NRA-ILA Protects Gun Owners’ Rights During UN Arms Trade Treaty Meeting
The NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action wrapped up its lobbying efforts at the first session of the UN committee drafting an “arms trade treaty.” The “Preparatory Committee for the UN Arms Trade Treaty Conference” (called the “Prep Com”) has been meeting in New York from July 12 to today, July 23. The meeting is one in a series to prepare for a major conference to finalize an arms trade treaty in 2012.
NRA-ILA was one of few pro-gun groups at the meeting. Anti-gun groups had a strong presence led by the International Action Network on Small Arms.
Contact Your Senators And Urge Them To OPPOSE Kagan’s Confirmation to U.S. Supreme Court: On Tuesday, July 20, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-6 to send Elena Kagan’s Supreme Court nomination on to the full Senate for a vote. The full Senate vote on the confirmation is likely to occur the week of August 2nd. NOW is the time to contact your U.S. Senators and strongly urge them to OPPOSE and filibuster the Kagan nomination!
Federal Legislative Roundup: Time is drawing short before your federal lawmakers adjourn for the “Summer District Work Period,” and there are two bills pending in Congress that require your immediate action.
Radical Group Launches Complete Lead Bullet Ban Campaign: As announced in a recent fundraising letter to its members, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) will launch a “once-in-a-lifetime campaign” this summer to “ban all lead bullets everywhere in the United States.” Make no mistake, hunters and shooters are in the crosshairs of this extremist group.
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 News Minute Video: To view this week’s “Grassroots News 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: Long Gun Registration and Open Carry Ban Pending Consideration Assembly Bill 1810 and Assembly Bill 1934 are awaiting action in the Senate Appropriations Committee. AB1810 would establish a registration system, similar to the one currently in place for handguns, for all newly-acquired long guns. Under AB1810, the make, model and serial number of the firearm as well as the identifying information of the purchaser would be recorded and kept on file by the California Attorney General's office. AB1934 would outlaw the open carrying of a handgun for self-defense. Please contact the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to oppose AB1810 and AB1934. Contact information for the committee can be found here. The legislature will reconvene on August 2, so please begin calling your Senator and ask them to oppose AB1810 and AB1934.
Important Pro-Hunting Bill Advances in Sacramento! On June 29, the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee passed Senate Bill 1179. The bill now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for consideration. SB1179 would require that the Department of Fish and Game establish two free hunting days per year where unlicensed hunters can hunt so long as they are accompanied by someone who is licensed. This legislation promises to help recruit the next generation of hunters by allowing novices to try their hand at hunting without being required to purchase a license. Please contact the members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and respectfully urge them to support SB1179. Please click here for contact information. The legislature will reconvene on August 2, so please begin calling your Assemblymember and ask them to support SB1179.
NRA/CRPA Foundation Legal Action Project Sues to Stop AB962 The NRA-CRPA Foundation Legal Action Project ("LAP") has filed a lawsuit challenging AB 962 and the newly adopted statutes that regulate "handgun ammunition." The suit challenges the requirement that handgun ammunition be stored out of the reach of customers, the ammunition sales registration and fingerprinting requirements, and the bill’s prohibition on mail order and internet sales. The lawsuit alleges that the mandates of AB 962 are incomprehensible, and that the law’s definition of "handgun ammunition" is unconstitutionally vague. The NRA/CRPA Foundation lawsuit has been in the works ever since AB 962 passed. A request for an injunction will be filed shortly, in an effort to stop the bill’s ammunition sales registration requirement and the ban on mail order ammunition purchases before those provisions take effect on February 1, 2011. Please click here to learn more.
IOWA: Mayor Trousil Continues to Threaten the Safety of Iowans in West Burlington Since we’ve notified Mayor Hans Trousil and the City Council of West Burlington of its unlawful firearm ban ordinance, a number of stories have appeared in the Des Moines Register and The Hawkeye newspaper. In each instance, journalists have contacted Mayor Trousil seeking comments and he continues—even in his emails responding to Iowa’s NRA members’ concerns—to disingenuously misstate our position and display a poor understanding of Iowa’s firearm laws. As such, it is necessary to explain the facts on this issue. To learn more, please click here.
