Congress Passes NRA-Backed Legislation
Protecting Pocketknife Classification
Back in June, we reported on a proposed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rule change that would have expanded the Switchblade Knife Act of 1958 to include spring-assisted or one-handed-opening knives, and would have directly targeted the importation of "assisted opening" folding knives. (Read the proposed rule here.) Assisted opening knives are frequently used by hunters, anglers, farmers, ranchers, firefighters, law enforcement and emergency personnel and anyone else who may need to open a knife with only one hand.
The proposed regulations would have designated all such knives as "switchblades" -- despite the fact they do not fall under the federal definition of "switchblades" -- and would have made them illegal for import into the United States.
Fortunately, in July, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed an amendment to the Federal Switchblade Act as part of the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2010. This NRA-supported amendment then headed to a House-Senate conference committee.
Last week, the U.S. House passed the amendment. We are happy to report that this week, the U. S. Senate passed the measure as well.
Lawmakers Question NIH Study On Teens And Firearms: Some Congressional lawmakers are questioning a National Institutes of Health (NIH) "study" designed to determine why inner city teenagers who illegally drink and carry firearms -- and consort with others who do the same -- run a different risk of getting shot. If your "Duh!" meter just went off, don't panic -- you're not alone.
Can't Spell "Freedom's Voice" Without Free! As the days wind down to Election Day in Virginia -- November 3rd -- once again, Grassroots staff is on the road -- where we belong and where we thrive! We will be traveling across the state, working with our members and supporters to elect our candidates.
Clearing Up the Rumors: The Truth About The "Gun Tax Bill" Over the past few months, NRA-ILA has received hundreds of e-mails warning us about "SB-2099," a bill that would supposedly require you to report all your guns on your income tax return every April 15.
Like many rumors, there's just a grain of truth to this one. Someone is recycling an old alert, which wasn't even very accurate when it was new.
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.
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: NRA Sponsors Legislation to Repeal AB962! Earlier this year, Assemblyman Curt Hagman introduced Assembly Bill 373 related to the sales of handguns. AB373 was supported by the National Rifle Association in order to streamline the ability for law-abiding Californians to purchase handguns. Now that Governor Schwarzenegger has signed AB962 into law, people are already becoming aware of the damage that it will do to California and its citizens. Therefore, the NRA worked with Assemblyman Hagman to amend AB373 into legislation that would repeal AB962. The newly-amended AB373 will be heard in the State Legislature in January of 2010, so we must be ready for these hearings. As a first step in this process please contact Assemblyman Curt Hagman and thank him for his leadership in this very important effort to repeal AB962. His office phone number is 916-319-2060 and you can email him at [email protected].
MISSISSIPPI: NRA License Plates Now Available! Support your NRA by purchasing a specialized NRA tag today! NRA license plates are now available through your county tax collector's office. The cost is $31, with $24 of that going to the NRA Foundation State Account to promote firearms training, youth hunter education, shooting range development and other programs in Mississippi. For a list of county tax collectors and office locations, please visit http://www.mstc.state.ms.us/perl/ContactUs_new.pl.
NEW JERSEY: Tuesday, November 3 is Election Day! Be sure to "Vote Freedom First!" If you have questions about candidate grades and endorsements, please call our Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) or visit www.NRAPVF.org. For more information about voting in New Jersey, please visit http://www.njelections.org/.
NORTH CAROLINA: Tar Heel State to Start Producing NRA License Plates! In 2005, North Carolina established an NRA license plate, but we needed 300 North Carolinians to commit to purchasing them before they could be issued. We have finally reached the magic number! The applications, along with the necessary payments, have been submitted to the North Carolina DMV, and we thank everyone who has been patiently waiting for their chance to show support for NRA on their vehicle—especially those who applied in the beginning. It has been a long road, but your patience will soon pay off. We will be sure to post further updates as soon as we can, to let you know when to expect your NRA license plate. Our special thanks go out to NRA Western North Carolina Field Representative Doug Merrill, who has been handling all of the submitted applications, and fielding anxious calls looking for updates. Again, thank you for your patience!
