NRA - ILA

Charlotte, NC --(Ammoland.com)- Today, the Virginia House of Delegates passed two pro-gun bills: House Bill 25 and House Bill 754. HB 25 passed in the state House by an 81 to 17 vote and HB 754 passed by a 74 to 22 vote. Both bills will now go to the Virginia Senate for its consideration.

HB 25, sponsored by Delegate Mark Cole (R-88), seeks to prohibit the Clerk of the Court from disclosing information contained on a concealed handgun permit application or on an order issuing a concealed handgun permit.

Sponsored by Delegate Ben Cline (R-24), HB 754 would eliminate the optional fingerprinting requirements for initial concealed carry permits.

We thank NRA members who contacted their Delegate and asked them to support these crucial bills.

Tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. in the Fourth Floor West Conference Room of the General Assembly building, the House Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety Subcommittee #1 will hold a hearing on the following bills of interest to Virginia gun owners:

Pro-Gun Bills
House Bill 859, introduced by Delegate C. Todd Gilbert (R-15), would provide an exemption from the required criminal history record information check for firearms transfers in the Commonwealth for persons holding a valid Virginia-issued concealed handgun permit.

House Bill 1135, introduced by Delegate R. Lee Ware, Jr. (R-65), would remove certain requirements for an out-of-state concealed handgun permit to be recognized and accepted in Virginia. Requires an out-of-state permittee to carry and present a valid government-issued photo identification in order for his or her valid out-of-state concealed weapon permit to be recognized and accepted in Virginia.

House Bill 1279, introduced by Delegate Christopher P. Stolle (R-83), would provide that a prisoner may be charged under both the crimes by prisoners code section and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Anti-Gun Bills
House Bill 797, introduced by Delegate Joseph D. Morrissey (D-74), would create a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person carrying a handgun in a public place while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and prohibits a person from obtaining a concealed handgun permit for five years following such a conviction. This prohibition applies regardless of whether the person is carrying the handgun openly or concealed. Current law makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to carry a concealed handgun in a public place while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but does not speak to openly carrying a handgun while under the influence.

House Bill 1197, introduced by Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan (D-71), would create a Class 3 misdemeanor for the offense of failing to report to law enforcement that a firearm a person owns or lawfully possesses has been lost or stolen. Subsequent violations of the law would be a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for the knowingly false reporting of a lost or stolen firearm.

House Bill 1223, introduced by Delegate Patrick A. Hope (D-47), reads “Except those lawfully possessing a handgun, no person shall possess a weapon in legislative buildings and all persons, except General Assembly members, staff or any law enforcement officer.”

House Bill 1226, introduced by Delegate Luke E. Torian (D-52), would give the board of visitors or other governing body of an educational institution the power to establish rules and regulations for the possession or transportation of firearms or ammunition on property owned or operated by the institution.

House Bill 1257, introduced by Delegate Mark D. Sickles (D-43), would provide that it is a Class 1 misdemeanor for a person who is under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs to carry a loaded firearm on or about his person in a public place and that a person found guilty is ineligible to apply for a concealed handgun permit for a period of five years. This bill also creates a Class 2 misdemeanor for a person who carries a loaded firearm on or about his person onto the premises of any restaurant or club licensed to sell and serve alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption and consume an alcoholic beverage while on the premises.

Please continue to check AmmoLand, your e-mail and www.NRAILA.org for more updates on these issues.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Please Contact your state Representative NOW!

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- Today, House Bill 1523 will be before the full House for its second consideration.

As predicted, at least thirteen anti-gun amendments have been filed to the bill for second consideration.

These amendments range from “ballistic imaging” mandate to gutting the current “state preemption” statute. It is imperative that you call AND e-mail your state Representative THIS MORNING and urge him or her to support HB 1523 and OPPOSE any and all House floor amendments.

This much-needed pro-gun bill would make critical changes to enhance Pennsylvania’s firearm preemption law.

House Bill 1523, sponsored by state Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-12), would strengthen Pennsylvania’s firearms preemption law to further ensure firearm and ammunition laws are uniform throughout the state. If enacted, House Bill 1523 would help eliminate the need for litigation by gun owners who have been unduly burdened by local ordinances which violate the current state firearm preemption law. Citizens with no criminal intent should not be placed in jeopardy of running afoul of local restrictions they don`t even know exist simply because they have crossed from one municipality to another.

Please call AND e-mail your state Representative and urge him or her to support HB 1523 as amended by the state House Judiciary Committee. To find contact information or help identifying your state Representative, please click here.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Minnesota Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance

Minnesota --(Ammoland.com)- The Stand Your Ground bill hearing is tomorrow. Please call and email the senators below and urge them to vote YES on HF1467!

If you attended your precinct caucuses last night, can you tell us whether the RKBA amendment resolution wasproposed and adopted?

Please visit http://goo.gl/Javog and fill out our brief form.

Please contact the members of the Senate Finance Committee, and urge them to vote YES on HF1467/SF1357.

Their contact info is below:

• Sen. Claire A. Robling
  Committee Chair
  (651) 296-4123
  sen.claire.robling@senate.mn
• Sean R. Nienow
  Vice Chair
  (651) 296-5419
  sen.sean.nienow@senate.mn
• Richard J. Cohen
  Ranking Minority Member
  (651) 296-5931
  Mail Form
• Terri E. Bonoff
  (651) 296-4314
  sen.terri.bonoff@senate.mn
• Michelle L. Fischbach
  (651) 296-2084
  sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn
• Barb Goodwin
  (651) 296-4334
  Mail Form
• David W. Hann
  (651) 296-1749
  Mail Form
• Bill Ingebrigtsen
  (651) 297-8063
  sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn
• Keith Langseth
  (651) 296-3205
  Mail Form
• Doug Magnus
  (651) 296-5650
  sen.doug.magnus@senate.mn
• Scott J. Newman
  (651) 296-4131
  sen.scott.newman@senate.mn
• Gen Olson
  (651) 296-1282
  sen.gen.olson@senate.mn
• Mike Parry
  (651) 296-9457
  sen.mike.parry@senate.mn
• LeRoy A. Stumpf
  (651) 296-8660
  Mail Form
• Linda Higgins
  (651) 296-9246
  sen.linda.higgins@senate.mn

sen.claire.robling@senate.mn ,
sen.sean.nienow@senate.mn ,
sen.terri.bonoff@senate.mn ,
sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn ,
sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn ,
sen.doug.magnus@senate.mn ,
sen.scott.newman@senate.mn ,
sen.gen.olson@senate.mn ,
sen.mike.parry@senate.mn ,
sen.linda.higgins@senate.mn

If you use those lists above, don’t forget these senators:

Richard J. Cohen’s Mail Form
Barb Goodwin’s Mail Form
David W. Hann’s Mail Form
Keith Langseth’s Mail Form
LeRoy A. Stumpf’s Mail Form

Please forward this email to gun owners and civil rights supporters, and ask them to sign up at http://www.gocra.org/join.html

About:
We are the Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance, the organization behind CCRN (Concealed Carry Reform Now!). We are people from all walks of life who have banded together to preserve and protect all of our civil rights as gun owners. Visit: www.gocra-mn.org

NRA - ILA

Charlotte, NC --(Ammoland.com)- Another NRA priority bill is moving forward in the Iowa House of Representatives.  House File 2114, the firearms preemption legislation, passed the state House Public Safety Subcommittee yesterday by a 2 to 1 vote.

State Representatives Matt Windschitl (R-56) and Dwayne Alons (R-4) supported this critical legislation, while state Representative Rick Olson (D-68) voted against it.

HF 2114 has been scheduled to be voted on by the full House Public Safety Committee. 

Upon passage of the Iowa’s shall-issue law in 2010, some counties in Iowa sought to ban firearms from public properties including parks – effectively denying your ability to protect yourself outside your home.  Fortunately, Iowa has a firearm preemption law that prohibits counties from passing ordinances that are more restrictive than state law.  However, the firearms preemption statute needs to be strengthened to prevent current and future attempts to circumvent this law.  This proposed legislation, crafted on the NRA’s successful firearms preemption statute in Florida, rests the sole authority on these matters with the state legislature and prevents a rights-infringing patchwork of local ordinances.

One problem with local firearm ordinances is the sheer variety.  Where no uniform state laws are in place, the result can be a complex patchwork of restrictions that change from one local jurisdiction to the next.  It is unreasonable to require citizens, whether residents of a given state or persons passing through or visiting a state, to memorize and comply with a myriad of laws. When so many local ordinances exist, citizens with no criminal intent are placed in jeopardy of running afoul of restrictions they don`t even know exist.  This can affect hunters, target shooters and firearm collectors who travel through multiple jurisdictions on the way to hunting areas, shooting ranges, and exhibitions.  Additionally, individuals who travel with firearms for personal protection are at risk of breaking the law simply by crossing from one municipality to another.  If charged with a violation of an obscure local ordinance, the honest gun owner faces, at the very least, great expense and devotion of time to clearing his or her good name in court, and retrieving any firearms and other property confiscated by law enforcement officials.