NORTH CAROLINA: New Management Plan for the Uwharrie National Forest The U.S. Forest Service is planning to revise the current management plan for the Uwharrie National Forest. The new plan will guide the Forest's management for the next 15 years. This process is of critical importance to sportsmen because hunting and recreational shooting must be included in the plan in order to safeguard these activities for the future. Recently, the Flintlock Valley Shooting Range, a public shooting range on the Uwharrie, was closed pending a review of safety concerns. Unless the Forest makes management of hunting and shooting a priority, we risk loss of these opportunities to competing recreational interests. One of the plan revision themes is "Providing Outstanding and Environmentally Friendly Outdoor Recreation Opportunities, with Excellent Trails and Facilities." The Uwharrie will be hosting an open house on Tuesday, August 3rd at the North Carolina Zoo, Stedman Education Building in Asheboro, NC from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. This is an opportunity for the public to talk with Forest Service staff about the new management plan. Further information about the planning process and the open house can be found at http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/uwharrie_plan. You may also contact Ruth Berner, Forest Planner, at 828-257-4862. It is vitally important that hunters and shooters take the time to attend this open house and become engaged in the management planning process to ensure that you have places to hunt and shoot in the Uwharrie.
OHIO: Join Ohioans for Concealed Carry for its Seventh Annual Party in the Park Family Picnic! On Saturday, July 31, join fellow Second Amendment patriots for Ohioans for Concealed Carry’s Seventh Annual Party in the Park Family Picnic! Don’t miss this opportunity to network with like-minded pro-gun advocates, legislators, and candidates for office, as well as the chance to win valuable door prizes, including firearms. Tickets are just $15/person or $14 if you buy multiple tickets on one order. With every paid adult, up to two children (17 and under) eat free! Lunch will be catered by Casual Catering by Dave (BBQ chicken, hamburgers and hotdogs!). Meal purchase not required to attend. For more information or to purchase admission, please click here.
PENNSYLVANIA: Consideration of Discharge Ban Postponed in Exeter Township The Exeter Township Board of Supervisors has decided to postpone the consideration of an ordinance that would outlaw the discharge of not only firearms, but air guns and bows and arrows, as well. At this time, no action is needed in opposition to this ordinance. Please continue to check your email and www.NRAILA.org for updates.
VIRGINIA: York County Repeals “Prohibited Area” Discharge Ban On Tuesday, July 20, the York County Board of Supervisors passed Ordinance 10-13 by a vote of 3 to 2. The original intent of the ordinance was to rescind both Section 16-7, Discharging of Firearms within Certain Areas Prohibited and Section 16-37, Discharge of High Powered Rifles Prohibited. However, at the meeting, the Board decided to retain Section 16-37 by a separate vote of 3 to 2. Section 16-37 will remain in effect and will continue to ban the discharge of all rifles larger then .22 caliber, except for the purposes of self-defense, hunting, or target shooting on firing ranges. Since the passage of both Section 16-7 and Section 16-37, there has been a vigorous county wide debate over the effectiveness of these laws in protecting residents. While that debate will undoubtedly continue, NRA-ILA would like to thank all our members who took the time to either attend the meeting or email the York County Board of Supervisors and voice your opinion on repealing these unnecessary discharge bans.
Support Needed for Elk Restoration in the Commonwealth A draft plan for elk restoration and management has been prepared by Virginia's Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The plan is open for public comment until August 1. The Plan and its several restoration options, along with background information, can be found at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/elk/management-plan. There is a link at the bottom of the page to submit comments. Elk were once a native species of Virginia, but disappeared by the early 1800s. Efforts to restore elk during the last century failed, but with lessons learned the Department is making a renewed effort to return elk to the Commonwealth. The plan is to establish a population of 1,200 elk in the Coalfield counties of Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise by releasing 200 elk over a 3-year period in one suitable 'Elk Release Site'. Based on the experience of elk restoration projects in other states, elk reintroduction has not disrupted white-tailed deer behavior or habitat use patterns, nor has it disrupted white-tailed deer hunting. The Department will proceed with a restoration plan as long as there is strong public support for it. Please take a few minutes of your time to review the plan and send your comments to the Department.
Support Needed for Public Access Project on the George Washington-Jefferson National Forests:
The Peters Mountain Road, also known as Jingling Rocks Road or Forest Service Road 175, has been without public access for several years. Recently a private landowner allowed the Forest Service to acquire a right-of-way that will help to open public access to hunting and other recreation activities on over 2000 acres in the James River Ranger District (Covington) on the George Washington-Jefferson National Forests.
Because of the newly acquired right-of-way, the Forest Service is able to present to the public a proposal to relocate and construct a section of road on Forest and private land to gain the needed access to the Forest lands. Comments can be sent to: comments-southern-georgewashington-jefferson-jamesriver@fs.fed.us. Please type in "Peters Mountain Road Relocation Scoping Comments" in the subject line. For further information you may contact Sharon Mohney at 540-962-2214.
This project is in keeping with a sportsmen's access initiative called "Making Public Lands Public" that NRA and several other organizations created to help the Forest Service acquire access to forest lands that are inaccessible or where access is severely restricted. Please take a few minutes to send the Forest Service a note expressing support for this access project by August 7th.
