National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity
Thwarted Despite Bipartisan Majority Vote
On Wednesday, July 22, by a margin of 58-39, a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate voted in favor of an amendment offered by Senators John Thune (R-SD) and David Vitter (R-LA) to provide interstate recognition of Right-to-Carry permits. The amendment to S.1390 -- the National Defense Authorization Act -- would acknowledge that the right to self-defense extends across state lines. Under this provision, individuals with carry permits from their home state, or who are otherwise allowed to carry a firearm in their home state, could carry in any other state that issues permits.
Despite the bipartisan majority of votes, the Thune-Vitter amendment did not pass because it fell just two votes short of the required 60 votes for approval. This 60-vote approval threshold was decided upon by a procedural agreement between Senate leaders. The agreement was, in part, used to avoid a filibuster and any hostile amendments to the Thune-Vitter amendment.
No Surprise: Anti-Gun Groups Wage Desperation Attack On Right-To-Carry Before Senate Reciprocity Vote--Let’s just say it didn’t exactly catch anyone at NRA off-guard, when earlier this week Brady Campaign and Violence Policy Center (VPC) raised superficial, misleading arguments in an effort to derail the Thune-Vitter Right-to-Carry permit reciprocity amendment.
Update On Sotomayor Nomination: As we reported last week, NRA has announced its opposition to the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the position of Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Subsequent to that announcement, this week, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, and NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox sent a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and all members of the U.S. Senate giving notice that NRA-ILA will be scoring Senators based on their vote.
Your Help Is Needed In Support of BATFE Reform Bills S. 941 And H.R. 2296
As we reported in May, Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) have introduced S. 941, the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2009” in the U.S. Senate. Representatives Steve King (R-Iowa) and Zack Space (D-Ohio) have introduced a companion bill—H.R. 2296—in the U.S. House. The bills would roll back unnecessary restrictions, correct errors, and codify longstanding congressional policies in the firearms arena. These bipartisan bills are a vital step to modernize and improve BATFE operations.
Another Way To Get Involved: Online Social Networking -- Internet social networking has exploded in recent years. Websites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter attract millions of users. Recent estimates are that two out of every three Americans visit social networking websites, and roughly 90% of teenagers have profiles on at least one of these sites. These online communities foster a connection between their users, and allow distribution of user-generated content (like pictures, profiles, music, video, and text).
Stephen Halbrook Testifies Against Sotomayor: Independent Institute Research Fellow Stephen P. Halbrook testified on July 17th before the Senate Judiciary Committee against the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor for Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Dr. Halbrook is the author of the Institute’s landmark book, The Founders’ Second Amendment: Origins of the Right to Bear Arms, that has formed the basis for the Second Amendment Book Bomb.
STATE ROUNDUP (Please note the only items listed below are those that have had recent action. For other updates on state legislation, please go to the state legislation section at www.NRAILA.org, and check each week’s issue of the Grassroots Alert.”)
CALIFORNIA: Ammo Registration Ordinance Passes in Carson! On July 21, the City of Carson passed an ordinance that requires the registration of all ammunition sales. The ordinance also requires all ammunition vendors to obtain a license from the City, and will additionally require that all ammunition sales transactions to be conducted via a face-to-face transaction, effectively banning mail order and Internet purchases of ammunition. The ordinance is now waiting on the desk of Mayor Jim Dear for his consideration. The ordinance does not require his signature to become law, and as such it will go into effect August 20, 2009.
Gun Show Ban Remains on the Assembly Floor On July 15, the Assembly Appropriations Committee passed Senate Bill 585. The bill now heads to the Assembly floor. SB585 would prohibit the sale of firearms and ammunition on the property or inside the buildings that comprise the Cow Palace in Daly City. In short, SB585 is a stepping-stone to banning gun shows on all publicly-owned property in California. Please contact your Assemblymember TODAY and respectfully urge them to oppose SB585. Contact information for your Assemblymember can be found here.
Fish and Wildlife Service Management Plan Includes Hunting in the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a management plan for the 7000-acre Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, located southeast of Alturas, California. The draft plan evaluates four alternatives for managing the refuge over the next 15 years. Common to all the alternatives is the implementation of a hunting and fishing program. Comments on the plan are being accepted until Friday, July 30 and can be submitted by email to [email protected]. The plan can be viewed online at http://www.fws.gov/modoc. For additional information please call 530-233-3572. It is important for the Service to receive support for maintaining and enhancing hunting opportunities on national wildlife refuges, especially in light of continuing efforts by animal “rights” extremists to close refuges to hunting. Please take a few minutes to review the draft plan and submit comments.