Please call AND e-mail members of the state House Public Safety Committee TODAY and urge them to support this critical legislation and keep law-abiding citizens from becoming criminals just because they cross over an imaginary line.  Contact information for this committee can be found here.

Members of the House Public Safety Committee

• Clel Baudler (R-58), Chairman
• Tom Shaw (R-8), Vice Chairman
• Ako Abdul-Samad (D-66)
• Dwayne Alons (R-4)
• Deborah L. Berry (D- 22)
• Mark Brandenburg (R- 100)
• Joel Fry (R- 95)
• Ruth Ann Gaines (D- 65)
• Chris Hagenow (R- 59)
• Jarad Klein (R- 89)
• Bob M. Kressig (D-19)
• Dan Muhlbauer (D- 51)
• Rick Olson (D- 68)
• Steven N. Olson (R- 83)
• Henry V. Rayhons (R- 11)
• Thomas R. Sands (R- 87)
• Kurt Swaim (D- 94)
• David A. Tjepkes (R- 50)
• Matt W. Windschitl (R- 56)
• Mary Wolfe (D- 26)
• Gary Worthan (R- 52)

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Iowa Firearms Coalition

IOWA – -(Ammoland.com)- Contact Public Safety Committee members today and urge them to vote YES tomorrow on HF 2114, the Iowa Firearm Preemption Act.

Ask these members to vote YES and support current state law in Iowa code 724.7 and 724.28 that explicitly state that permit holders should be allowed to carry anywhere except where state and federal law allow. Punishing law-abiding citizens that are fully screened and have had extensive background checks by disallowing them access to public buildings is dishonoring to Iowans.

It also puts honest, law-abiding citizens at risk of inadvertently violating these unnecessary, illegal laws that fail to offer protection from criminals to begin with.

IFC and the NRA have been working hard to defend the rights of Iowans and we need you to e-mail and call today on this important issue.

Check out the NRA-ILA Alert as well for more information.

Iowa Firearms Coalition put together a comprehensive package for activists to fight these preemption issues at the city and county levels around the state. Our organization spent much of 2011 fighting dozens of local battles in Washington Co., Kalona, Ft. Madison, Marion, Keokuk, Jefferson Co., Burlington, Benton Co., Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Carroll, Plymouth Co., Woodbury Co., Emmet and many, many more city and county battles across the state with tremendous success, but some jurisdiction insisted on hampering the rights of honest, law-abiding citizens. Some cities have even gone to the extreme of implementing wanding procedures for law-abiding citizens prior to entering city council meetings.

This kind of fight is a difficult task for a totally volunteers organization, but yet with true grassroots activism our members mobilized by the dozens to take our preemption message to the streets. Becoming a member today, or donating to our cause, helps us put 100% of your funds toward fighting for Second Amendment rights in Iowa.

IFC is the only Iowa-based pro-Second Amendment organization in Iowa that has a history of tangible victories at the Capitol and around the state in dozens of counties and cities. Please consider supporting us today to help us continue being the leading firearms rights organization in Iowa!

Also, be sure to encourage your friends to join our e-mail alert list today absolutely free! Our organization only utilizes your e-mail for IFC purposes and will not sell you out to other groups trying to make a buck on other issues. We are a Second Amendment centric organization that will not ever sell out, or give out, your personal data to any non-IFC entity!

Thanks for supporting us in the fight,

Jeff Burkett
President – Iowa Firearms Coalition
NRA Endowment Member

About Iowa Firearms Coalition:
The mission of the Iowa Firearms Coalition is to be THE firearms rights organization in Iowa, representing Second Amendment concerns for all firearms owners in the state. We will staunchly defend the rights of hunters and sportsmen as well as the rights of all Iowans to defend themselves and their loved ones. We seek to partner with other like-minded organizations to increase our effectiveness in accomplishing these goals. Visit: www.iowafc.org

Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore

Maryland --(Ammoland.com)- The House Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on most of the gun bills on what has become known as “Gun Bill Day”.

This hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 1:00 PM, in the House Judiciary Committee which is located in Room 100 in the House Office Building.

We need a very strong demonstration of strength to support gun rights in Maryland. Please make plans now to attend the hearing on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 1:00 PM.

Please view the embed below for the AGC House “Gun Bill Day” Information Pack & Action Plan. This publication is intended to answer your questions regarding bills, contact information, directions, parking, security procedures etc..

If you are concerned about changing Maryland’s “may issue” on permits to carry a concealed handgun to a “shall issue” system as is the case in many other states; you need to make your voice heard.

Don’t wait for “Gun Bill Day“; use the links below and start contacting your legislators today!

For those readers who are new to the Legislative Email Network, blue underlined text contains a hyperlink to additional information. Clicking on the text will take you to that information. Please be sure to take these links for “test drive.”

In this issue:
AGC’s House “Gun Bill Day” Information Pack & Action Plan
Quick Links for 2012 Session Gun Bills & Related Informatio

2012 Maryland House Bill Hearing Action Pack

Note: This document is constantly being updated to reflect the latest information.
Quick Links for 2012 Session Gun Bills & Related Information

Note: The information contained on these links is constantly being updated. Check back often for updates.

Bill Hearing Schedules and Information on Bills to Support or Oppose

This link contains the following information:

1. List of gun bills to date with bill numbers and bill titles
2. AGC’s position in support of, or in opposition, to the various bills
3. Synopsis of the bills
4. Hyperlinks to information on the bills and bill status
5. Hyperlinks to the actual text of the bills
6. Hyperlinks to the committee information with committee contact numbers and hyperlink email addresses

• Action Alerts  (latest information and guidance on bills and issues requiring our immediate action)
• Situation Report: Annapolis   (a continually updated chronology of the latest news and events in Annapolis arranged from the most recent to the oldest)
• Information on Gun Rights Ratings & Contact Information for the Maryland General Assembly
• Civic Action Email System (a very easy way to contact your legislators via email)
• Gun Legislation    (gun legislation and weapons legislation tend to overlap to a large extent)
• Weapons Legislation   (gun legislation and weapons legislation tend to overlap to a large extent)
• Hunting Legislation

About:
Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. (AGC), located in Marriottsville, Maryland. The Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. was formed on July 1, 1944 when a number of World War II veterans in the Baltimore, Maryland area began looking for a place for recreational and competitive shooting. They organized with several other Baltimore area shooting clubs to form the “AGC” Visit: www.associatedgunclubs.org

Arizona Citizens Defense League

Catalina, AZ --(Ammoland.com)- To view the status of legislation that AzCDL is monitoring, visit our Bill Tracking page: http://www.azcdl.org/html/bill_tracking.html .

Thank you for your Action Center emails on HB 2095 (stopping HOA firearms restrictions) and SB 1077 (firearms on state lands)! We are working with the committee chairs to get these bills to move forward.

Meanwhile, we’re seeing progress on SB 1241, the AzCDL-requested legislation that would remove local control over the disposition of forfeited weapons. On Monday, January 30, 2012, SB 1241 passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 5 to 2 vote with one member not voting.

Next week, on Monday, February 6, 2012, the following pro-rights bills are schedule to be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee:

• SB 1304 would remove the authority of political subdivisions (counties, cities, towns, etc.) to restrict the discharge of a firearm within a quarter mile of an occupied structure. Currently it is possible for you to legally defend yourself with a firearm but be arrested for “discharging a firearm” under a local ordinance.
• SB 1448 would require state and local government property to have access “controlled or restricted by the presence of a state or other certified law enforcement officer, or an armed security officer” in order ban the carrying of weapons.
• SB 1474 is an NRA-requested Campus Carry bill that would allow CCW permit holders to carry discreetly on campus, but would allow college and university governing boards to prohibit weapons inside of buildings as long as “temporary and secure” storage for the weapon is provided.
• SB 1479 would reduce the penalty for entering state and local government property that bans weapons to a Petty Offense unless it is a “secured facility” (guards, metal detectors, etc.), then the penalty is a Misdemeanor. The bill also allows for court action when the government entity doesn’t follow the rules.

Over in the House, HB 2640, which would prohibit the Game and Fish Commission from limiting or restricting magazine capacity on any authorized firearm, has been scheduled for a hearing on Monday, February 6, 2012, in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

On Wednesday, February 8, 2012, HB 2728 is scheduled to be heard in the House Military Affairs and Public Safety (MAPS) Committee. This bill would prohibit the Arizona Game and Fish Commission from banning the lawful possession or use of sound suppressors when hunting.

If you would like to contact your legislator about these, or any other bills, our Legislative Action Center is available for your use. Go to http://capwiz.com/azcdl/home , click on your State Senator or Representative, then click on the “contact” tab and compose a message. If this is your first visit to our Action Center, you will need to provide your location to help you identify your elected officials.

