Supreme Court Hands Down Key Campaign Finance Decision — Repeals Unconstitutional Restrictions on Political Speech
NRA praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision yesterday in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission thatremoved unconstitutional restrictions on NRA’s ability to speak freely at election time.
The late Sen. Paul Wellstone had said during the original debate over this legislation that it was his intention to silence groups like NRA. While the author of this measure had singled out NRA, this law delivered a clear message to all American citizens: “Keep your mouths shut and stay out of our political debates.”
Texas Gun Show Controversy: NRA has received many inquiries about reports that the Austin, Texas Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tried to stop private gun sales at an Austin gun show.
Modern Day Shot Heard ‘Round The World: On behalf of the four million members of NRA, we would like to offer congratulations to Senator-elect Scott Brown (R) on his hard-fought and well-deserved victory in the Massachusetts special election for U.S. Senate. We would like to thank all gun owners, hunters and NRA members in the Bay State for seizing this unique opportunity to elect a supporter of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms to the U.S. Senate. Brown was endorsed by the NRA’s Political Victory Fund (PVF).
Teen Hunter’s Gun-Related Expulsion Overturned: In a case that received national attention, the Glenn County, Calif., Board of Education on January 22 overturned the expulsion of 17-year-old duck hunter Gary Tudesko, who was expelled from his central California high school after police dogs sniffed out unloaded shotguns in his truck. The California Legal Action Project (a joint effort by NRA-ILA and the California Rifle and Pistol Association Foundation) provided legal assistance.
Your Help Is Needed In Support of BATFE Reform Bills S. 941 And H.R. 2296:
As we’ve been reporting for months, 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” 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.
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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: Hunting Threatened on Mojave National Preserve
The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), in concert with the Sierra Club and other anti-hunting organizations, has filed a petition with the California Fish and Game Commission to ban most hunting in the Mojave National Preserve, including rabbit and varmint hunting. What hunting remains (resident game birds, deer, and bighorn sheep) would be restricted. The "Petition for Rulemaking Regarding Hunting in the Mojave National Preserve" blames hunters for the declining population of the desert tortoise, a threatened species under the state's Endangered Species Act. CBD filed a similar petition in 2003, but the commission did not act on it. The commission could schedule a hearing on it early this year.
The petition contains the flimsiest of evidence that hunting in the preserve is the cause or even a contributing factor of the decline in the tortoise population. In fact, statistics confirm that vehicular traffic and increased tourism within the designated critical habitat of the tortoise have increased substantially since 1994 when the preserve was established. Those activities are believed to be the leading causes of tortoise mortality. Further, there is sufficient research to suggest that predation by ravens and coyotes are also taking its toll on this protected species. The objective of the petition is not to protect and enhance the tortoise population. Rather, it is an attempt by this coalition of anti-hunting organizations to permanently end hunting in the Mojave National Preserve. CBD was also behind the ban on the use of lead ammunition for hunting big game within the range of the California condor, and earlier this year, CBD attempted unsuccessfully to extend that ban to all game species.
Please take a few minutes to contact the commission and ask that they deny the petition. Please address and mail comments to:
John Carlson, Jr., Executive Director
California Fish and Game Commission
1416 Ninth Street, Room 1320
Sacramento, CA 95814
[email protected]
Hunters are continually being harassed with restrictions on hunting and access to hunting areas for reasons not based on science. Please do not let CBD impose their pseudo-science on those who hunt in the Mojave National Preserve!
COLORADO: Support Needed to Re-Open Rampart Shooting Range!
Following an accidental shooting last July, the Forest Service closed the very popular and heavily used Rampart Shooting Range on the Pike National Forest. In its nearly 20 year history, Rampart had never before experienced a shooting-related injury or fatality. Rampart is the only free public range in El Paso County and receives 40,000 visitors a year. The Service called the closure a "time-out" in order to assess whether the design of the range was a factor. An investigation determined that the range was not a factor in the accident. Safety experts have said that the accident could have happened at any range. But after it closed Rampart, the Forest Service devised a scheme to keep the range closed permanently.