ILLINOIS: Continue To Contact Governor Quinn To Sign Pro-Gun Bill Anti-gun groups are urging the Governor to veto HB182. This important pro-gun reform bill, would simply change the “Unlawful Use of Weapons (UUW)” law, adding "dwelling" and "dwelling of another" where a person has been invited with permission to possess a firearm, to the list of exemptions in which a law-abiding citizen is currently restricted from carrying a firearm. Please continue to contact Governor Quinn TODAY and respectfully urge him to sign this critical reform. To contact the Governor, please call 312-814-2121 or click here to send an email.
NEBRASKA: Omaha City Council Passes Ordinance Requiring Fingerprinting for Firearm Sales! Last week, the Omaha City Council approved an ordinance that would require individuals who wish to sell firearms to "secondhand stores," such as Scheels, Guns Unlimited, and other places (which are not pawnbrokers), to be fingerprinted before the transaction can occur. The approved ordinance now heads to the desk of Mayor Jim Suttle (D) for his consideration. Please continue to contact Mayor Suttle TODAY and respectfully urge him to veto this ordinance. The Mayor can be reached by phone at (402) 444-5000 or visit http://www.co.douglas.ne.us/omaha/mayor/contact-us to send an email. Also, please continue to contact the members of the City Council who voted for the ordinance and respectfully voice your disapproval with their passage of this attack on our Second Amendment freedoms. Contact information can be found here.
NEW YORK: Micro-Stamping Could Be Heard At Any Time as Balance of Power Changes Once Again The impasse in the New York Senate has ended with one of the original defectors returning to the Democratic caucus in exchange for the top leadership post – Senate Majority Leader. This change returns the balance of power back to the Democrats who surely will focus their efforts on passing Senate Bill 6005, (“micro-stamping” legislation). Even though S6005 contains an amendment removing the requirement that in-state manufacturers could only produce micro-stamp equipped semi-automatic handguns, the bill must be defeated at all costs. It is likely that a vote on S6005 could come at any time. Please continue contacting your State Senators and respectfully urge them to oppose S6005 when it comes before them for a vote. Contact information for your State Senator can be found by clicking here.
Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education Inc. (S.A.F.E.) presents the 2009 Firearm Civil Rights Conference: Please join the Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education Inc. (S.A.F.E.) for its “2009 Firearm Civil Rights Conference”
Sunday, September 13th,
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (doors open at 12:00 noon)
Sheraton Long Island Hotel
110 Vanderbilt Motor Parkway
Smithtown, NY 11788
(631) 231-1100
(on Motor Parkway on the North side of LIE between exits 53 & 55)
Special guests include Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President; Ron Schmeits, NRA President; Dick Anthony Heller, plaintiff in the landmark Heller-v-Washington DC, case;Ginny Simone, NRA investigative reporter on firearms issues, and radio show host; 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 firearm Civil Rights 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.
NORTH CAROLINA:“Castle Doctrine” Self-Defense Bill Remains Stalled in Raleigh The “Castle Doctrine” self-defense bill, Senate Bill 928, remains stuck in the House Judiciary I Committee. That committee is chaired by anti-gun State Representative Deborah Ross (D-38), and she appears to be unwilling to set a date for a hearing. Please contact Representative Ross and urge her to allow this critical legislation—which received overwhelming, bi-partisan support in the Senate in May—to be heard. Representative Ross can be reached by phone at 919-733-5773 or e-mail [email protected]. Also, please contact the members of the House Democratic Leadership team, who have histories of supporting our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Contact information for them can be found here.
Anti-Hunting Legislation Remains Viable in Raleigh! Even as the 2009 Legislative Session begins to wind down, anti-hunting extremists are still hoping to push their agenda in Raleigh. Senate Bill 460 is the first step in a process that is ultimately intended to put dog breeders and kennel owners out of business by instituting prohibitively expensive and burdensome regulations. The radical proponents of the bill will continually return to the Legislature until all owners of intact dogs -- even those who do not intend to breed their dogs -- are subject to these onerous regulations. SB 460 currently remains in the Senate Committee on Rules and Operations, but could be quickly brought back to the floor. Please help stop the radical HSUS agenda by taking the time to contact your State Senator and urge her or him to oppose Senate Bill 460! Contact information for your State Senator can be found by clicking here.
Right-to-Carry Reform Legislation Signed in North Carolina On Friday, July 17, Governor Bev Perdue (D) signed the Right-to-Carry permit renewal improvement bill into law (House Bill 1132). Please contact Governor Perdue and thank her for signing this necessary Right-to-Carry reform bill. The Governor can be reached by phone at (919) 733-4240 or via e-mail by clicking here. For detailed information on the bill, please click here.