The deadline for Senators to introduce bills was January 30, 2012. Representatives have until Monday, February 6, 2012 to get their bills filed.

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

• You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL , and during the legislative session, we’ll send out updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
• AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .
• These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization: http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .
• AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .

About:
AzCDL believes that the emphasis of gun laws should be on criminal misuse and that law-abiding citizens should be able to own and carry firearms unaffected by unnecessary laws or regulations. AzCDL was founded by a group of local activists who recognized that a sustained, coordinated, statewide effort was critical to protecting and expanding the rights of law-abiding gun owners. As a like-minded coalition of activists, the AzCDL founders were instrumental in the successful passage of the first major improvement to Arizona’s CCW (concealed carry) laws since they were instituted in 1994. Visit: www.azcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- ACTION ITEM: We need to make sure our Senators AND Delegates understand that they MUST fix the current situation with firearm background checks.

Either take the State Police out of the loop and use the FREE federal NICS system OR fund the State Police check and require that such funding must only be used to hire people to do the background checks.

AND the State Police computer system must have redundancy so that it does NOT go down for more than a few minutes a YEAR, just like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express computers.

• To send an email to your Senator, click here: http://tinyurl.com/7m2fxbj
• To send an email to your Delegate, click here: http://tinyurl.com/7sx9w6q

LET’S ROLL!

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The following gun bills passed the House today and head to the Senate:

• HB 20, Delegate Wilt, protects the right to carry and transport firearms during an emergency (the matching Senate bill, SB 245, Senator Obenshain, has already passed the Senate)
• HB 22, Delegate Cole, provides that a locality must have an ordinance for gun buy-ups before they and do buy-ups and that such guns should be sold to dealers if possible
• HB 26, Delegate Cole, provides a civil for of $25 (instead of the current Class 1 misdemeanor) if a CHP holder does not have their permit with them while carrying concealed
• HB 940, Delegate Lingamfelter, repeals One Handgun a Month

On Wednesday in the Senate Courts of Justice committee, anti-gun Senator McEachin’s SB 379, which outlaws privates sales of handguns unless they go through a dealer, was killed by an 8 to 6 vote!

Senator McEachin’s other anti-gun bill, SB 648, which adds yet another penalty on a gun owner for being in possession of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol, failed to report by a tie 7 to 7 vote. WE ARE WATCHING THIS BILL AS IT COULD BE RESURRECTED. The original vote killed the bill outright, but then there was some shenanigans behind the scenes and a few votes were changed to make the count 7 to 7 (the committee chair, Senator Norment, was one of the changed votes). The significance is that the vote could be reconsidered in the near future and the bill could potentially pass out of committee.

Also, Senator McDougle has a bill, SB 435, that our attorney does NOT like. It changes the language on the law against making a false statement on the handgun purchase forms. The bill throws a wider net and that is not a good thing. Watch for more on this bill soon.

On Thursday, February 2, the House Militia, Police and Public Safety subcommittees #2 and #1 will meet and consider gun bills.

Subcommittee #2 meets at 7:30 AM in the 4th Floor West Conference Room and will consider HB 237, Delegate Cosgrove’s HB 237, which will allow long guns background checks to be run through the federal NICS system to take the load off the Virginia State Police. SEE ACTION ITEM BELOW.

Subcommittee #1 meets at 5 PM in the 4th Floor West Conference Room and will consider the following bills:

• HB 25, Delegate Cole, protects concealed handgun permit info from dissemination by Circuit Court Clerks. VCDL strongly supports this bill
• HB 592, Delegate Merricks, exempts permit holders from a state background check on the purchase of a firearm. VCDL supports this bill, but considers Delegate Gilbert’s HB 859 to be a superior bill
• HB 754, Delegate Cline, removes fingerprinting as local option for getting a CHP. VCDL strongly supports this bill
• HB 929, Delegate Lingamfelter, gives RETIRED Commonwealth Attorneys the special carry privileges of an off-duty police officer. VCDL opposes this bill – a CHP would work just fine for retirees. If there is some concern that the retirees can’t protect themselves EVERYWHERE they go with a CHP, THEN LET’S FIX CHPs SO THAT THEY ARE GOOD EVERYWHERE!

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Senate Goofs Up - Gun Bills To Be Reheard

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- All the gun bills considered in the Senate Courts of Justice last Wednesday will have to be **reheard/revoted on** again!

There is both danger and opportunity in this. A couple of bad bills got through that I would like to try killing again. And, of course, the pro-gun bills could be put in jeopardy.

Senator Mark Obenshain sent this alert out:

“An inadvertent breach of Senate Rules basically nullified everything the Courts of Justice Committee took up in a six hour marathon meeting on Wednesday, and we’re still trying to sort out the carnage.

The bills have to be taken up again, and some hard-fought victories will be revisited. One of those now-jeopardized victories dealt with repealing Virginia’s constitutionally suspect “one gun a month” law, which interferes with the right of law-abiding citizens to purchase firearms.

I certainly hope that, when we take the bill up again, we’ll get another favorable committee vote – but I’d certainly rather not be doing this all over again. Plenty of people are upset right now, and understandably so. But that’s life in the Senate of Virginia: never a dull moment.”

I will keep everyone posted as this mess works its way through the systems. This is the first time I’ve seen this happen.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Arizona Citizens Defense League

Catalina, AZ --(Ammoland.com)- Your help is needed to get these pro-rights bills heard in committee. Letters have been prepared and are waiting to be sent by you at AzCDL’s Action Center:

HB 2095: http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=60874501 .
SB 1077: http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=60877501 .

Last week, two bills protecting your right to bear arms were scheduled for committee hearings but were “held” without being heard. It’s time to shine some light on those committees and let them know these bills need to heard and voted on favorably.

HB 2095 was scheduled for a hearing in the House Government Committee on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, but was pulled from the list of bills scheduled for debate and vote. This AzCDL-requested legislation would limit the restrictions that a Home Owner Association (HOA) can place on firearms. A letter has been prepared and is waiting to be sent by you at AzCDL’s Action Center:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=60874501 .

In modern day Arizona, it is difficult to not live in a planned community controlled by an HOA. In the Phoenix area, there are HOA communities bigger than some towns. Unfortunately, the laudable idea of establishing residential standards to optimize property values has a dark side. Social engineering has crept into HOA governing documents. In the not too distant past, racial purity was required in home sales. Still imbedded in many governing documents are requirements that residents must be unarmed as a condition of living in the community.

HB 2095 was drafted to allow the residents of HOA governed communities the same constitutionally protected right to bear arms they enjoy once they leave the boundaries of their neighborhood. If you live in an HOA community, please mention it in the “Editable Text” area of your letter to the House Government Committee: http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=60874501 .

SB 1077 was scheduled for a hearing in the Senate National Resources and Transportation Committee on Monday, January 23, 2012, but was pulled from the list of bills scheduled for debate and vote. This bill would specifically exempt from the state lands trespass statute the “lawful possession or discharge of a firearm while hunting, while target shooting, in self-defense or in defense of another.” A letter has been prepared and is waiting to be sent by you at AzCDL’s Action Center:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=60877501 .

Somewhere over Arizona’s history as a state, the concept that the people of Arizona have a vested interest in state land got lost. Laws created to regulate mining and grazing have morphed into regulations controlling one’s mere presence on state land. It is now a misdemeanor to be on state land without government permission. SB 1077 specifically excludes the lawful possession and use of a firearm on state land. If you hunt or like to shoot on state “owned” land be sure to mention that in the “Editable Text” of your letter to the Senate National Resources and

Transportation Committee:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=60877501 .

If you believe that your right to bear arms does not have exception clauses for where you live or happen to travel in Arizona, then it is imperative that you get involved and let these committee members know how you want them to vote on these bills. This is not a time to let the “other guy” do the work. Like the quote at the beginning of this Alert says, if we don’t take any action, we lose.

Participation is simple and takes less than a minute. Click on the links provided, fill in the “Sender Information” then click on “Send Message.” The “Editable Text” area of the message allows you add any additional comments, or edit what is already there.

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization: http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom: http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .

About:
AzCDL believes that the emphasis of gun laws should be on criminal misuse and that law-abiding citizens should be able to own and carry firearms unaffected by unnecessary laws or regulations. AzCDL was founded by a group of local activists who recognized that a sustained, coordinated, statewide effort was critical to protecting and expanding the rights of law-abiding gun owners. As a like-minded coalition of activists, the AzCDL founders were instrumental in the successful passage of the first major improvement to Arizona’s CCW (concealed carry) laws since they were instituted in 1994. Visit: www.azcdl.org

NJ Assembly Committee To Consider Ammo Ban In The Name Of Police Safety

Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- Common hunting, target, and self-defense ammunition would be subject to ban under A588, along with BB’s, airgun pellets, and plastic airsoft pellets!