The Forest Service has listed requirements that must be met before it will reopen Rampart. There is no timetable for meeting these requirements and likely no money to cover costs. The most significant issue is the requirement of full time supervision. Most ranges on federal lands operate without supervision and this requirement could place all such ranges in jeopardy. Rampart Range is in need of improvements which were identified more than two years ago. Such improvements can be addressed and implemented with the range reopened. The Forest Service has said that it could take up to five years before Rampart is reopened, but there is no guarantee that it would reopen Rampart in that timeframe or at any time in the future.
NRA has been working to get Rampart Range reopened since the day it was closed, but we need the help of Colorado hunters and shooters to show the Forest Service and your elected officials that the federal government cannot continue to close public lands to recreational shooting, and certainly not without replacing those areas lost with other areas of the same or great value. Rampart Shooting Range is an important resource for the shooting community along the Front Range. There is no incentive for the Forest Service to reopen Rampart unless the shooting sports community demands it!
Shooting ranges on public lands are few and far between in Colorado. In addition to the closure of Rampart, the Forest Service has closed its lands to recreational shooting near Boulder and on the Pawnee Grasslands, and large acreage closures have occurred west of Sedalia. The Forest Service is not planning for recreational shooting. Closures are imposed without opening new areas and needed improvements to existing areas, including the Rampart Shooting Range, have not been made. Recreational shooting is not being treated by the Forest Service in Colorado as a legitimate and valued recreational activity on forest lands.
Please send an e-mail in support of the immediate reopening of Rampart to:
Tom Tidwell, Chief of the Forest Service, at [email protected], and copy your letter to:
Senator Mark Udall at [email protected],
Senator Michael Bennet at http://bennet.senate.gov/contact/,
Congressman Doug Lamborn at [email protected], and
Governor Bill Ritter by clicking here.
Please stress that keeping the range closed is not supportable by the investigative report; that the closure has robbed the shooting community of a valuable resource; and that needed improvements to the range can be planned and implemented without closure.
INDIANA:Three Important Pro-Gun Bills on the Move in Indiana!
As early as Monday, January 25, the Indiana House of Representative could hear bills that would prevent the state or local governments from confiscating legally-owned firearms during a declared state of emergency (HB1065), and that would limit access to the Indiana Right-to-Carry permit list in an effort to protect the privacy rights of law-abiding citizens (HB1068). Also, the senate will soon take up SB25, which would prevent any business from adopting or enforcing a policy or rule that prohibits an individual from legally possessing a firearm that is locked in an individual’s private vehicle. With so many issues being taken up in the near future it is critical that you contact your State Representative and State Senator and urge him or her to support HB1065, HB1068 and SB25, respectively. Contact information for your State Representative can be found here. Contact information for State Senator can be found here.
IOWA: Iowa’s state legislature has convened for 2010, and important legislation affecting your rights, including Right-to-Carry legislation, will be considered. In order to ensure that Iowa’s gun owners are fully engaged to protect freedom, NRA-ILA will be hosting a series of FREE Grassroots Workshops across the state to help gun owners join the Frontlines today!
At these FREE Workshops, NRA-ILA Staff will discuss how you can take on an even more active role in your community in our fight to advance and protect our freedoms in this very busy year! We will provide you with the materials and strategies needed to educate, empower, and engage your fellow gun owners as well.
With your support and attendance at these Workshops, you’ll help ensure that NRA members and gun owners across Iowa are actively in engaged in the battle to protect the Second Amendment. Please encourage your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to attend as well!
These FREE NRA-ILA Grassroots Workshops will be held:
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Bass Pro Shops
2901 Bass Pro Drive
Council Bluffs, IA 51501
(712) 325-6000
(Registration and hors d’oeuvres from 5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.)
/workshops/Register.aspx?ID=CouncilBluffs10
Thursday, February 4, 2010
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Embassy Suites on the River
101 East Locust Street
Des Moines, IA 50309
515-244-1700
(Registration and hors d’oevres from 6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.)
***Parking is across the street in the parking garage and cost is $7.00. NRA will pick up cost. You will need to get a voucher from NRA staff prior to leaving the meeting.
/workshops/Register.aspx?ID=DesMoines10
Saturday, February 6, 2010
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Clarion Hotel & Convention Center
525 33rd Avenue SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
319-366-8671
(Registration and continental breakfast from 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.)
