McCain, Tester, Childers And Souder
Introduce Bills To Reform D.C.’S Gun Laws
This week, Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jon. Tester (D-Mont.), and Reps. Travis Childers (D-Miss.) and Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.), introduced the “Second Amendment Enforcement Act.” The Senate and House bills (S. 3265, with 14 Senate cosponsors and H.R. 5162, with 64 House co-sponsors, respectively) would eliminate several of the District’s most restrictive gun control laws passed in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller.
“We believe that residents across this country should be able to exercise their constitutional right to have access to firearms to protect themselves,” Sen. McCain said. Sen. Tester added, “This legislation sends a clear message: Washington, D.C., isn’t an exception when it comes to law-abiding folks and their Second Amendment rights.” Rep. Childers noted, “Today’s legislation seeks to secure for District residents the rights reinforced by the Supreme Court’s decision in Heller.”
Since the mid-1970s, D.C.’s gun control regimen has been similar to laws imposed in countries where—as Second Amendment author James Madison put it in The Federalist—“governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.”
Mayor Daley Insults America In Pre-McDonald Ploy: Fearful that America’s Supreme Court will soon strike down Chicago’s handgun ban, frustrated by the Illinois legislature’s rejection of his anti-gun agenda, and repudiated by American courts and legislatures over his plan to sue federally licensed manufacturers and dealers of firearms for third-party crimes, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley (D) is showing contempt for his own country’s and state’s institutions, by seeking a foreign entity to enforce his anti-gun agenda against the American people.
Iowa’s Governor Signs Shall-Issue Bill Into Law: This week, Iowa Governor Chet Culver (D) signed Senate File 2379 into law, signifying the first time in nearly a century that a major step has been taken to enhance the Right-to-Carry freedoms of Iowans. This NRA-backed legislation will allow law-abiding Iowans the right to carry without being subject to the subjective discretion of individual sheriffs, changing Iowa from a “may-issue” state to a “shall-issue” state.
Plan To Attend Free Grassroots Workshop At NRA’s Upcoming Annual Meetings In Charlotte, NC! With the 2010 elections rapidly approaching there will be no better time than during NRA’s Annual Meeting to ensure we are prepared to register pro-gun voters, mobilize them for action, and turn them out to vote on ELECTION DAY!
Special NRA-ILA Seminar Planned For Charlotte! In addition to the FREE Grassroots Workshop being held in conjunction with this year’s Annual Meetings, the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division is holding a FREE “In Their Own Words” Special Seminar.
Trigger The Vote Chairman, Chuck Norris, Coming To Charlotte! Chuck Norris, legendary action star and the Honorary Chairman of our “Trigger the Vote” voter registration campaign, is coming to the NRA Annual Meeting in Charlotte next month. He will be a featured speaker at the Friday Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum. Chuck and his wife Gena will be Guests of Honor at the NRA-ILA Friday Dinner Auction, and they will also host a book-signing in the Exhibit Hall on Saturday. Click here to see a brief interview with Chuck about his new book, and plan to see him in Charlotte! NRA-ILA will be conducting an on-site voter registration drive at the Annual Meetings as well.
ILA Dinner and Auction At Annual Meetings: The Institute for Legislative Action will hold its Fourth Annual Dinner and Auction in conjunction with the NRA Annual Meetings in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday evening, May 14th.
Volunteers Needed For 2010 NRA Annual Meetings In Charlotte: The 2010 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will be an exciting weekend, as thousands of NRA members will come together May 14-16, 2010, in Charlotte, NC. You can contribute to the success of our meeting by participating as an Annual Meeting Volunteer.
Get Your Copy of Stephen Halbrook’s Freedmen, the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Right to Bear Arms, 1866-1876: Does the Second Amendment apply to the states? The Supreme Court will soon decide that critical question. As that historic day approaches, there’s no better time for all Americans to learn more about this issue.
Grassroots News Minute Video:
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.)
ARIZONA: NRA Backed Bill Advances to the Governor’s Desk On Thursday, April 29 House Bill 2629 passed its final reading by a vote of 55 to 2, with three votes counted as absent. The bill now moves to Governor Jan Brewer’s (R) desk for her consideration. HB 2629, as amended, was added after we learned that Mojave County was registering guns when someone would check their firearm at a government building. These government buildings were recording owner information and serial numbers of firearms. HB 2629 will make the current actions of Mojave County and any other violating county illegal. If after the passage of this law they continue to illegally register guns, it will allow a private citizen to bring suit against the county. Please contact Governor Brewer and respectfully urge her to sign HB 2629 into law. You can contact the Governor by phone, at (602) 542-4331; or you can click here to e-mail her.