Additional legislation being considered (A1013) could land gun owners in jail for refinished or damaged firearms that might be deemed “defaced”

On Monday, January 30 at 2:00 p.m. the New Jersey Assembly Law & Public Safety Committee is scheduled to consider A588, legislation that would enable the Attorney General to ban all handgun and most rifle ammunition if he unilaterally determines that it “poses a threat to the safety and well being of law enforcement officers.”

Cleverly disguised as police safety legislation aimed at armor piercing ammunition (which is already prohibited under federal and state law), the measure actually opens the door to a sweeping ammunition ban by an unelected public official by executive fiat. Common hunting, target, and self-defense ammunition would be subject to ban, along with BB’s, airgun pellets, and non-metallic ammunition like plastic airsoft pellets, if the Attorney General decides that they pose a threat to the safety and well being of law enforcement.

Although the bill only mentions handgun ammunition, it is in fact not limited to handgun ammunition, and would apply to all rifle ammunition for which a handgun if ever made. As an increasing number of gun manufacturers make handgun models that shoot rifle caliber ammunition, the line between “handgun” vs. “rifle” ammunition has become blurred, and the New Jersey State Police have already begun treating rifle ammunition in this category as if it were handgun ammunition for regulatory purposes.

So long as a handgun exists that shoots a particular caliber of rifle ammunition, New Jersey treats that ammunition as if it were handgun ammunition.

The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee is also scheduled to consider A1013 on Monday. One provision of this police safety legislation significantly increases the penalties relating to “defaced” firearms. Because of New Jersey’s longstanding poorly crafted definition of “defaced” firearms, it is possible that refinishing a firearm, or long-term damage from rust or scratches from ordinary wear and tear, could be deemed “defacement” subjecting honest gun owners to lengthy prison sentences, even though identifying information on the firearm is still legible.

• PLEASE IMMEDIATELY CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY LAW & PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE!
• TELL THEM TO VOTE “NO” ON A588 – BACKDOOR AMMUNITION BAN!
• TELL THEM TO VOTE “NO” OR AMEND A1013 TO PROTECT HONEST GUN OWNERS FROM SEVERE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES!

MEMBERS OF THE NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY LAW & PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE:

• Charles Mainor (Chair) (D31)
  AsmMainor@njleg.org
  Phone: 201-536-7851
  Fax: 201-536-7854
• Gilbert L. Wilson (Vice Chair) (D5)
  AsmWilson@njleg.org
  Phone: 856-547-4800
  Fax: 856-547-5496
• Nelson T. Albano (D1)
  AsmAlbano@njleg.org
  Phone: 609-465-0700
  Fax: 609-465-4578
• Daniel R. Benson (D14)
  AsmBenson@njleg.org
  Phone: 609-631-0198
  Fax: 609-631-0324
• Sean Connors (D33)
  AsmConnors@njleg.org
• Joseph Cryan (D20)
  AsmCryan@njleg.org
  Phone: 908-624-0880
  Fax: 908-624-0587
• Sean T. Kean (R30)
  AsmKean@njleg.org
  Phone: 732-974-0400
  Fax: 732-974-2564
• Gregory P. McGuckin (R10)
  AsmMcGuckin@njleg.org
  Phone: 732-974-0400
  Fax: 732-840-9757
• Erik Peterson (R23)
  AsmPeterson@njleg.org
  Phone: 908-238-0251
  Fax: 908-238-0256
• David P. Rible (R30)
  AsmRible@njleg.org
  Phone: 732-974-1719
  Fax: 732-974-3615
• Bonnie Watson Coleman (D15)
  AswWatsonColeman@njleg.org
  Phone: 609-292-0500
  Fax: 609-633-2179

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Yesterday the Senate Courts of Justice Committee heard a bunch of gun bills and some important ones, like the repeal of One Handgun a Month and repeal of Fingerprinting for CHP applicants, passed out of committee.

Unfortunately, a few bad bills passed out, too, and a few good bills were moved to next year:

• SB 4, Senator Stuart, Castle Doctrine – Passed out of committee by 8 to 7!
• SB 64, Senator Stanley, Castle Doctrine – Rolled into SB 4, above.
• SB 67, Senator Stanley, removes option for localities to fingerprint first time CHP applicants – Passed out of committee by 8 to 6!
• SB 224, Senator Herring, makes it easier to disarm someone for LIFE who is convicted of MISDEMEANOR domestic violence – Passed out of committee. We will have to kill this bill on the Floor.
• SB 323, Senator Carrico, repeals One Handgun a Month – Passed out of committee by 8 to 6!
• SB 324, Senator Carrico, state agency preemption – Carried over to next year
• SB 379, Senator McEachin, makes private firearm sales illegal – passed by for the day.
• SB 429, Senator Ruff, streamlines the Virginia form used for purchasing firearms – passed by for the day.
• SB 554, Senator Favola, disarms someone with an emergency protection order without due process – Passed out of committee 9 to 6. We will have to kill this bill on the Floor.
• SB 563, Senator Ruff, cleans up some minor issues in the concealed weapon code – Passed by for the day.
• SB 612, Senator Black, moves long gun to the federal NICS system from the Virginia Instant Check system to improve the amount of time needed to run background checks – Carried over to next year.
• SB 648, Senator McEachin, adds yet another penalty to a gun owner who is in possession of a gun while intoxicated – passed by for the day
• SB 670, Senator Garrett, removes option for localities to fingerprint first time CHP applicants – Rolled into HB 67, above

7 GUN BILLS TO BE HEARD TODAY, Thursday, JANUARY 26!

Thursday, January 26, at 5 PM in the 4th Floor West Conference Room in the General Assembly, the House Militia, Police, and Public Safety subcommittee #1 is going to hear several gun bills and I will be there to speak on them. If you can make it to the committee hearing to show support (and put on a “Guns Save Lives” sticker), that would be great!

• HB 20, Delegate Wilt, protects the right of citizens to carry and transport firearms during a declared emergency (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• HB 22, Delegate Cole, requires localities to try to sell guns they are in possession of instead of just destroying them (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• HB 26, Delegate Cole, provides a $25 civil fine for failure to produce a CHP if demanded by a law enforcement officer (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• HB 364, Delegate McClellan, perennial “gun show loophole” bill (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• HB 375, Delegate Pogge, allows local government employees to be able to store their guns in their personal vehicles while at work (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• HB 458, Delegate BaCote, allows localities to ban guns in libraries (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• HB 940, Delegate Lingamfelter, repeals Virginia’s One Handgun a Month law (VCDL Strongly Supports)

URGENT ACTION ITEMS!
Here are a bunch of automatic emails that you need to send ASAP in support of key bills that are on the move. Click on the link below each bill to send a message (that you can customize if you wish) to your Delegate. The system figures out who your legislator is based on your address and zip code.

HOUSE BILLS

• Support for pro-gun bills (above), HB 20, HB 22, HB 26, HB 940: http://tinyurl.com/6mhstjr
• Support for pro-gun bill to allow employees of localities to store guns in their private vehicles while at work: http://tinyurl.com/78z6qor
• Opposition to anti-gun bills (above), HB 364 and HB 458: http://tinyurl.com/7bh2fgg

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Wednesday, January 25 2012, 1/2 hour after the Senate adjourns, the Senate Courts of Justice is going to hear a bunch of gun bills and I will be there to speak on them.

If you can make it to the committee hearing to show support (and put on a “Guns Save Lives” sticker), that would be great!

The committee meets in Senate Room B on the ground floor of the General Assembly Building.

• SB 4, Senator Stuart, Castle Doctrine (VCDL is neutral)
• SB 64, Senator Stanley, Castle Doctrine (VCDL is neutral)
• SB 67, Senator Stanley, removes option for localities to fingerprint first time CHP applicants (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• SB 224, Senator Herring, makes it easier to disarm someone for LIFE who is convicted of MISDEMEANOR domestic violence (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• SB 323, Senator Carrico, repeals One Handgun a Month (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• SB 379, Senator McEachin, makes private firearm sales illegal (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• SB 429, Senator Ruff, streamlines the Virginia form used for purchasing firearms (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• SB 554, Senator Favola, disarms someone with an emergency protection order without due process (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• SB 563, Senator Ruff, cleans up some minor issues in the concealed weapon code (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• SB 612, Senator Black, moves long gun to the federal NICS system from the Virginia Instant Check system to improve the amount of time needed to run background checks (VCDL Strongly Supports)
• SB 648, Senator McEachin, adds yet another penalty to a gun owner who is in possession of a gun while intoxicated (VCDL Strongly Opposes)
• SB 670, Senator Garrett, removes option for localities to fingerprint first time CHP applicants (VCDL Strongly Supports)

URGENT ACTION ITEMS!

Here are a bunch of automatic emails that you need to send ASAP in support of key bills that are on the move.  Click on the link below each bill to send a message (that you can customize if you wish) to your Senator or Delegate, as appropriate.  The system figures out who your legislator is based on your address and zip code.