SOUTH CAROLINA: Volunteers Needed to Assist with Range Clean-Up and Maintenance The Twin Ponds Rifle Range in the Francis Marion National Forest is in need of clean-up and repairs after it was closed in September because of vandalism over the last 12 months. The Forest is hosting a volunteer clean-up and repair day in order to get the range reopened by Sunday, November 1. Already, a number of shooter-volunteers, along with a troop of Cub Scouts, have pledged their help that day. The Forest can always use additional volunteers for that day and in the future to keep the range safe and clean. For more information, please click here.
TENNESSEE: Bartlett Will Soon Vote on Whether to Opt Out of New Park Carry law! The Bartlett Board of Aldermen will soon be voting on an ordinance which would ban the possession of firearms in local parks, even by those who possess Right-to-Carry permits. If passed, this resolution would strip gun owners of their right to carry a firearm for self-defense in all Bartlett parks. The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, at 7:00 p.m., in Bartlett City Hall, located at 6400 Stage Road. Please continue to contact Mayor Keith McDonald at (901) 385-6444, and the City Aldermen at (901) 385-6444, and voice your opposition to this ordinance that would eliminate your right to self-defense in local parks.
TEXAS: Attention NRA Members in Henderson & Kaufman Counties! Please make plans to attend upcoming town hall meetings for your State Representative and strong Second Amendment supporter, Betty Brown (R-4). The events are being hosted by the Texas Conservative Coalition -- the conservative caucus of the Texas Legislature. The first meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 3 at 6:00 p.m.in the Trinity Valley Community College cafeteria, located at 100 Cardinal Drive, in Athens. The second will be held on Wednesday, November 4 at 7:30 AM at Covenant Generations Church, located at 10342 W. Highway 80 in Forney. Two key NRA-backed bills did not pass during the 2009 legislative session: a proposal prohibiting employers from enforcing policies against hard-working Texans who store their lawfully-owned firearms in their locked motor vehicles while parked at work, and a measure allowing concealed handgun licensees to protect themselves on college and university campuses. Rep. Brown co-sponsored both bills, but House leaders failed to set either of them for a timely vote by the full House. This is your chance to thank Rep. Brown for her support and to urge her to push House leaders for a floor vote on both issues next session!
VIRGINIA: Remember to Vote Freedom First on Election Day! Tuesday, November 3 is Election Day in the Old Dominion. Be sure to "Vote Freedom First!" If you have questions about candidate grades and endorsements, please call our Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) or visit www.NRAPVF.org. For more information about voting in Virginia, please visit http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Election_Information/Index.html.
Get Your Bumper Stickers and Meet your CFRs! This November, Virginia's elections will be a key battleground for the enemies of freedom to try and turn the tide against our gun rights in the Commonwealth. Our opponents will be pulling out all the stops as a run-up to the 2010 elections. All eyes will be on us!
In light of the importance of this year's elections, NRA-ILA has Campaign Field Representatives (CFRs) in place throughout the Commonwealth, who are coordinating our grassroots election activities.
In addition to working to turn out the pro-gun vote on Election Day, each Campaign Field Representative has been supplied with thousands of bumper stickers.
If you wish to get a free bumper sticker for your vehicle, as well as the vehicles of your family and friends, please contact the Campaign Field Representative nearest you (to see a listing of CFR regions and contact information, please click here).
In addition to claiming your free sticker(s), please volunteer whatever time you are able to assist your Campaign Field Representative as he/she works to ensure Virginia's gun owners and sportsmen "Vote Freedom First!" on November 3rd!
Reloading Clinics: 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: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Seeking Hunter Input The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is holding hearings across the state to address the proposed rules and standards for the state's new Stewardship Program. The hearing will set the guidelines and requirements on how the Stewardship property is used, which will determine the status of hunting and fishing on massive amounts of land in Wisconsin. We highly encourage everyone to attend. To see if there is a hearing scheduled in your area, please check here.
