet to 150 feet of an occupied building for a person possessing a nocked arrow for the purpose of hunting. Please contact the members of the Senate Environment Committee and respectfully urge them to pass these two pieces of legislation and support the true stewards of the land, New Jersey Sportsmen. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
New Jersey Court Sides Against “One-Gun-A-Month” But Fight is Far from Over! The New Jersey Appellate Division has upheld a ruling by a lower court prohibiting Jersey City and other localities from passing firearms purchase and sale regulations that conflict with state law. In 2006 the Jersey City Council passed an illegal ordinance that prohibited the sale or purchase of more than one handgun within a thirty-day period, which was struck down by a New Jersey Superior Court later that year. While this is a significant victory for New Jersey’s firearm owners, anti-gun advocates are now demanding passage of statewide legislation (S1774) mandating that New Jersey citizens be prohibited from purchasing more than one-gun-a-month. Your State Senator needs to hear from you today! Please contact your State Senator IMMEDIATELY and respectfully urge him or her to oppose S1774 and not arbitrarily limit your Second Amendment rights! Contact information for your State Senator can be found by clicking here. Don’t forget, one gun a month could easily lead to one gun per year or one gun per lifetime.
D.C. v. Heller Attorney Stephen Halbrook to Keynote New Jersey State Association Banquet on Saturday, October 11! Stephen Halbrook, author of the U.S. Supreme Court brief for Vice President Dick Cheney and over 300 members of Congress in the D.C. gun ban case, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs (ANJRPC) combined Annual Meeting Banquet and Friends of NRA Dinner & Auction on Saturday, October 11 starting at 6:00 p.m. ANJRPC is the official NRA State Affiliate in New Jersey (www.anjrpc.org). The festivities are guaranteed to be lively as Attorney Halbrook shares his unique perspective on Second Amendment advocacy and the Heller case. The auction portion of the banquet will feature collectible merchandise, and half the proceeds will be donated back to New Jersey shooters by the NRA Foundation. Autographed copies of Attorney Halbrook’s latest book, The Founders' Second Amendment, will be available. Banquet seating ($40 per ticket) is open to the public on a first come, first-served basis. Prepay for a ticket to ensure that seats are still available and that the event is not sold out (contact Lisa Caso at [email protected] or 201-424-5536). The event will be held at the Gran Centurians, 440 Madison Hill Road, Clark, NJ 07066. 732-382-1664 http://www.thegrancenturions.com/index2.htm. For additional details, click here.
NEW YORK: Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education Inc. 2008 Right-to-Carry Conference and Rally Please join the Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education Inc. (S.A.F.E.) for its “2008 Right-to-Carry Conference & Second Amendment Rally.” It will be held this Sunday, October 5, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (doors open at 12:00 noon), at the Sheraton Long Island Hotel, located at 110 Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, in Smithtown, NY (on Motor Parkway on the North side of LIE between exits 53 & 55). Special guests will include Wayne R. LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President; Ron Schmeits, NRA First Vice President; David Keene, NRA Second Vice President; David Kopel, Research Director of the Independent Institute; Jim Fotis, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Alliance of America; and John L. Cushman, S.A.F.E. President and Founder, and NRA Board Member. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn the latest information about Right-to Carry both nationally and locally, as well as meeting and networking with fellow sportsmen and women concerned about their civil rights and how to protect them. Valuable prizes in drawings will be awarded to attendees. Admission and parking are free, and the event is open to your family and friends.
SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina Recognizes Right to Carry Permits! The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has added Virginia, Florida and Kentucky to the list of states whose valid Right to Carry (RTC) permits will now be recognized in South Carolina. These additions are due to the passage of H 3212, the RTC reciprocity reform legislation NRA promoted during last session. It is our hope that even more states will be added to the list, and we anticipate other states will also add South Carolina to their lists of RTC permits they will recognize, if they have not done so already.
TENNESSEE: Please Submit Your Application Today for a Tennessee NRA Specialized License Plate! The Tennessee 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 Volunteer State for generations to come. The NRA has begun collecting applications for specialized NRA license plates in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Revenue, Vehicle Services will only produce the NRA license plates if it receives a minimum of 1,000 applications. The application fee is $35.00. Upon receiving the 1,000 applications prior to June 30, 2009, the National Rifle Association will submit a check for $35,000 to the Department of Revenue, Vehicle Services. If you are interested in becoming one of the first NRA supporters in the State of Tennessee to receive a specialized license plate, please click here for information about the application.
VIRGINIA: Attorney General Releases Opinion Standing-Up for the Second Amendment! Attorney General Bob McDonnell released an opinion in response to a request by State Senator Ken Cuccinelli (R-37) on whether or not the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation has the authority to regulate the open carrying of firearms in state parks. In his official opinion, Attorney General McDonnell found that, “no specific statutory authority granting the Department the authority to prohibit the open carrying of firearms in state parks. A person’s right to carry a firearm openly is considered universal within the Commonwealth, subject to definite and limited restrictions upon certain locations and classifications of individuals.” Please click here to view the opinion. Please contact Attorney General McDonnell and Senator Cuccinelli and thank them for their concern and advocacy for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding firearm owners in the Commonwealth. Contact information can be found here.
130,000 Additional Acres of Wilderness Proposed for the George Washington National Forest (GWNF): The Forest Service is in the process of writing a new forest plan for the GWNF. Public workshops are being held and public comments are being accepted while the plan is being developed. The plan will be released down the road for formal public comment. Of importance is a proposal to designate 130,000 acres of forestlands as wilderness. This is in addition to 42,000 acres of existing wilderness and thousands of other acres under limited management. Wilderness designation severely limits the management, restoration, and improvement of wildlife habitat. Under wilderness designation, these lands will lose their habitat value over time. Loss of habitat leads to loss of wildlife diversity and shrinking populations. That “perfect storm” translates into lost hunting opportunities. Public roads that access designated “wilderness” areas will be closed to mechanized or motorized vehicles and equipment.
If you hunt in the GWNF, it is critical that you communicate with the Forest Service about what you want, or don’t want, changed from the way the GWNF is currently managed. Comments should be addressed to: George Washington Plan Revision, George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, 5162 Valleypointe Parkway, Roanoke, VA 24019. Information about the planning process can be found at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj.
WASHINGTON: Washington State Has Lead Ammunition in the Crosshairs! We have recently sent you alerts about a Draft Lead Chemical Action Plan (CAP) that the state's Department of Ecology has released for public comment. We encourage you to read and comment on this document because it covers lead ammunition. Here is the NRA’s view: Page 208 of the CAP states, "Products that do not need lead and directly expose wildlife include wheel weights, small fishing weights, and some ammunition.” NRA infers from this that if the CAP suggests some ammunition “does not need lead” then such ammunition should be banned and made from alternative materials. The plan includes a cost analysis of banning lead shot. If a ban is not a consideration then why is the Department of Ecology analyzing the cost of such action? Recommendation 9 on Page 235 of the CAP calls for a phase out of lead shot. "Phase out" sure sounds like "ban" to the NRA. While it cannot be proven at this time, NRA can just about guarantee that lead ammunition bans are on the minds of many people involved with the CAP project. Please take the time to read the CAP and provide your comments to the Department of Ecology and to Governor Chris Gregoire (D) by Monday, October 6. The CAP can be viewed by visiting here. Respectfully let the Governor know that there is no adequate substitute for lead ammunition and that any affects on humans and wildlife do not justify a ban as recommended by her Department of Ecology. Governor Gregoire can be reached by phone at (360) 902-4111, by fax at (360) 753-4110, or click here to send email.
