Obama Appointees Face Hearings
As the inauguration of Barack Obama approaches, the men and women he has nominated are starting to face questions in their Senate confirmation hearings. In a number of cases, this includes some high-profile appointees who will have a significant impact on the Obama administration’s policies on firearms rights.
Chief among these is Attorney General designate Eric Holder, who has a long history of opposition to the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. There are already significant concerns about Holder’s nomination. “I have many serious questions about Mr. Holder’s nomination,” said Senator David Vitter (R-La.). “At the top of the list are his anti-Second Amendment right positions. He’s clearly advocated near universal licensing and registration, and he joined and filed an amicus brief in the District of Columbia v. Heller U.S. Supreme Court case arguing that the Second Amendment was not an individual right. That’s deeply disturbing.”
NRA has also opposed Holder’s confirmation, and strongly believes he will actively work to restrict gun owners’ rights. (See the letter to Senators Patrick Leahy and Arlen Specter from NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre and NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox here.)
Brady Sends Obama Its Pre-Inauguration Wish List: No one, including the Brady Campaign, seriously believes that Barack Obama was elected president because of his support for gun control. But Brady is pretending that it provided Obama the margin of victory in November, and has provided him with a very long list of gun bans and other restrictions that it expects from him in return.
NRA Settles San Francisco Housing Authority Gun Ban Lawsuit: A federal lawsuit filed by NRA to challenge a San Francisco Housing Authority ban on firearms in public housing has been settled.
NRA sued the housing authority following last summer’s historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller that found that the Second Amendment right is exercised individually and belongs to all Americans.
U.S Forest Service Considering Use of Motorized Vehicles to Retrieve Game in the Kaibab National Forrest! The U.S. Forest Service has released a Travel Management Project (TMP) for the Tusayan Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest. Three management alternatives for motorized use of roads and trails are presented, including the use of motorized vehicles to retrieve game.
Elk Management Plan for Theodore Roosevelt National Park Released for Public Comment! Until recently, the National Park Service has used park staff or contract sharpshooters to reduce populations of elk and deer within national parks to achieve herd levels that the habitat can support. As a result of NRA’s advocacy for the use of hunters to assist in such operations, the Service is now obligated to consider the use of “skilled volunteers” (e.g. hunters).
The Founder’s Second Amendment:Origins of the Right to Bear Arms, by Stephen P. Halbrook--Donate to NRA-ILA and Get Your Copy Now! Stephen Halbrook’s The Founders’ Second Amendment is the first book-length account of the origins of the Second Amendment, based on the Founders’ own statements as found in newspapers, correspondence, debates, and resolutions. Mr. Halbrook investigates the period from 1768 to 1826, from the last years of British rule and the American Revolution through the adoption of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the passing of the Founders’ generation. From the British seizure of guns in Boston to the Founders’ own use of guns in their private lives, his book offers the most comprehensive analysis ever of the arguments behind the drafting and adoption of the Second Amendment, and the intentions of the men who created it.
To contribute to NRA-ILA and receive your copy of this remarkable book, please click here.
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.
Grassroots Minute Video: To view the most recent “Grassroots Minute” video, please click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EANLaQFuiIg
STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
ATTENTION HUNTERS: Please Attend Safari Club International’s Wildlife Law Seminar on Saturday, January 24! For those who are planning to attend Safari Club International’s Annual Convention in Reno, Nevada, at the end of this month, please be advised of a seminar that will be given on Saturday, January 24. Entitled, "Wildlife Law: Issues and Controversies Regarding Wildlife Management and Use," this seminar should be of particular relevance to hunters who are interested in the laws affecting the shipment of firearms and trophies across state and international borders, as well as those interested in current issues affecting the management of wildlife. The seminar will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., on Saturday, January 24, at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, located at 3800 S. Virginia Street, in Reno. Admittance is $129, which includes the seminar, written materials, and single, same day admission to SCI Hunter’s Convention. Registration will close on Monday, January 12. For more information and to complete a registration form, please click here. To learn about SCI membership and their convention, please visit www.safariclub.com.
