ELECTION 2010 RECAP:
Gun Owners' Rights To Be Strengthened In Next Congress!
Election Day 2010 was a great day for the Second Amendment and NRA members, and positions us well for our future defense, and advancement, of the Second Amendment! The most important fact about Tuesday's elections for gun owners is how many more pro-gun lawmakers we will have in the next legislative session and how many fewer anti-gun lawmakers there will be. Here are some highlights from Tuesday's contests:
U.S. Senate
- 19 of NRA-PVF's 25 endorsed U.S. Senate candidates won. This marks a pro-gun upgrade of eight Senate seats.
- In the 111th Congress, there were 43 A-rated and 34 F-rated Senators. The 112th Congress will contain 50 A-rated (+7) and 33 F-rated Senators (-1).
- There will be 12 pro-gun Senate freshmen.
U.S. House
- Of the 282 candidates endorsed by the NRA-PVF for the U.S. House, 227 were victorious, for an 80% winning percentage. In every case but one where an NRA-PVF endorsed candidate lost, a pro-gun challenger replaced him.
- In the 111th Congress, there were 226 A-rated and 151 F-rated Representatives. The 112th Congress will contain 258 A-rated (+32) and 133 F-rated (-18) Members.
- There were pro-gun election upgrades in 27 House districts.
Note: As of today, 9 races remain too close to call.
Gubernatorial & State Legislatures
- Of the 21 gubernatorial candidates endorsed by the NRA-PVF, 15 were victorious. (Note: Two races remain too close to call.)
- We made major gains in state legislative races, which will position us well in the upcoming legislative sessions next year.
We want to thank the tens of millions of gun owners who actively volunteered for pro-gun candidates and who Voted Freedom First on November 2nd!
NRA's Right To Hunt And Fish Amendments Adopted In Three States: Voters in Tennessee, Arkansas, and South Carolina made a powerful statement on Tuesday by overwhelmingly voting to include National Rifle Association-backed constitutional amendments to protect America's great, ages-old heritage of hunting and fishing as state constitutional rights.
2010 Firearms Law & The Second Amendment Symposium: The 2010 "Firearms Law & The Second Amendment Symposium" will be held on Saturday, November 13, 2010 at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. This event will be sponsored by The NRA Foundation and the John Marshall Law School chapter of the Federalist Society.
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: TABLE MESA CLEANUP – NOV 6TH: Tomorrow, November 6th, the Bureau of Land Management is sponsoring a cleanup of recreation areas at Table Mesa, which is north of Phoenix at I-17 and Table Mesa Road (exit 236). The meeting site is approximately 1 mile from the exit on the west side of I-17.
Table Mesa is a popular destination for recreationists, but unfortunately not everyone who uses this area packs out what they pack in. Volunteers are needed to help pick up trash on that day. Many local desert enthusiasts will be participating including shooters, hikers, mountain bikers, and OHVers.
The NRA is asking those of its members who depend on the Table Mesa area for recreational opportunities to please join in this cleanup effort. Pick up one bag of trash or many – every bit helps! Volunteers are asked to wear closed toed shoes, and bring gloves, sunscreen, and water. Optional items that would be useful are rakes and shovels. In addition, we ask that our volunteer members wear some item of clothing such as a baseball cap with NRA's logo on it to identify themselves as an NRA member.
The cleanup is scheduled from 9:00a.m. – 1:00p.m. Lunch will be provided, and several organizations have donated items to be given away. Each volunteer will receive one ticket to the giveaways to be held during lunch.
If you have any questions, please feel to contact Jason Blomberg at [email protected] or 602-463-8582.
CALIFORNIA: Waterfowl Hunting at Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is developing a plan that will shape management of the 32,000-acre Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge for the next 15 years. Located in Imperial County, CA, the Refuge was created as a sanctuary and breeding ground for birds and other wildlife. Among allowable public uses on the Refuge is waterfowl hunting. The Service is seeking comments from the public on what issues, concerns, and opportunities should be addressed in the plan. Comments are being accepted until December 4th and can be emailed to the Refuge Planner at [email protected]. Please include "Sonny Bono Salton Sea CCP" in the subject line of the message. Information about the planning process may be found at http://www.fws.gov/saltonsea/. You may also call the Refuge Planner at 760-431-9440 ext. 349 for further information. It is vitally important that access to federal lands be preserved and where possible, expanded. NRA would appreciate waterfowl hunters taking a few minutes time to submit comments to the Refuge in support of waterfowl hunting at this Refuge.
HAWAII: JOIN THE HAWAII RIFLE ASSOCIATION FOR LUNCH WITH FORMER NRA PRESIDENT SANDY FROMAN! Tomorrow, Saturday, November 6, join the Hawaii Rifle Association for a lunch with former NRA President Sandy Froman! This will be the first time that an NRA President, past or present, will address the shooting community in Hawaii. Don't miss this opportunity! Attendance is by pre-paid reservation only. For more information, click here.
IDAHO: BLM Travel Management Plan Could Affect Hunter Access: The BLM is developing a Travel Management Plan (TMP) in Owyhee County west of the Bruneau River. The TMP will address all motorized routes on public land outside of the six designated wilderness areas. Decisions previously issued for the Wilson Creek, Hemingway, and Murphy sub-regions of the Owyhee Front will be carried forward into the TMP. The BLM will be hosting a series of meetings for the public to review maps and voice views and concerns. The meetings are as follows:
November 9 - Rimrock High School, 39678 State Highway 78, Grandview
November 10 – Owyhee Historical Museum, 17085 Basey Street, Murphy
For further information about the meetings, you may contact TJ Clifford, Outdoor Recreation Planner, at 208-384-3459. For hunters and shooters who use these lands for recreation, attending one of the scheduled meetings and participating in this planning process is crucial in shaping the decisions that the BLM will make on what roads and trails are opened in the future for motorized access.