SENATE BILLS
SB 67 and SB 670, Senators Stanley and Garrett, removes option for localities to fingerprint first time CHP applicants:
http://tinyurl.com/8xxq5pk

-

SB 324, Senator Carrico, state-agency preemption that makes gun laws across the Commonwealth consistent, a concept supported by Attorney General Cuccinelli:
http://tinyurl.com/6rprvr5

-

SB 224, Senator Herring, makes it easier to disarm someone for LIFE who is convicted of MISDEMEANOR domestic violence (VCDL Strongly Opposes):
http://tinyurl.com/7259e3c

-

SB 323, Senator Carrico, repeals One Handgun a Month:

http://tinyurl.com/7zwj3t8

-

SB 379, SB 554, and SB 648, Senators McEachin and Favola, makes private gun sales illegal, disarms person with emergency protection order in residence of victim, and makes open carry while intoxicated yet another crime, respectively:
http://tinyurl.com/73g8snv

-

SB 612, Senator Black, requires that background checks for long guns be done by the federal NICS instead of the Virginia Instant Check System.  This helps fix the extremely slow firearms background checks that gun owners in Virginia have been experiencing for the last several years:
http://tinyurl.com/8yyppbd

HOUSE BILL
Let’s let our Delegates know that we want to protect shooting ranges.  Click on the link below to send a message to your Delegate about supporting HB 1114:
http://tinyurl.com/89z4bke

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Virginia Shooting Sports Association

Virginia - -(Ammoland.com)- On Wednesday, January 25th, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee is scheduled to hear a number of firearm related bills.

The meeting will begin 1/2 hour after the adjournent of the Senate Session.

Arizona Citizens Defense League

Catalina, AZ --(Ammoland.com)- To see legislation that AzCDL is monitoring, visit our Bill Tracking (http://www.azcdl.org/html/bill_tracking.html) page.

As bills appear on this page, we will add our position (i.e., support or oppose), along with other relevant information. This page is updated daily.

Legislators have until February 6, 2012 to file their bills so many are still busy drafting legislation that affects your liberty. Meanwhile a few pro-rights bills have been scheduled for hearings next week.

• SB 1077 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate National Resources and Transportation Committee on Monday, January 23, 2012. This bill would specifically exempt from the state lands trespass statute the “lawful possession or discharge of a firearm while hunting, while target shooting, in self-defense or in defense of another.”
• HB 2095 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Government Committee on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. This is AzCDL-requested legislation that would limit the restrictions that a Home Owner Association (HOA) can place on firearms.
• HJR 2001 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, January 25, 2012. This resolution opposes the use of an international force on American soil that seeks to enforce any United States treaty that has not been ratified by the United States Senate.

AzCDL representatives will be monitoring these committee hearings and testifying if necessary. At this stage, we do not foresee any problems or a need to send emails to committee members.

However if you would like to contact your legislator about these, or any other bills, our Legislative Action Center is available for your use. Go to http://capwiz.com/azcdl/home , click on your State Senator or Representative, then click on the “contact” tab and compose a message. If this is your first visit to our Action Center, you will need to provide your location to help you identify your elected officials.

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL , and during the legislative session, we’ll send out updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization: http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .

About:
AzCDL believes that the emphasis of gun laws should be on criminal misuse and that law-abiding citizens should be able to own and carry firearms unaffected by unnecessary laws or regulations. AzCDL was founded by a group of local activists who recognized that a sustained, coordinated, statewide effort was critical to protecting and expanding the rights of law-abiding gun owners. As a like-minded coalition of activists, the AzCDL founders were instrumental in the successful passage of the first major improvement to Arizona’s CCW (concealed carry) laws since they were instituted in 1994. Visit: www.azcdl.org

Arizona Citizens Defense League

Catalina, AZ --(Ammoland.com)- This is the end of the first week of the 2012 Arizona Legislative session.

Legislators have about a month to introduce their bills.

As this was being written, over 900 bills, resolutions, and memorials have already been filed. We sift through every bill to find proposed legislation that affects your right to bear arms.

To see legislation that AzCDL is monitoring, visit our Bill Tracking (http://www.azcdl.org/html/bill_tracking.html) page. As bills appear on this page, we will add our position (i.e., support or oppose), along with other relevant information. This page is updated daily.

After filing, all bills go through procedural reviews and votes. From there the Leadership in their respective chamber (House and Senate) decides which bills to assign to committees for further review. Once assigned, the chairman of that committee decides which bills will be heard before the deadline to vote on bills in their respective committees.

For good bills to thrive and survive in this environment, legislators need to be reminded that the citizens being affected by what they do are watching, and have an opinion on how they should vote. When legislators need to hear from you, we will send out an “Alert” and provide information on the bills that need your action, along with a link to a letter waiting for you to email from our Action Center (http://azcdl.capwiz.com/azcdl/home/) .

You don’t have to wait for one of our Alerts. If you would like to contact your legislator on any bill in the current session, you are welcome to use AzCDL’s Action Center: http://azcdl.capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/bills/ .

Stay tuned!

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL , and during the legislative session, we’ll send out updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

About:
AzCDL believes that the emphasis of gun laws should be on criminal misuse and that law-abiding citizens should be able to own and carry firearms unaffected by unnecessary laws or regulations. AzCDL was founded by a group of local activists who recognized that a sustained, coordinated, statewide effort was critical to protecting and expanding the rights of law-abiding gun owners. As a like-minded coalition of activists, the AzCDL founders were instrumental in the successful passage of the first major improvement to Arizona’s CCW (concealed carry) laws since they were instituted in 1994. Visit: www.azcdl.org

Open Letter to NFOA & Nebraskans Seeking Support for Prosecutorial Carry

Nebraska Firearms Owners Association

Omaha, NE --(Ammoland.com)- President Allen and Members of the NFOA Board:

My name is Matthew Mellor, and I am a Deputy County Attorney for Seward County, Nebraska. I am writing to you to request that the NFOA lend its support to LB 802 in this current legislative session.

I proposed the language that would later become LB 802, and I am thankful to Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh for agreeing to introduce it as one of his bills. In general, LB 802 would allow prosecutors in Nebraska to carry a concealed handgun in places where such action is currently prohibited. LB 802 limits a prosecutor’s carrying in such “gun-free zones” to the fulfillment of his or her responsibilities of employment. In short, this bill would allow prosecutors to protect themselves while working to put criminals behind bars. As a prosecutor, I know that people in this line of work are sometimes the subject of very serious threats, and among other things, this bill is intended to address those threats.

I have been following the discussion of LB 802 on the NFOA’s online forum, and as I expected, there is some resistance to the bill because it is creating an exception for a specific group of people. I understand the “if I can’t carry in those places, why should someone else be able to” line of thinking, but I don’t subscribe to it. Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe that everyone has the right to defend themselves, regardless of where they may be. The type of building they happen to be in shouldn’t matter. I do, however, know that the legislative process isn’t that clear-cut.

I am familiar with the legislative process, and there is a bit of logic to bills such as LB 802. While the ultimate goal for me and probably the NFOA, as well, would be for Constitutional Carry to become a reality in Nebraska, I know that changes to the law don’t come all at once. It took years and years of activity in the Legislature before Sen. Combs was finally able to get the Concealed Handgun Permit Act (CHPA) passed back in 2006, and it’s going to take a significant amount of time before we get to Constitutional Carry in this state.

LB 802, while being an immediate benefit to prosecutors, would also serve as a benefit to the greater concealed carry community, as one poster on the forum rightly noted. This bill is an opportunity to get the proverbial foot in the door that may one day lead to Constitutional Carry, or at least a more relaxed permit system. Sen. Lautenbaugh likely agreed to carry this bill because he thought it would not be that difficult to make an exception for prosecutors based on the nature of their work, as long as such exception was limited to their employment.

It is my position that LB 802 is merely a first step toward a more relaxed permit system, or even Constitutional Carry. Logic would hold that once more and more exceptions to the current CHPA are enacted, there will be fewer restrictions and we may get to see Constitutional Carry in Nebraska. LB 802 and bills that will be introduced in the future slowly erode the restrictions of the CHPA, and will be a benefit to all concealed handgun permit holders.

I appreciate your consideration of LB 802, and again, I ask for the NFOA to support this important legislation.

Mission -
Nebraska Firearms Owners Association (NFOA) is organized for the purpose of voicing the opinion of its membership to the Nebraska Legislature and other law making bodies within the state as well as Federal level, as it pertains to firearms. NFOA members will also make it a priority to educate residents on firearms related issues.
On the web: www.NebraskaFirearms.org or email: AAllen@NebraskaFirearms.org for more information.

Nebraska Firearms Owners Association

Omaha, NE --(Ammoland.com)- Well it’s that time again and the Legislative session is in full swing.

Since this is a short session and things are moving so fast, I am going to break the announcement of Legislative Bills into two groups to send out for your information.