ARIZONA: U.S Forest Service Considering Use of Motorized Vehicles to Retrieve Game in the Kaibab National Forrest! The U.S. Forest Service has released a Travel Management Project (TMP) for the Tusayan Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest. Three management alternatives for motorized use of roads and trails are presented, including the use of motorized vehicles to retrieve game. Alternative 1 is the No Action alternative. It would allow the use of any type of motorized vehicle to retrieve legally harvested big game. The No Action alternative is what is allowed currently. Alternative 2, the Service’s recommended management plan, would allow cross-country motorized big game retrieval for elk during all elk seasons. Hunters would be allowed to take one vehicle up to one mile cross-country from a designated road to retrieve their legally harvested elk. Alternative 3 is the same for motorized big game retrieval as Alternative 2. Public comments are being accepted until Friday, January 30 and need to be addressed to: Forest Supervisor, Kaibab National Forest, 800 S. Sixth Street, Williams, AZ 86046 or emailed to: [email protected]. For further information, please call (928) 635-8200. The TMP is available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai. Two public meetings are scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 13 at the Coconino Community College, Lone Tree Campass, at 2800 S. Lone Tree Rd., Flagstaff and Thursday, January 15 at the Tusayan Ranger District Office, located at 100 Lincoln Log Loop (off Highway 64 south of the Grand Canyon National Park entrance, Grand Canyon (Tusayan). It is important for hunters, whether or not they have hunted in the Tusayan Ranger District, to provide comment on the TMP. Roads and trails are being restricted for motorized use by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, which means that hunters’ use of vehicles to retrieve game can be severely restricted or eliminated. NRA is actively involved in ensuring that motorized use restrictions do not restrict hunters’ access to federal public lands. We need your help in providing comments to these federal agencies when TMP’s are released for public comment, such as the Tusayan TMP.
ARKANSAS: General Assembly Convenes with Important Legislation Already Introduced! The Arkansas General Assembly convened this week, and NRA is already working hard with pro-gun and pro-hunting lawmakers to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen. State Senator Steve Faris (D-27), one of the most ardent pro-gun legislators in the General Assembly, has reintroduced the NRA-backed Right to Hunt and Fish Constitutional Amendment, SJR 3. Senator Faris has been working with NRA for several sessions to pass this critical amendment to the Constitution of the State of Arkansas, which would ensure that the right to hunt (as well as fish) will be protected for future generations. SJR 3 is the culmination of years of hard work by Senator Faris and NRA, and we are committed to passing this amendment this year. Of course, we will be working on other areas to advance our Right to Keep and Bear Arms, including efforts to expand where Right-to-Carry permit holders may carry or transport their firearms, and we will be sure to keep the pro-gun community in Arkansas alerted to what they can do to help. In the meantime, please contact your State Senator and State Representative and respectfully urge them to support SJR 3. Contact information for your State Legislators can be found by clicking here.
COLORADO: Important Castle Doctrine Reform Bill to be Considered on Wednesday, January 20! On Wednesday, January 20, the Colorado Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee will vote on Senate Bill 8, a bill sponsored by State Senator Ted Harvey (R-30). This legislation seeks to expand Colorado’s Castle Doctrine law. SB 8 would amend Colorado’s current version of the Castle Doctrine to ensure that all citizens have a right to use force, including deadly force, against a violent attacker, not only within their own dwellings, but their places of business as well. SB 8 is critically important as it expands Coloradans’ right to self-defense and protects victims from frivolous civil lawsuits by criminals or their family. Please contact the members of the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to vote for SB 8. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
MARYLAND: Maryland’s Rich Hunting Tradition Under Fire in Howard County! On Wednesday, January 21 members of the Howard County Council will meet to discuss CB1-2009; new hunting regulations that will effectively ban all firearm and muzzleloader hunting within Howard County. The measure would double to 300 yards the minimum distance for shooting near a building. The minimum remains 150 yards for those at least 10 feet off the ground in a stand and shooting downward. The state statutory minimum for all hunting is 150 yards. In addition, shooting within 100 yards of a public road is prohibited. These two provisions together will prohibit many forms of hunting on thousands of acres of traditional hunting lands throughout the county. Incredibly, the measure would also make it unlawful for a hunter to shoot in the direction of a building or camp if the distance to the building or camp is within the “maximum range” of the firearm or muzzleloader (arguably up to two miles for standard hunting loads depending on who’s doing the math). This radical and subjective provision will ban virtually all firearms and muzzleloader hunting within the county. If a provision like this were in effect nationwide, hunting would be restricted to only the most remote locations in America. This proposal is an unfortunate knee-jerk reaction to an isolated incident that occurred in the county. The fact is that hunting remains one of the safest forms of recreation in the country according to the National Safety Council. This proposal will be discussed at a public hearing on Wednesday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Howard County Board of Education Building’s Board Room located at 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City. Please attend this public hearing and voice your opposition to this attack on Maryland’s hunting heritage. If you are unable to attend, please contact the members of the County Council TODAY and respectfully urge them to OPPOSE this anti-hunting measure. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
Yet Another Bloomberg Anti-Gun Mayor in Hot Water! On Friday, January 9, Mayor Sheila Dixon (D) of Baltimore was indicted following a three-year investigation.