CALIFORNIA: Long Gun Registration Bill Still Pending Consideration On Wednesday, April 28, the Assembly Appropriations Committee met to consider Assembly Bill 1810 and Assembly Bill 2223. AB1810 was placed into the suspense file due to financial costs and will be reconsidered in the near future. AB2223 was re-scheduled for next week. Please continue checking your email and www.NRAILA.org for any updates on AB1810. AB1810 would establish a registration system, similar to the one currently in place for handguns, for all newly-acquired long guns. AB2223 would ban the use of lead shot in state wildlife management areas. Please contact the members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and strongly voice your opposition to AB1810 and AB2223. Contact information can be found here. Also, please contact your Assembly Member in opposition to this bill. Their contact information can be found here.
COLORADO: Sportsmen Are Being Pushed from the Denver Area’s Last Remaining Training Ground for Hunting Dogs! Significant acreage in Chatfield State Park and Cherry Creek Park near Denver was originally designated for training hunting dogs making these parks vital assets to the sporting dog community for many years. Colorado sportsmen and women are now being pushed out of these hunting dog-training areas with plans to convert them to dog parks that would prohibit most training activities. The hunting dog community has protected these parks for many years, and has tried to leave as little impact on the natural environment as possible in order to ensure it mimics actual hunting terrain. Chatfield State Park has a comment form with three alternatives listed. Alternative B provides the best protection for the sporting dog community, which segments approximately 24.5 acres for training out of 75 total acres. Please go to the following link and submit comments in support of Alternative B: http://parks.state.co.us/SiteCollectionImages/parks/Landing/DOLA/DOLA_OH_Chatfield.pdf. It would also be appropriate to convey your displeasure with the general plan to significantly reduce the area for hunting dog training. Cherry Creek Park also has three alternatives, but none of the alternatives provide adequate protection for sporting dog training. Please go to the following link and voice your concern over the exclusion of training areas for hunting dogs: http://parks.state.co.us/SiteCollectionImages/parks/Landing/DOLA/DOLA_OH_CherryCreek.pdf. Your voice is essential to protect Colorado’s great sporting dog heritage! A proper place to train hunting dogs is becoming harder to come by around the country and the remaining land must be preserved. Don’t allow this blatantly anti-hunting action by the Colorado State Parks Board to stand without a fight!
CONNECTICUT:Fee Credit Amendment Adopted in Hartford! On Thursday, April 29, the State Senate unanimously passed Amendment “B” to Senate Bill 207. This bill would establish a credit to those who purchased a hunting or fishing license, permit or tag between October 1, 2009 and April 14, 2010, to be applied against the fee for any such license, permit or tag purchased by such person on or after October 1, 2010. SB 207 was designed to reduce the recent fee increases associated with hunting and fishing licenses, and passed by lawmakers last year. The amendment must now be voted on in the House of Representatives. Please contact the members of the House of Representatives and respectfully ask that they pass SB 207 with Amendment “B” in order to help keep hunting accessible to all, regardless of their socio-economic status. Contact information for House members can be found by clicking here. To find information on the State Legislators in your district, please click here.
GEORGIA: Two Pro-Gun Bills Heading to the Governor!Two important pro-gun bills (Senate Bill 291 and Senate Bill 308) have both successfully passed and will now head to Governor Sonny Perdue’s (R) desk for his consideration. SB291 would allow a person lawfully licensed to carry a concealed firearm the right to carry in all non-secure areas and while dropping off or picking up passengers at an airport or airport facility. Also included in the bill is a provision that would make the license renewal process much easier by basically creating an automatic renewal. Instead of the licensee having to remember to renew, the probate court will be required to send out renewals 90 days before expiration. SB308 would reform Georgia’s concealed carry laws so that the concealed carry license would enable the person to carry any handgun or knife, openly or concealed. SB 308 would also allow concealed carry license holders to carry in more places by repealing the broad and vague “public gathering ban.” Please begin contacting Governor Perdue today by phone at (404) 656-1776 or via email by clicking here and respectfully urge him to sign these important concealed carry reform bills.
HAWAII: Emergency Powers Bill Pending Governor’s Consideration! On Friday, April 16, the Hawaii Senate voted 21-0 to pass Senate Bill 358. The bill now heads to the desk of Governor Linda Lingle (R) for her consideration. SB358 would prohibit the seizure of firearms or ammunition during a government-invoked state of emergency as a result of a disaster. SB358 languished last year when it was introduced, and was propelled forward after the February tsunami warning when the members of the Legislature were deluged with calls from NRA members and gun owners worried that their guns might be confiscated, similar to the post-Hurricane Katrina incidents. Please contact the Governor TODAY and respectfully urge her to sign SB358 into law. Governor Lingle can be reached by phone at 808-586-0034.