This week we will be letting you know about bills introduced during the first five days of session, and the balance should be coming next week.

We are also going to try something new this year. In order to get your view on the position your NFOA should take on the bills, we have a survey linked.

Please take a moment and let us know what position you’d like the NFOA to take on these important pieces of legislation.

Introduced Legislation

• LB785, Christensen, Authorize possession of firearms as prescribed
  Allows persons with a Concealed Carry Permit to have their firearm in their car on the property of their employer. Further, it creates a civil penalty for employers who fire an employee for legally having a firearm in their vehicle on company property. It also provides liability protections for an employer who has an employee with a firearm stored in their vehicle on company property.
  
• LB796, Avery, Adopt the Outdoor Outfitters and Guides Registration Act
  Creates a registration for Outfitters and Guides with a licensing fee of $100 and requires liability insurance.
  
• LB802, Lautenbaugh, Authorize carrying of concealed handguns by certain authorities within the scope of their employment
  Allows District Attorneys, County Attorneys, the Attorney General, their assistants, and investigators with a Concealed Carry Permit to carry in places that other Concealed Carry Permit holders cannot; when doing so for work purposes. The individual is responsible for the costs of their Concealed Carry Permit and training.
  
• LB804, Lautenbaugh, Change provisions relating to justification for use of force
  Sets presumption that someone who forcibly enters your home or vehicle is there to do you bodily harm, and places protections from civil liabilities in cases of self defense.
  
• LB807, Lautenbaugh, Change Concealed Handgun Permit Act application provisions
  Clarifies that only individuals who have been criminally convicted of a drug- or firearm-related crime would be disqualified from receiving a Nebraska concealed carry permit. Hearing is scheduled for January 19th.
  
• LB919, Schilz, Change court fees, sheriff’s fees, and handgun certificate fees
  Among other fee changes, it raises the cost of a Handgun Purchase Certificate to $10.00, an increase of $5.00. From testimony in the past the average cost to the Sheriffs Dept. for doing this runs between $12 and $15 depending upon the county.
  
• LB920, McGill, Change harassment protection order and domestic abuse protection order provisions
  Makes it so persons under a protective order cannot purchase firearms, also removes automatic hearing for a protective order.
  
• LB928, Louden, Provide for mountain lion hunting permits
  Allows the Nebraska Game and Parks Department to set a hunting season for mountain lions and provide for hunting permits.

Mission -
Nebraska Firearms Owners Association (NFOA) is organized for the purpose of voicing the opinion of its membership to the Nebraska Legislature and other law making bodies within the state as well as Federal level, as it pertains to firearms. NFOA members will also make it a priority to educate residents on firearms related issues.
On the web: www.NebraskaFirearms.org or email: AAllen@NebraskaFirearms.org for more information.

New Jersey Democrats in 2009 Celebrating the Bill Signing for One Gun a Month Legislation

NRA - ILA

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- Last Tuesday, the first day of the 215th session of the New Jersey Legislature, Assembly Bill 857 was introduced.

Introduced by Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose (R-24), A 857 would repeal New Jersey’s law which allows residents to purchase only one handgun per month.

Current law states, “A dealer shall not knowingly deliver more than one handgun to any person within any 30-day period.”

Supporters of gun rationing claim that this law is needed to prevent criminals from buying large quantities of handguns for illegal resale.

The following are three reasons why gun rationing should be repealed:

1. Criminals do not buy firearms from licensed firearm dealers (FFL’s), who are required to clear a purchaser through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
2. Firearm dealers are required to report to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) and state or local law enforcement officials any person who buys more than one handgun in a five-day period.
3. Under the federal law, interstate handgun sales have been prohibited since 1968.

New Jersey’s gun rationing law only affects law-abiding gun owners and does nothing to prevent criminals from breaking a law they violate anyway.

No action is needed on your part at this time, but please continue to check www.NRAILA.org, your e-mail and AmmoLand Shooting Sports News for more updates on this important issue.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Wisconsin Gun Owners

Madison, Wisconsin --(Ammoland.com)- Until Dec. 7, Wisconsin was one of just 22 states without some form of “castle doctrine” or “Make-My-Day” law.

But passage of Assembly Bill 69 on that date changes everything by improving legal protections for home owners who use deadly force in self-defense.

“A person has a right to defend themselves and their family in their dwelling,” said Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), a lead sponsor of the legislation as reported on jsonline.com. “The fundamental issue is about protecting life, not property.”

The bill passed the State Senate 26-7 on November 3, and was sent to Governor Walker for final passage into law on Dec. 7.

According to Wisconsin Gun Owners, (WGO) the legislation — which was rammed through at 5 am in the morning — is a step in the right direction but could have been stronger.

The bill, said WGO, affirmed only the “privilege of self-defense, not the right (as enumerated in the Wisconsin Constitution’s Right to Bear Arms); it also didn’t include the language “any place you may legally be.

“Under AB 69 criminal courts can still litigate against gun owners like you, potentially costing you thousands of dollars in attorney fees,” said Dudley Brown, Executive Director of the National Assoc. for Gun Rights. “While AB 69 is not great it does significantly advance legal protections for Wisconsin’s gun owners because, unlike other states, it includes your home, car, and workplace.”

WGO plans to continue pushing for a better law, but aren’t holding our breath waiting for the institutional gun lobby to take up that torch.

In the meantime, anti-gun lawyers with the State Bar of Wisconsin — a group representing more than 600 criminal defense lawyers, prosecutors, judges, academics and other numbskulls — opposed the bill crying foul that it would enable homeowners to shoot “trick-ortreaters.”

About:
WGO works for grassroots gun owners, not politicians. While many gun lobbies fight for “reasonable gun control,” WGO sets a higher standard: Defining the terrain of pro-gun political battle. Sure, many groups claim they’re “pro-gun” – all the while they provide cover for anti-gun deals cut by politicians – but only WGO truly informs gun owners, remaining committed to a 100% pro-gun position. We oppose all gun control – regardless of the political party – and work tirelessly to restore the Second Amendment. Visit www.wisconsingunowners.org

Bill Defunds United Nations If Arms Trade Treaty Is Adopted

AmmoLand Gun News

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Congressman Joe Walsh (R-IL-8) on Dec. 7 introduced the Second Amendment Protection Act (HR-3594) with 20 co-sponsors, a measure that would cut off all funding to the United Nations if the United States agrees to any treaty that infringes on the constitutional rights of American citizens.

In a letter to his colleagues seeking additional co-sponsors in the House, Walsh noted that “The United Nations has been trying for almost a decade now to move forward with the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). This treaty poses a very real threat to the sovereignty of the United States and to our right to keep and bear arms—and this treaty is now moving forward with the support of the current administration.”

In late 2009, the US State Department reversed prior policy and announced that the US would back launching talks on the ATT. That version of the ATT is now expected to be finalized in 2012.

“The United States should never agree to a treaty that infringes on our constitutional rights, especially one that could implement sweeping gun control measures,” Walsh’s letter notes. “This treaty poses many dangers and could put serious pressure on the US to compromise on personal gun ownership rights. In a 2008 resolution on the treaty–adopted almost unanimously with only the US and Zimbabwe in opposition–the ‘highest possible standards’ of control were called for. “It is time for Congress to act to help ensure this treaty never sees the light of day. While the Senate is tasked with ratifying treaties, we (the House) must send a signal that this treaty is bad for America and bad for US gun rights.”

Almost 40 senators previously had written to the President and Secretary of State to express their opposition to the ATT. However, Walsh’s bill is the first in Congress to put financial brakes on any such treaty.

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), which had helped develop the measure in cooperation with Walsh’s office, immediately applauded the Illinois congressman’s leadership in calling attention to the threat posed by the proposed binding small arms treaty that could affect the arms and ammunition commonly used by Americans for recreation and defense.

“The United Nations’ effort to adopt a global gun control initiative needs to be reined in,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan M. Gottlieb. “For too many years, bureaucrats in the United Nations have become far too cozy with international gun prohibition organizations, and Congressman Walsh’s legislation seems the best way to get their attention. We’ve been delighted and honored to be part of this effort.”

“It is an insult to United States sovereignty,” he added, “that the UN would be entertaining such measures while enjoying this country’s hospitality at its headquarters in New York City. It is the greatest irony, and perhaps the pinnacle of hypocrisy, for the United Nations to be discussing any treaty that might threaten our Second Amendment, because it has been the United States, with its citizen soldiers and our constitutional right to keep and bear arms that has come to the world’s rescue not once, but twice in global conflicts.

“When diplomacy fails, it is time to close our checkbook,” Gottlieb said. “The Bush administration opposed such a treaty, but the Obama administration is moving forward with discussions on an international Arms Trade Treaty. It is up to Congress to put the brakes on such efforts and protect our national sovereignty, which has been protected and defended for more than two centuries because our citizens have the right, and the resources, to defend it.”

