News Flash: Brady Campaign and
American Hunters and Shooters Association
Attack NRA-PVF Endorsed Presidential Candidate!
The NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) has issued its endorsement in the 2008 Presidential race. (Due to federal campaign finance regulations, you’ll have to read more about that endorsement by clicking here.)
It should come as no surprise that the Brady Campaign and the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA)--one, the leading anti-gun lobby in the country and the other, a phony front group whose mission is to confuse sportsmen--seem to have their response orchestrated. What both attacks lack, is a complete revelation on the real records of the two candidates. That is left out because the whole record proves that NRA-PVF chose the right man.
For Once, Hillary Is Right: In an April 2008 campaign mailer, Hillary Clinton warned voters about Barack Obama’s radical record against guns and gun owners. The teaser asked, “Where does Barack Obama really stand on guns?” The other side of the mailer then answered, “Depends on who Barack Obama is talking to.”
Brady Campaign Hoping For Expanded “Assault Weapons” Ban Under An Obama Administration: With the prospect of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) being elected President of the United States, the Brady Campaign is trying to rejuvenate public interest in one of the group’s priority issues: a ban on all detachable-magazine semi-automatic firearms, a vast expansion of the federal “assault weapon” law of 1994--2004. As Brady notes in a new propaganda paper, “Assault Weapons: Mass Produced Mayhem,” “Senator Barack Obama supports banning assault weapons.”
New Orleans Mayor Finally Admits Illegal Gun Confiscation, Settles With NRA: After a three-year legal battle over the unconstitutional confiscation of lawfully owned firearms during Hurricane Katrina, this week, the City of New Orleans agreed to settle a lawsuit initiated by NRA. A permanent injunction has been issued against the city, Mayor Ray Nagin, and current Police Chief Warren Riley. The Second Amendment Foundation assisted NRA in the legal battle against Mayor Ray Nagin and the City of New Orleans.
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.
Redesigned NRA T-Shirt Available NOW! We’ve created a way for all of you gun owners to wear your message to all of the legislators seeking your vote this election season: A 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..
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 Friday, October 24. 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.
MONTANA: Hunting Addressed in Refuge Management Plan: The Fish and Wildlife Service has released a plan that will guide management of the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge for the next 15 years. The 48,000 acre Refuge is located east of Monida in southwestern Montana. The Refuge is open to hunting of ducks, geese, coots, moose, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. The plan offers 4 management alternatives to consider, all of which would continue hunting opportunities, although several alternatives would close one or more roads in the Refuge. The public comment period is open until October 27th. Comments may be sent to Laura King, Planning Team Leader, Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge, 9756 143 1/2 Avenue SE, Cayuga, North Dakota 58013, or by fax at 701-724-3683, or electronically to [email protected]. A copy of the plan is available at http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/planning. If it is important to you that hunting opportunities continue and be enhanced on this Refuge, it is important for the Fish and Wildlife Service to know which alternative best reflects your views of how the Refuge should be managed in the future.
NEW JERSEY: Pro-Hunting Legislation Moves to Senate Floor! Two important pro-hunting bills were heard and passed by the New Jersey Senate Environment Committee on Monday, October 6. S802, sponsored by State Senators Stephen M. Sweeney (D-3) and Kevin J. O’Toole (R-40), was passed by a 5-1 vote. Simply put, S802 authorizes deer hunting with bow and arrows on Sundays. The second bill, S976, was approved by a 6-0 margin. 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. S802 and S976 now make their way to the Senate for its consideration.
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.
PENNSYLVANIA: Emergency Powers Bill Approved by House and Senate! On Wednesday, October 8, House Bill 1845, an omnibus legislative package passed the State House and State Senate and is on the way to Governor Ed Rendell (D). This legislation contained a number of pro-gun provisions for Pennsylvania gun owners. Among the provisions was an “Emergency Powers” provision prohibiting any government agency from arbitrarily confiscating firearms during a state of emergency, such as occurred in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Other important provisions include: establishing lawful carry of a concealed firearm in state parks, funding for the acclaimed “Don’t Lie For The Other Guy” program administered by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and emergency permitting system for concealed carry licenses for individuals who are under immediate threat. We would like to thank everyone involved for the hard work in passing this important legislation! Please call Governor Rendell today at (717) 787-2500 and respectfully urge him to sign HB 1845.
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: 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.