OREGON: Opportunity to Expand Hunting Programs in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that it will begin to draft a plan for the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge that will guide refuge management for the next 15 years. The 187,000-acre refuge located in Harney County is one of the largest freshwater marshes in the country. Waterfowl hunting is available on approximately half of Malheur Lake and upland bird hunting is available on approximately one quarter of the refuge. One of the issues that the Service will be addressing is the adequacy of access and facilities for all of the wildlife dependent uses, like hunting and fishing, and opportunities to expand these programs. The Service is inviting comments from the public to gather suggestions and information on the scope of the issues to consider during the planning process. Comments are due by October 15 and can be emailed to [email protected]. Include "Malheur CCP" in the subject line of the message. Public meetings will be held and announced on the refuge's website at http://www.fws.gov/malheur. For further information you may call 541-493-2612. It is important that those who hunt and fish in the refuge to become active participants in the planning process to ensure that sportsmen's interests are well represented in the plan that will be drafted.
PENNSLYVANIA: Erie City Council to Consider “Lost or Stolen” Proposal!
On August 5, the Erie City Council will consider a proposal to establish a requirement for gun owners to report all lost or stolen firearms with in 72 hours to law enforcement. This proposal not only violates the state preemption laws but could very well turn law-abiding victims into criminals. Please make plans to attend the meeting. Please also contact your City Council members and urge them to oppose any proposal that favors the criminal over legal gun owners. Contact information can be found here:
TENNESSEE: Updated List of Localities Opting Out of Park Carry Several Tennessee counties and municipalities have started the process to opt out of the new park carry law before its effective date (Tuesday, September 1). We have compiled a list of cities and counties that are considering opting out or have scheduled hearings on the issue. Please make your voice heard on this issue. The best way to get your opinion through to your local officials is to contact them immediately. Please respectfully urge them to oppose any proposal or resolution that would prohibit law-abiding permit holders from protecting themselves in local parks. The list of municipalities and their contact information can be located here.
VIRGINIA: This November, Virginia's elections will be ground zero for the enemies of freedom to try and turn the tide against our gun rights in the Commonwealth, serving as a launching pad for their national gun ban crusade. Our opponents will be pulling out all the stops as a run-up to the 2010 elections. All eyes will be on us! To ensure we are prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities we will face this election season, NRA-ILA will be hosting a series of free volunteer kick-off meetings throughout the Commonwealth. At these meetings, we will lay out our plans for our grassroots election activities in your area and show you how you can help. You will also get to meet and begin working with your NRA-ILA Campaign Field Representative-- an NRA-ILA staff person who will be living in your area, coordinating our volunteer activities right through Election Day, Nov. 3! The meetings are absolutely free and beverages and light snacks will be served. These events will run only about 60-90 minutes.
Details for the next two scheduled meetings are as follows:
NRA-ILA will be hosting the next free volunteer kick-off meeting on Tuesday, July 28th, at 6:30p.m., at Bass Pro Shops, 11550 Lakeridge Parkway, Ashland, VA 23005.
To register for this free event, please click here, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683).
Following the Ashland event, the next scheduled meeting will be the Fairfax County meeting. This event will hosted by ILA Grassroots Staff and is scheduled for Saturday, August 1st , at 10:00 a.m., at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax (11250 Waples Mill Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030)!
To register for this free event, please click here, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683).
Following the Fairfax event, the next scheduled meeting will be Thursday, August 6th, at 7:00 p.m., at the Hampton Inn, 200 McBride Lane,Gretna, VA 24557
To register for this free event, please click here, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683).
Following the Gretna event, the next scheduled meeting will be Tuesday, August 18th, at 6:30 p.m., at Holiday Inn, Tanglewood –Roanoke, 4468 Starkey Road, Roanoke, VA 24018.
To register for this free event, please click here, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683).
Please make plans to attend these meetings and encourage fellow NRA members and Second Amendment supporters to attend as well.
WISCONSIN: Youth Hunting Bill Still Pending Governor’s Consideration! On Thursday, June 18, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 167 by a voice vote. SB167 is now on the desk of 
Governor Jim Doyle (D) for his consideration. SB167 would establish a mentored hunting program in the Badger State. Please continue to contact Governor Doyle at 608-266-1212 or click here to send email and urge him to sign this important piece of legislation. Also, please contact your State Legislators and thank them for passing SB167. You can find your legislators contact information by clicking here.