Walsh stated: “The Arms Trade Treaty is bad for America and bad for US gun rights. The Bush Administration had wisely opposed any effort to advance this treaty. Yet quickly into the first year of President Obama’s presidency, talks have now resumed and the treaty will soon be voted on next year.”

NRA - ILA

Charlotte, NC --(Ammoland.com)- H.R. 2055 —the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012— has been passed by the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and has been sent to the President for his expected signature.

This bill contains three NRA-backed provisions that will strengthen our Second Amendment rights and prohibit your federal tax dollars from being used to advance an anti-gun agenda.

Stopping Your Tax Dollars From Funding Anti-Gun Studies
One of the protections expanded and strengthened can be found in Sec. 218 of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (Labor-H) division of the bill. This section prevents the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from using taxpayer dollars to promulgate junk science designed to paint legal gun ownership as a public health hazard.

Since 2002, the NIH has spent nearly $5 million on this “research” even though their counterparts at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have been prevented from funding similar studies since being blocked in 1996 by a NRA-backed provision.

The following are just a few examples of the anti-gun research funded using taxpayer dollars:

• $2,639,453 was spent by the NIH to investigate whether adolescents 10-19 years old who were treated at the hospital for a gunshot wound were more likely to have consumed alcohol and/or carried a firearm during the time period surrounding their injury than victims of a non-gun assault. Basically, the researchers wanted to know why teenagers who possess firearms illegally and engage in underage drinking and consort with those who do the same-were likely to be involved in violent situations.
• $1,980,327 was allocated by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a division of NIH, to determine the relationship between gun violence and the presence of bars and liquor stores. The researchers posited that communities could lower homicide and suicide rates by improving zoning regulations for “alcohol outlets.”
• $35,933 in federal funding was used to “understand the determinants of firearm ownership and storage practices” and “measure attitudes and beliefs about firearms” among parents. The study was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development through NIH, and aimed to solidify the notion that a “home free of hazards” was essential to children’s safety and well-being.

These junk science studies and others like them are designed to provide ammunition for the gun control lobby by advancing the false notion that legal gun ownership is a danger to the public health instead of an inalienable right.

No Tax Dollars to Lobby and Promote Gun Control
The second is a new NRA-backed provision that is found in Sec. 503 of the Labor-H division. This section prevents federal funds from being used for lobbying efforts designed to support or defeat the passage of legislation being considered by Congress, or any state or local legislative body. Too often, community action groups are utilizing federal money to lobby for increased regulation of firearms including trigger locks, bans on semi-automatic rifles, regulated magazine capacity, etc. This funding subverts the Second Amendment and allows anti-gun Administrations to fund grassroots gun control efforts using taxpayer dollars.

We are grateful that H.R. 2055 prohibits further use of this gun control scheme.

Protecting Historic Firearms and Spent Brass Casings from Destruction
Finally, a long-standing provision, found in Department of Defense (DOD) Sec. 8017 division A, preserves the opportunity for American gun owners to purchase surplus firearms that are no longer of use to the U.S. military. This includes M-1 Carbines, M-1 Garand rifles, M-14 rifles, .22 caliber rifles, .30 caliber rifles and M-1911 pistols. Starting in 1979, different versions of this language have prevented these firearms from being needlessly destroyed.

In 2009, Congress amended this language at the urging of the NRA to prevent the destruction of spent brass casings, a boon for gun owners and reloaders concerned about the rising price of ammunition.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Congress Packs Firearms Riders in Minibus

FirearmsCoalition.org

Manassas, VA --(Ammoland.com)- Rather than pass a large, all-encompassing omnibus appropriations bill for the new fiscal year – which began on October 1 – Congress narrowed the scope of their first funding bill to cover only certain essential services and agencies in what they dubbed a “minibus” appropriations bill.

Even so, the measure, which was finally passed in mid November and signed by the President on November 18, was massive and complex.

Along with funding government agencies and specific programs, the Congress included numerous limitations on how the money can and cannot be spent, including over a dozen riders pertaining to firearms issues.

Most were directly related to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), while others were aimed at the Justice Department and other agencies which deal with firearms law enforcement, record keeping, import, and export, etc. Such instructions, known as riders, are nothing new, in fact, most of the ATF provisions have been included in appropriations bills for years, some for decades.

But this year’s unique “minibus” has some new tricks.

A permanent prohibition against the establishment of any sort of federal registration system of firearms and firearm owners, which has been included in appropriations bills since 1979, is among the more significant features of this bill. That provision was originally promulgated under the guidance of my father, Neal Knox, when he was Executive Director of NRA-ILA, the NRA’s lobbying division, and has been included in appropriations bill each year since. Dad would be pleased to see this protection finally made permanent.

Other provisions that attained permanent status in this bill include a prohibition against the computerization of records from out-of-business firearms dealers, a requirement that any identifying information obtained through the National Instant Background Check System (NICS) be destroyed within 24-hours of a transfer being approved, and restrictions on the release of firearms trace data.

An important new provision in this appropriation forbids the government from blocking the importation of shotguns based on a determination that they are not “suitable for sporting purposes,” if those shotguns were deemed suitable for importation in 2011. This was in response to last year’s “study” from the ATF suggesting that they were moving to use the “sporting purpose” clause of the Gun Control Act (GCA) to block importation of a variety of tactical-style shotguns which have been gaining popularity for home defense and action-shooting competition. Prices for these shotguns skyrocketed in the wake of the ATF “study” from the $300 – $400 range to the $1200 – $1300 range. The fact that this importability assurance is not permanent, requiring reauthorization every year, means that these shotguns should be more readily available, but their prices are likely to remain inflated based on fears of future import bans.

However, not all of the firearms-related riders in this minibus are gun-friendly. There is a provision, which has been included in appropriations since 1992, to prohibit the expenditure of any money on processing requests for restoration of firearms rights. This provision is particularly onerous since Congress specifically made provisions for such restoration of rights for people ATF determines are not a threat to society. The repeated inclusion of this prohibition points up the “sausage-making” process of Congress as various politicians play give-and-take with our rights.

A particularly unusual rider forbids the transfer of duties and responsibilities from ATF to any other federal agency. The prime motivator of this restriction is fear that the administration could shift certain responsibilities from ATF to some other entity and thereby side-step restrictions that specifically name ATF. There is also concern that shifting responsibility for firearms law enforcement to the U.S. Marshals or the FBI could make it more difficult to observe and influence those activities. With all of the criticism rights groups level at ATF, most recognize that the problems with ATF are primarily the fault of poorly written laws, not necessarily flaws within the agency or its personnel.

Other provisions protect definitions and importability of “Curios and Relics” as regulators try to resist including more modern-style guns that cross the 50-year eligibility mark for that classification. Again though, the fact that these protections come in the form of annual funding restrictions means that they can’t truly stabilize markets, prices, and procedures.

In the end, the firearms riders in the minibus represent a net gain for gun owners, but the whole process highlights serious flaws in current laws and regulations as well as the messiness of our legislative process. Wading through the massive appropriations bill and its many riders also offers a glimpse at just how pervasive and expensive federal government has become.

Clearly the protections and limitations included in the US Constitution are of little concern to those writing our laws and spending our money.

Copyright © 2011 Neal Knox Associates – The most trusted name in the rights movement.

About:
The Firearms Coalition is a loose-knit coalition of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs and civil rights organizations. Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, the organization provides support to grassroots activists in the form of education, analysis of current issues, and with a historical perspective of the gun rights movement. The Firearms Coalition is a project of Neal Knox Associates, Manassas, VA. Visit: www.FirearmsCoalition.org

Anchorage Second Amendment Task Force

Anchorage, AK --(Ammoland.com)- On April 17, when Governor Sean Parnell adjourned the Alaska Legislature, there were four pro-gun bills left pending from the 2011 legislative session.

Due to Alaska’s two-year sessions, all pending 2011 bills will carry over and be considered in 2012.

• House Bill 80, sponsored by state Representative Mark Neuman (R-15), is a no-duty-to-retreat bill and would extend the right to use force, including deadly force, for self-defense anywhere a person has a legal right to be.  HB 80 passed in the state House by a 33 to 6 vote.  This bill is now pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• House Bill 83, also sponsored by state Representative Neuman, would establish an apprentice hunting program.  This bill is pending in the House Resources Committee.
• Senate Bill 2, sponsored by state Senator Linda Menard (R-G), would create National Rifle Association special-request license plates.  SB 2 is currently pending in the Senate Finance Committee.
• Senate Bill 105, sponsored by state Senator Charlie Huggins (R-H), would designate the Pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 .30-06 as the official state firearm.  This bill is pending in the Senate State Affairs Committee.

When the next legislative session begins in January we will be keeping you informed on the status of HB 80 in the senate. We consider it imperative to pass this legislation.