/workshops/Register.aspx?ID=CedarRapids10
For more information, please contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683.
MISSISSIPPI:Various Pro-Gun Bills Taking Shape in Jackson!
A number of bills have been filed to create a sales tax holiday weekend on the sale of firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies: Senate Bill 2407, House Bill 242, House Bill 396 and House Bill 1207. Legislative leaders may be hesitant to bring these proposals forward due to the state's dire economic situation, so the need to hear from you. Please call and e-mail your State Senators and Representatives in Jackson and urge them to move forward on consideration of these bills. Contact information for state lawmakers can be found at http://www.mississippi.gov. Also, a number of bills have been introduced to loosen restrictions on where concealed pistol permit holders may lawfully carry. This past week, the Senate Judiciary A Committee unanimously reported out Senate Bill 2153, which repeals the state ban on carrying in public parks. The full Senate will likely vote on this measure next week. Please contact your State Senators and urge them to vote for SB 2153 on the Senate floor. Lastly, nearly 40 House co-authors have signed onto House Bill 1502 by Representative Warner McBride. This bill would significantly roll back restrictions on many of the "prohibited locations" listed in the state's concealed carry law. A summary of its provisions can be found here. Please contact your State Representative and either thank them for already signing on as a co-author to HB 1502 or urge them to sign on as a co-author to this important measure!
MONTANA: Montana FWP Proposes Politically-Motivated Lead Shot Ban
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is proposing to ban the use of lead shot for upland game bird hunting on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) as part of its 2010-2011 hunting season regulations (http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/oppForPubCommentDefault.html). While FWP has provided no information as to why the ban is being proposed, this is a move straight out of the radical anti-hunting crowd’s playbook. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has called for a nationwide ban on the use of lead ammunition for all purposes. The proposal by FWP moves them one step closer to this goal. HSUS spends $120 million a year lobbying and litigating against our hunting rights. Its President has said, “If we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would.” Comments are due Friday, January 22nd on the changes to the state's hunting regulations, including the addition of this new lead shot ban. The NRA urges all hunters to submit comments to FWP in opposition to the expansion of the lead shot ban. A short, simple note in opposition is sufficient. The lack of any scientific evidence to justify the proposed ban suggests that this fight is going to be decided by popular support or opposition, and rest assured that the anti-hunting radicals will be active. In the end, this proposal is a symbolic gesture that only serves to continue the expansion of a lead ammunition ban to all hunting. Science, not symbolism and politics, should drive good wildlife management decisions. Please click the following link, http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N2CCH9R, and submit your comments under “15. Upland Game Bird hunting season comment, if any:” to make your voice heard! Comments may be copied and pasted into the dialogue box. FWP reads these comments carefully, which will weigh heavily on the proposal’s fate. Comments on other proposals may also be submitted and it is vitally important that FWP hears from you. Information about the proposals may be found at http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/oppForPubCommentDefault.html.
NEVADA: Clark County Shooting Park Needs Your Help!
The Clark County Shooting Park has been the target of a lawsuit by a handful of anti-gun homeowners intending to close this major shooting facility north of Decatur Boulevard in Las Vegas. The Shooting Park was established by federal legislation in November 2003 by transferring nearly 3,000 acres of land from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to Clark County.
The NRA previously sent an alert on this issue asking for its members to submit comments to the BLM in support of an Environmental Assessment that the court required BLM to prepare. It was released for public comment in August. More than 1,000 comments in support of the Shooting Park were received by the BLM compared to a fraction in opposition.
However, the issue has not been settled. Because some of the comments provided new information or raised questions or concerns regarding the Environmental Assessment, the BLM was forced to consider a wider range of alternatives and thus had to prepare a supplement. The revised document has been released for a 45-day comment period that will end January 29th.
We ask that our members in Nevada and the surrounding states once again take the time to submit comments to the BLM in support of the Preferred Alternative A, which is the conveyance of the federal lands to the County for the Shooting Park. The environmental assessment is available online at www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo.html. Written comments should be addressed to Bob Ross, BLM Las Vegas Field Manager, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV, 89130. Your comments will make a difference as to whether the Shooting Park becomes a reality or falls victim to the whims of anti-gunners.