Mayor Dixon, a member of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun gang “Mayors Against Illegal Guns,” allegedly did not report lavish luxuries such as fur coats and trips given to her by a local developer. She is also accused of stealing at least $2,000 worth of gift cards, purchasing an Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, digital camcorder, and other electronics, for her own personal use. The gift cards were donated to the city for needy families. Mayor Dixon now joins the ranks of beleaguered anti-gun politicians like Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) and Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D) of Detroit. Perhaps these characters should focus on abiding by the law themselves instead of persecuting law-abiding citizens.
MISSISSIPPI: Two Pro-Gun Bills Need Your Help! State Senator Merle Flowers (R-19) has introduced two NRA-backed bills so far this session, both of which have been referred to the Senate Judiciary B Committee. In 2006 after Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi Legislature amended the state’s firearms preemption law to prevent cities and counties from interfering with the lawful transportation and possession of firearms in one’s home, vehicle, or place of business during a state of emergency or natural disaster. This year, Senator Flowers has introduced SB 2036, which amends the state’s emergency powers laws to create additional Second Amendment protections for law-abiding citizens during a future crisis. Senator Flowers has also filed SB 2306, which repeals a prohibition in the state’s Right-to-Carry law on permit holders possessing handguns in state and municipal parks. Without this legislation, permit holders in Mississippi and reciprocal states would be allowed to carry a concealed firearm in national parks under the recent rule change adopted by the Department of the Interior but not allowed to carry in state or municipal parks. Please contact the members of the Senate Judiciary B Committee and your State Senator TODAY and respectfully urge them to support both SB 2036 and SB 2306! Contact information for the Senate Judiciary B Committee can be found below by clicking here. Please click here to find contact information for your State Senator.
NEW YORK: Big Victory for Sportsmen: Reynolds Game Farm to Remain Open! Following pressure from upset hunters, and facing legal action, Governor David Paterson (D) and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Chair Pete Grannis have decided that the Reynolds Pheasant Preserve, a last-of-its-kind pheasant-breeding operation open since 1927, will remain open. Last month’s announcement that the farm would close set off a chain of events culminating in a suit filed by the New York Rifle and Pistol Association, the National Rifle Association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and the Conservation Alliance of New York. The groups requested and were granted a restraining order to halt the destruction of the pheasants until it could be determined whether they were paid for with monies derived from excise taxes collected from firearm and ammunition sales. Please call Governor Paterson and thank him for reconsidering the farm’s fate. You can contact the Governor by phone at (518) 474-8390.
NORTH CAROLINA: Anti-Gun Zealot Targeting Ammunition! For several years, anti-gun activist Reverend Melvin Whitley has been promoting a “Bullet Ownership Bill,” which would require anyone who wishes to purchase ammunition to first acquire a permit. While his efforts have yet to gain any traction, this year Whitley is hoping the Durham City Council will add his bill to its agenda of legislative proposals submitted to the North Carolina General Assembly. Attacks on ammunition are popular among the gun-ban crowd these days, because they see them as an opportunity to get around the Supreme Court’s Heller decision, affirming that the Second Amendment guarantees our individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Just as law-abiding citizens have the right to own firearms, they have the right to own the ammunition for those arms. In the wake of the Heller decision, states should be looking at ways to strengthen the rights protected under the Second Amendment, not weaken them, as Whitley’s proposal would do. Please contact members of the Durham City Council and respectfully urge them to reject Rev. Whitley’s attack on the Second Amendment and law-abiding gun owners. For a listing of council members and contact information, please visit http://www.durhamnc.gov/council/pdf/council_guide.pdf. In addition, please contact your State Representative and State Senator and respectfully urge them to oppose any efforts to place added restrictions on the rights of law-abiding citizens. To find contact information on your State Representative and Senator, please click here.
Dramatically Expanded Hunting Opportunities Proposed in North Carolina! The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has opened for public comment proposed regulatory changes to the fishing, hunting, and trapping seasons for 2009-2010. The Commission should be commended for offering what is an unprecedented expansion of hunting opportunities in the Tar Heel State. It is essential that sportsmen submit public comments in support of the proposed changes in order to ensure that they are enacted for the coming season. All of the proposed changes can be found by visiting http://www.ncwildlife.org and selecting “2009 Proposed Regulations & Public Hearing Schedule.” NRA encourages its members and the hunting community to submit comments supporting the efforts to expand hunting opportunities proposed by the NCWRC. Comments may be conveniently submitted online by going to www.ncwildlife.org and selecting the link to “Submit Comments Online,” or by going directly to the comments page at http://www.ncwildlife.org/ProposedRegulations/Main.aspx. Comments will be accepted until Sunday, February 1, 2009. There is also a schedule for public hearings, beginning Monday, January 5, 2009, that can be found when you select “2009 Proposed Regulations & Public Hearing Schedule.” NRA encourages members and hunters to attend these hearings to show their support for the NCWRC proposals. The importance of supportive public comments in this process cannot be overestimated. Remember that the anti-hunting radicals will be submitting comments in opposition to the expanded opportunities!
