With each election, Americans go to the polls and make decisions that affect -- for better or worse -- the future of freedom in America.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 72 percent (142 million) of the eligible voting age citizen population (197 million) were registered to vote in 2004. This means that as many as 55 million people were eligible to vote, but unregistered -- and therefore did not participate in the November 2004 elections.
Poll Shows Americans Support Right-to-Carry: The United States Senate recently voted on an amendment that would have allowed Right-to-Carry permit holders to carry in all other states that also grant carry permits. The amendment, sponsored by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and David Vitter (R-La.), won a significant majority of votes, 58 to 39, but failed to reach the 60 votes needed to avoid a Senate filibuster.
Anti-gun senators have long argued that the majority of Americans do not support firearm freedoms. They made this erroneous claim once again during the debate on the Thune/Vitter amendment. Now, a new poll has proven them wrong.
Conducted by Zogby International and The O'Leary Report, the poll looked at Americans' opinions on some key issues related to the Second Amendment. One of the questions asked: "Currently, 39 states have laws that allow residents to carry firearms to protect themselves, only if they pass a background check and pay a fee to cover administrative costs. Most of those states also require applicants to have firearms safety training. Do you support or oppose this law?"
Sotomayor Confirmed: On Thursday, August 6, by a vote of 68-31, the full Senate voted to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The NRA opposed the confirmation of Judge Sotomayor and announced our opposition to her confirmation after the conclusion of her testimony before the Senate Judiciary committee on July 16th. Early on, NRA expressed concerns about Judge Sotomayor's suitability to serve on the Court, given her previous rulings on Second Amendment issues. However, out of respect for the confirmation process, NRA did not announce our position on her confirmation until the conclusion of her testimony before the U.S. Senate.
Now Is The Time To Make Yourself Heard At Town Hall Meetings! Congress has now adjourned to start the Summer District Work Period and will return after Labor Day. During this Summer District Work Period, your Senators and Representative will be back home in their states and districts.
Many lawmakers use this time to hold town hall meetings, and take questions from their constituents. These meetings offer a tremendous opportunity for you to personally voice your strong support for the Second Amendment.
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.
2009 Gun Rights Policy Conference: This year's Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 25, 26, & 27, at the beautiful Airport Renaissance hotel. The theme of this year's conference is "Challenges Ahead."
Nevada: Clark County Shooting Park Needs Your Support! The Clark County Shooting Park is a 3,000-acre park outside of Las Vegas that is devoted entirely to the shooting sports. It was created by an Act of Congress that transferred land to Clark County from the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Not long after the transfer, some local residents filed a lawsuit to close down the shooting park. The federal judge dismissed their charges, but ordered the BLM to complete some environmental studies.
Help Defend Your Gun Rights One Click At A Time: We 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:
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: Two Dangerous Anti-Gun Bills Still Alive in Sacramento The State Legislature will return from recess on Monday, August 17, and may 
soon take up two anti-gun bills, Assembly Bill 962 and Senate Bill 585. AB962would make it a crime to privately transfer more than 50 rounds of ammunition per month, even between family and friends, unless you are registered as a "handgun ammunition vendor" in the Department of Justice's database. AB962 would also require fingerprinting for all sales, and ban on-line ammunition purchases. SB585 would prohibit the sale of firearms and ammunition on the property or inside the buildings that comprise the Cow Palace, a stepping stone toward banning gun shows on all private property in California. It is imperative that you stand-up and respectfully make your voices heard loudly! Please contact your State Senator and respectfully urge him or her to oppose AB962. Also, please contact your Assemblymember and ask that he or she vote to defeat SB585. Contact information can be found here.
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 (D) 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 e-mail.
NEVADA: Clark County Shooting Park Needs Your Support The Clark County Shooting Park is a 3,000 acre park outside of Las Vegas that is devoted entirely to the shooting sports. It was created by an Act of Congress that transferred land to Clark County from the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Not long after the transfer, some local residents filed a lawsuit to close down the shooting park. The federal judge dismissed their charges, but ordered the BLM to complete some environmental studies. An Environmental Assessment with a "Finding of No Significant Impact" (FONSI) has been completed and is open for public comment until Wednesday, September 2. The same people who sued the shooting park, along with their allies, plan to bury BLM with letters demanding a more extensive environmental analysis as another form of harassment against the shooting park. Since comments are not limited to Nevada residents, we are asking that NRA members from around the country send comments to BLM in order to counter comments by the shooting park's opposition. A large number of supportive letters will also positively influence BLM decisions on other shooting areas and ranges nationwide. If you shoot recreationally, it is important the BLM hear from you. Gun control advocates and radical environmental activists are trying to shut down shooting ranges or keep them from opening across the country, so it is important that BLM hear from you. Please take a few minutes to send Mr. Bob Ross, BLM Las Vegas Field Manager, your comments supporting the Environmental Assessment and recommending that the FONSI be approved and that the environmental review process be completed. His address is: 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130. The environmental assessment is available online at http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo.html.
NEW YORK: 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.
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 e-mailed 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.
PENNSYLVANIA: Erie City Council Passes "Lost or Stolen" Ordinance On Wednesday August 5, The Erie City Council passed an ordinance that will now require you to report all lost of stolen firearms within a 72-hour period or face fines or imprisonment. This ordinance is in direct violation of the state preemption law and will potentially turn law abiding victims into criminals. It's wrong to penalize gun owners for the acts of criminals. Please contact Mayor Joseph Sinnott and the Erie City Council and respectfully voice your disapproval with the passage of this unjust, unwarranted, and illegal legislation. Contact information can be found here.
TENNESSEE: Updated List of Localities Opting Out of Park Carry Several new Tennessee counties and municipalities have started the process of opting 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: Management Plan for Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge Includes New Hunting Opportunities The Fish and Wildlife Service released a plan that will guide management of the Rappahannock Refuge for the next 15 years. The plan is open for public comment until August 24th. The 7,711-acre Refuge is the newest of the 4 refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The Refuge is open to deer hunting but both management alternatives B and C call for evaluating opportunities for waterfowl and turkey hunting. The plan is available online at: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/Rappahannock.html Comments can be emailed to: [email protected]. Please include "Rappahannock NWR CCP" in the subject line of your email. If you are a hunter or outdoorsman, it is critical that you take action and show the Fish and Wildlife Service support for creating and enhancing hunting opportunities on refuge lands. Please take a few minutes and send supporting comments to the Service.
Also, 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, and serve 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 Virginia! 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 scheduled meetings are as follows:
NRA-ILA will be hosting the next free volunteer kick-off meeting Monday, August 17th at 7:00p.m., at the Four Points by Sheraton Manassas, 10800 Vandor Lane, Manassas, VA 20109.
To register for this free event, please click here, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683).
Following the Manassas 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.
Finally, are you looking for a way to beat the high prices of ammo or are you having trouble finding your favorite ammo in stock at your local gun shop? The Virginia Shooting Sports Association (VSSA), the Official State Affiliate Association of NRA, has the answer. VSSA will be hosting reloading clinics around the Commonwealth starting in September. There will be clinics for both metallic shell reloading and shotgun shell reloading. The courses are designed to enable shooters with little or no prior experience in reloading to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and ability to produce safe, consistent, and accurate reloaded ammunition. The clinics will be held at the Gander Mountain stores in Fredericksburg, Richmond, Roanoke, and Winchester. For more information on cost and dates, go to http://www.myvssa.org/reloading.htm, or e-mail Dave Myers at [email protected]. Class sizes are limited so register today!
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 e-mail 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.