NEW JERSEY: Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs Files Lawsuit Against One-Gun-A-Month Law! The Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court of New Jersey seeking nullification of the recently enacted one-gun-a-month gun rationing law. ANJRPC’s federal lawsuit is in response to New Jersey’s lawmakers reneging on their promise of the new legislation exempting firearm collectors and competitive shooters from the law. The Firearms Task Force, which was created by former Governor Jon Corzine (D), promised that the one-gun-a-month reform bill would provide an exemption to gun collectors and competitors, claiming they were not the target of the law. With New Jersey’s government blatantly ignoring the Constitutional rights of its citizens, it is time that we take action and stand up against such offensive legislation.
NEW MEXICO: Restaurant Carry Still Referred to Committee in Santa Fe!
Senate Bill 40, sponsored by State Senator George Munoz, was ruled germane to the 30-day fiscal session and has been referred to the Senate Corporations & Transportation and Senate Judiciary Committees, in that order. Senate Bill 40 would allow concealed handgun licensees to lawfully carry handguns for self-defense in establishments licensed to serve beer and wine for consumption on the premises. Please contact committee members and urge them to support SB 40. Contact information can be found at the following link (http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/committees_standing.aspx). Also, State Representative John Heaton (D-55) has filed a House companion bill, HB 83, but it has not yet been assigned to any committees. We'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, please contact your State Representative and urge him or her to support HB 83. Contact information can be found here.
NEW YORK: Large Number of Anti-Gun Bills Filed in Albany
Since January 6, when the New York State Legislature reconvened in Albany, many anti-gun bills have been filed in both the Senate and the Assembly. Please click here to see the full list of the bills filed during this time. Also please contact your State Senator and Assembly member and urge him or her to oppose all anti-gun legislation. State Assembly Members can be reached by phone at (518) 455-4100. To find your Assembly Member, please click here. Your State Senator can be contacted through the Senate switchboard at (518) 455-2800. To find your State Senator, please click here.
RHODE ISLAND:South Kingstown Zoning Ordinance is Attempting to Force Gun Shops Out! As early as Monday, January 25, the South Kingstown Town Council could consider two amendments to the Zoning Ordinance that would put restrictions on firearm retailers, such as how and where they can operate their businesses. Firearm retailers in the state of Rhode Island are already licensed by both the Federal and State government and are subjected an extensive background check process. The extra restrictions proposed by these amendments are unnecessary, burdensome and unfairly target one industry. The Town Council meets regularly on the second and fourth Monday of each month and these amendments could be brought up as soon as Monday, January 25. Please contact members of the Town Council of the Town of South Kingstown and request that they oppose any proposals that would place further restrictions on lawful firearm retailers. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
WASHINGTON: “Assault Weapons” Ban Proposed in Olympia!
A group of four State Senators has introduced Senate Bill 6396, legislation that would bring California-style gun-control to the Northwest, and ultimately ban many semi-automatic firearms commonly owned by Washingtonians. This legislation would establish far-reaching restrictions on semi-automatic firearms (dubbing them "assault weapons") and ammunition magazines. SB6396 affects every firearm modified to conform with the expired Clinton Gun-Ban, plus many other semi-automatic firearms that have no lineage to those rifles or any military-style orientation whatsoever. Please contact both of your State Representatives and your State Senator TODAY at 800-562-6000 and politely urge them to oppose SB6396. More contact information for your legislators can be found here.
Legislation Introduced to Attack Gun Shows in Washington
State Representatives Brendan Williams (D-22) and Maralyn Chase (D-32) have introduced House Bill 2477, a bill that seeks to abolish the private transfer of firearms at gun shows, even between family and friends. HB2477 would hold law-abiding gun owners liable for the acts of criminals. Under this bill, if a firearm is privately transferred at a gun show to a person who is ineligible, even if the seller had no reason to suspect there was any problem, the seller can be held liable for injury or death caused by the criminal use of that firearm. Liability would apply even if the injury wasn’t caused by the unauthorized buyer. Please contact both of your State Representatives and your State Senator TODAY at 800-562-6000 and politely urge them to oppose HB2477. More contact information for your legislators can be found here.