NORTH DAKOTA: Elk Management Plan for Theodore Roosevelt National Park Released for Public Comment! Until recently, the National Park Service has used park staff or contract sharpshooters to reduce populations of elk and deer within national parks to achieve herd levels that the habitat can support. As a result of NRA’s advocacy for the use of hunters to assist in such operations, the Service is now obligated to consider the use of skilled volunteers (e.g. hunters). The Elk Reduction Plan for Rocky Mountain National Park, CO is the first such plan to include skilled volunteers. The Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) plan, which is open for public comment until Sunday, March 15, presents 6 action alternatives. Under Alternative B, skilled volunteers would become part of a pool of available personnel that could assist in the culling operations. Under Alternative E, the Service would look at ways to enhance elk hunting opportunities outside the park, in cooperation with the North Dakota Game & Fish Department, the U.S. Forest Service, and adjacent landowners. Public meetings will be held although specific dates and locations have not been announced. The draft plan is available at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/thro. You may submit your comments using the above website or mail your comments to Superintendent Valerie Naylor, TRNP, Box 7, Medora, ND 58645-0007. Hunters are considered the first conservationists and have been a valuable asset to wildlife managers in keeping wildlife in balance with its habitat and other natural resources. We encourage you to comment on the draft plan and support the use of hunters at TRNP, as well as supporting efforts by the Service and the state of North Dakota to enhance hunting opportunities outside the park.
OREGON: Stand-Up and Make Your Voices Heard in the Marion County Sheriff’s On-line Questionnaire About Right-to-Carry Privacy! In recent months, newspapers across the state of Oregon have been urging local sheriffs to release the identity of individuals who have been issued Concealed Handgun Licenses within their respective counties. Due to a 2008 circuit court ruling, many counties are finding ways to accommodate both law-abiding gun owners and the media. In some counties, CHL holders are now given the option to allow the disclosure of private information to the public. In response to this growing issue, Marion County Sheriff Russ Isham has formed a website that would enable Concealed Handgun License Holders to respond to a brief survey regarding CHL confidentiality. In order preserve your privacy, we strongly urge you to please visit http://www.co.marion.or.us/SO/Operations/concealed.htm to complete your on-line questionnaire TODAY. If you have any questions regarding this issue or the questionnaire please contact the Marion County Sheriff’s office at (503) 566-6991.
SOUTH CAROLINA: General Assembly Reconvenes in Columbia The South Carolina General Assembly convened this week, and NRA anticipates a busy year of promoting our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Pro-gun State Representative Dan Cooper (R-10) has already introduced H 3003, which seeks to make numerous changes to the laws regulating the carrying of firearms in South Carolina. This bill already has more than 30 co-sponsors. NRA is still in the process of analyzing this legislation, but we will work closely with Representative Cooper to ensure his legislation advances our cause. We will also work with allies in the South Carolina House and Senate to make other improvements that will benefit law-abiding gun owners, and we will be sure to alert the South Carolina pro-gun community to new developments and calls to action. While no major threats to the Second Amendment are currently on the horizon, that could change quickly.
There has been some confusion regarding legislation that was introduced last session. S 1259 was a bill introduced last year that sought to require all handgun and “assault weapon” ammunition in South Carolina be “encoded” and registered. This legislation died last year, and similar legislation has NOT been introduced this session. If anything similar to S 1259 is introduced this year, we will be sure to send out an alert. At this time, however, there is no need to contact South Carolina legislators about ammunition “encoding” legislation.
VIRGINIA: Virginia Crime Commission Releases New Recommendation! On Tuesday, January 13, the Virginia Crime Commission met to discuss and vote on regulating the sale of firearms at gun shows and the private transfer of firearms between Virginia citizens. State Senator Janet Howell (D-32) proposed that the Virginia Crime Commission recommend a bill that would end the private transfer and sale of firearms between individuals, including family members, without a background check. Similar legislation was defeated last year in the Virginia House and Senate, and this recommendation was defeated by the Virginia State Crime Commission. A recommendation by State Senator Kenneth Stolle (R-8) proposed language that would assess a fee, paid by gun-show promoters to the Commonwealth, that would cover the cost of the Virginia State Police to monitor and attend gun shows when necessary. While Senator Stolle’s recommendation in itself is not legislation, it is likely that gun owners will see similar language proposed in the coming legislative session. Please contact your State Legislators and respectfully urge them to oppose any legislation that attacks or erodes our Second Amendment freedoms. Contact information for your State Legislators can be found by clicking here.