ILLINOIS: Anti-Gun Legislator Hard at Work in Illinois! Anti-gun State Representative Harry Osterman (D-14) has been unable to find any traction to pass House Bill 5849, which seeks to overturn last year’s Illinois Supreme Court ruling that held the storage boxes built into vehicles qualified for storing unloaded firearms for lawful transportation under Illinois law. This bill would change the law to make it more difficult to lawfully transport unloaded firearms. In a desperate attempt to pass this bill, Representative Osterman is attempting to amend it to include his confusing gang-related language from House Bill 6123. Both bills are opposed by NRA, so it is critical that you turn up the heat with your State Representative, and urge him or her to continue to strongly oppose HB 5849, especially any attempt to amend it to make it even worse. In addition to HB 5849, Representative Osterman may also attempt to amend House Bill 5480, his bill that seeks to outlaw most private transfers of handguns and require the transfers to be processed through an FFL. The amendment would direct the Illinois Department of State Police to develop its own Internet-based background check system for handgun transfers. Again, it is critical that you contact your State Representative, urge him or her to oppose HB 5849 AND HB 5480, and oppose any efforts to amend these bills to make them even worse. Please click here for contact information.
IOWA: Iowa’s Governor Signs Shall-Issue Bill into Law Iowa Governor Chet Culver (D) signed Senate File 2379 into law on April 29, signifying the first time in nearly a century that a major step has been taken to enhance the right-to-carry freedoms of Iowans. This NRA-backed legislation will allow law-abiding Iowans the right to carry without being subject to the subjective discretion of individual sheriffs, changing Iowa from a "May-Issue" state to a "Shall-Issue" state. Please call Governor Chet Culver today at (515) 281- 5211 and thank him for taking this important step for Iowa gun owners. The NRA would also like to thank Iowa Carry for their support, as well as Representative Clel Baudler (R) for championing this legislation. In addition to the provisions previously listed, SF 2379 will also limit the information that can be required of a permit applicant and prevent the application process from being used as a defacto firearm registration scheme. Until the new system goes into effect, gun owners will still be able to obtain a one-year permit under the old system. This measure will take effect January 1, 2011.
LOUISIANA:Two Pro-Gun Bills Advance in Louisiana! Two important pro-gun bills took a big step forward on Wednesday, April 28. The Senate Judiciary B Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 81. SB81 would exempt concealed carry permit holders from the 1,000 foot “Gun Free School Zone.” The bill now heads to the Senate floor for consideration. The companion bill, House Bill 556, also passed yesterday out of the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice by a vote of 8-3. HB556 now heads to the House floor for consideration. State law prohibits any individual from possessing a firearm within approximately a quarter mile of any school property, even concealed carry permit licensees. An individual does not have to know that he or she is within the 1000 foot zone and the penalty for violation of this statute is a felony. Please contact your State Senator and respectfully urge him or her to pass SB81. Also, please contact your State Representative and ask that they support HB556. Contact information for your State Legislators can be found here.
NEW YORK: Micro-stamping Legislation on the Move in Albany! Just Days after the annual anti-gun lobby day, legislators are preparing to take action two micro-stamping bills (Assembly Bill 6468C and Senate Bill 6005). Micro-stamping is an unproven technology that would require unique identifying information from the firearm, including the make, model, and serial number to be etched into the firing pin and breech face in such a manner that those identifiers are imprinted on the cartridge case upon firing. This also means that lawmakers could be gearing up to pass their whole anti-gun agenda. Please take the time to contact your lawmakers and ask their position on A6468C and S6005 and request that they oppose the laundry list of anti-gun bills currently pending in the Assembly. 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.
OREGON:State Police to Hold Meeting to Assess Background Check Fees The Oregon State Police (OSP) will be holding a series of regional meetings to review fees charged for services provided by the agency's Identification Services Section, which include background checks on firearm purchasers within the state. In many states, the FBI conducts background checks on gun buyers through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) at no charge and, by law, they may not maintain data on lawful purchasers. In Oregon, the law mandates that the buyer must pay $10 for this service, and the OSP maintains records on individuals cleared for purchases. NRA-ILA strongly opposes any fee hike, as well as the continued registration of legal firearm purchasers. NRA members are encouraged to attend the nearest meeting and voice their objections to increasing the gun tax on lawful gun buyers. (Because this is a widespread review of all OSP services, fingerprint processing of Concealed Handgun License applicants may also be examined.) Please click on the following link for information about meeting dates, times and locations: http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/ID/docs/Regional_Meeting_Schedule.pdf
VERMONT: Mentored Hunting Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk! On Friday, April 30, the Vermont State House of Representatives voted to concur on House Bill 243. The bill now heads to the desk of Governor Jim Douglas (R) for his consideration. H. 243, introduced by State Representative Steve Adams (R-Windsor 4), would establish a mentored hunting license that would allow prospective hunters to try their hand at hunting before completing a hunter education course. Apprentice hunters would have to be directly supervised in the field by a mentor who is at least 21 years-old and who holds a valid hunting license. Experience in more than two-dozen other states with these laws shows that this kind of mentored hunting program is exceptionally safe and will bring many new hunters into the field. There is no reason to believe that the citizens of Vermont will prove to be the exception to this outstanding track record. Hunter recruitment is critical to the long-term preservation of our hunting heritage. Hunter numbers are declining and radical anti-hunting organizations like the Humane Society of the United States are doing everything they can to keep people from hunting. Please contact Governor Douglas and respectfully ask that he sign H. 243 into law. The Governor can be reached by phone at (802) 828-3333 and click here to send email.