At first this may appear to unrelated to firearms. Long range projection implies that may not be so. You may be aware that the current regime in Washington floated the idea of stopping shooting on “some” federal lands because the noise annoyed other users. (This may be a good reason to deregulate suppressors)

The idea of stopping recreational shooting met extreme resistance this time. You can bet the idea will be proposed again. Anti shooting forces are more successful at the local level. Consider the Palmer area and the efforts against shooting in that area.

When one considers Agenda 21 a trend by government to gain regulatory control of all lands becomes evident. Anchorage Title 21 is a heavy handed takeover of land use at the local level. It makes one wonder how long before shooting ranges will be regulated out of business. Consider attending this meeting to show support for repeal of the Title 21 rewrite.

Very Important Property Rights Meeting

All home owners, property owners, builders, contractors, realtors and all persons that value property rights must to be at this meeting. We are recommending that the Rewrite either be scrapped altogether or at the minimum all of Dan Coffey’s recommended amendments be incorporated in the Rewrite.

The Rewrite is a massive imposition of regulations that we don’t need. It will increase the cost of new construction. You will need permission to do anything to your own property. It will increase the culture of corruption. (Who has enough bribe money to get what he wants.) This is being imposed on you by a small group that wants Anchorage to be like Portland. Lynn Peterson, Portland’s planner, consults with them. Portland is rated as the worst planned city in the U.S.

The origins of these changes come from Agenda 21. There are strands of it all through Title 21. Watch the 15 minute video at the link below to see how your freedom is being regulated from you. There will be free copies of this video on DVD available at the meeting.

Please let all your friends know about this meeting. It can make a difference for the future of your children

Anchorage is rated the 10th best city in the U.S. by Business Week but we have folks that want to change that.

About:
The mission of The Anchorage Second Amendment Task Force is to provide Alaskans with the knowledge of the meaning and true purpose of the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution, with which they may conduct themselves as responsible citizens of our republic. Visit: www.anchorage2atf.com

AmmoLand Gun News

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- I voted Yes on H.R. 822, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act, of which I am a co-sponsor.

This bill allows an individual with a valid state-issued concealed firearm permit to carry in any other state that issues concealed firearm permits, or that does not prohibit the carrying of concealed firearms for lawful purposes.

Instead, the bill requires states to recognize each others’ permits, in a similar manner to how they recognize drivers’ licenses.

Importantly, H.R. 822 does not change state laws regulating how concealed firearms are carried within any state. All state, federal, and local laws regarding carrying a concealed handgun that would apply to a resident of a state will also apply in equal force to a non-resident.

It is important to make certain law enforcement is appropriately prepared and equipped to enforce this new law. That is why I supported an amendment offered by Rep. Dave Reichert – a former sheriff - requiring a study to examine the extent to which law enforcement is currently able to verify the validity of out-of-state concealed firearms permits.

I voted Yes because the Second Amendment is an important individual right guaranteed to us at the federal level by the U.S. Constitution. I will continue to defend and support this right on behalf of law-abiding Upstate New Yorkers.

The bill was passed by a bipartisan vote of 272 – 154.

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- On Tuesday, November 15, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 822, the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act.” Please contact Representative Smith and urge him to vote for this pro-gun legislation.

This important bill would allow any law-abiding concealed carry permit holder to legally carry a concealed firearm while visiting any state that does not prohibit concealed carry.

Please contact Rep. Smith as soon as possible and urge him to vote for H.R. 822, the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act”.

Phone:
Washington, DC (202) 225-3765

Hamilton (609) 585-7878
Email: http://www.capwiz.com/nra/issues/alert/?alertid=55111516

The Facts About H.R. 822, the “National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act”
Unfortunately, but predictably, H.R. 822 continues to be attacked by anti-gun organizations and the media. Regrettably, even some so-called “pro-gun” organizations have joined with the anti-gun Brady Campaign and Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns to try to defeat this pro-gun bill.

This critically important legislation, introduced earlier this year by Congressmen Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) and cosponsored by more than 240 of their colleagues, would enable millions of permit holders to exercise their right to self-defense while traveling outside their home states.

There is currently only one remaining state (Illinois) that has no legal way for individuals to carry concealed firearms for self-defense. Forty states [with the exception of New Jersey] have permit systems that make it possible for any law-abiding person to obtain a permit, while most of the others have discretionary permit systems. (Vermont has never required a permit.) 

H.R. 822 would mark a major step forward for gun owners’ rights by significantly expanding where permits are recognized. Dozens of states have passed Right-to-Carry laws over the past 25 years, because the right to self-defense does not end when one leaves home. However, interstate recognition of permits is not uniform and creates great confusion and potential problems for travelers. While many states have broad reciprocity, others have very restrictive reciprocity laws, and a few deny recognition completely.

H.R. 822 would solve this problem by requiring that lawfully issued carry permits be recognized in all states with some form of a permit system, while protecting the ability of the various states to determine the areas where carrying is prohibited within their boundaries.

Opponents of the legislation claim that it tramples on “states rights.” States, however, don’t have rights, they have powers. And while many anti-gun lawmakers who’ve long pushed national gun bans, national bans on private gun sales, national waiting periods and other federal restrictions have suddenly become born-again advocates of “states’ rights” in opposing this bill, several provisions in the U.S. Constitution give Congress the authority to enact interstate carry. Congress also has the power to protect the rights of citizens, nationwide, under the 14th Amendment (please see related article from last week’s Grassroots Alert).

Next, despite what a few so-called “pro-gun” activists have argued, this bill would not create a federal licensing or registration system, nor would it establish a minimum federal standard for carry permits. Rather, it would require the states to recognize each others’ carry permits, just as they recognize driver’s licenses and carry permits held by armored car guards. Unfortunately, these self-proclaimed “gun rights” supporters, who have no active lobbying presence in any legislature, have an agenda that has very little to do with promoting the interests of gun owners. Here are the FACTS about a few of their claims:

Myth: H.R. 822 would involve the federal bureaucracy in setting standards for carry permits, resulting in “need” requirements, higher fees, waiting periods, national gun owner registration, or worse.

FACT: H.R. 822 doesn’t require-or even authorize-any such action by any federal agency. In fact, since it would amend the Gun Control Act, it would fall under a limitation within that law that authorizes “only such rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out” the GCA’s provisions. No federal rules or regulations would be needed to implement H.R. 822, which simply overrides certain state laws.

Myth: H.R. 822 would destroy permitless carry systems such as those in Arizona, Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming.

FACT: H.R. 822 would have absolutely no effect on how the permitless carry states’ laws work within those states. For residents of Arizona, Alaska and Wyoming, where permits are not required but remain available under state law, H.R. 822 would make those permits valid in all states that issue permits to their own residents. Residents of Vermont, where no permits are issued or required, could obtain nonresident permits from other states to enjoy the benefits of H.R. 822.

Myth: If H.R. 822 moved through the legislative process, it would be subject to anti-gun amendments.

TRUTH: By this logic, neither NRA, nor any other pro-gun group, should ever promote any pro-gun reform legislation. But inaction isn’t an option for those of us who want to make positive changes for gun owners. Instead, we know that by careful vote counting and strategic use of legislative procedure, anti-gun amendments can be avoided or defeated.

H.R. 822 is a good bill for gun owners. Don’t listen to false or misleading accusations; instead, read the bill and our fact sheet explaining its provisions. Then, please contact your member of Congress and urge him or her to support the earliest possible consideration of H.R. 822 this year.

Please contact your Representative or by email by clicking here and urge him to stand up for gun owners’ rights by voting for this important legislation.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – the trade association for the firearms industry – is encouraging all sportsmen, gun owners and firearms enthusiasts to contact members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees today and urge them to vote to protect House-passed pro-gun provisions in an upcoming Conference Report on H.R. 2112.

This is the legislative vehicle for the annual Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) and Related Agencies Appropriations Act that funds the ATF.

Here’s the background:

The House-passed CJS Appropriations bill made permanent nine separate pro-gun, pro-industry protections, such as the “Tiahrt Amendment” — detailed below. Unfortunately, anti-gun politicians in the Senate successfully blocked a bipartisan amendment offered by Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah) that, like the House-passed bill, would have made these needed provisions permanent law. The Senate version makes these protections good for only one fiscal year, meaning anti-gun politicians can come back year after year and try to strip away these pro-gun provisions.

The fight now moves to conference where the House and Senate versions will be reconciled. This will happen today at 5 p.m..

Please contact both the Senate and House conferees TODAY (202-224-3121) and urge them to keep the House-passed firearms provisions in the upcoming Conference Report on H.R. 2112:

Senators:
Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.).

Representatives: (Partial List)
Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), Bill Young (R-Fla.), Frank Wolf (R-Va.), Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), Tom Latham (R-Iowa), Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), John Culberson (R-Texas), John Carter (R-Texas), Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio) and Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.).

The House-passed CJS appropriations bill would make permanent the following vital pro-gun, pro-industry protections:

1. Firearms Trace Data Disclaimer. A requirement that any trace data released must include a disclaimer stating such trace data cannot be used to draw broad conclusion about firearms-related crime. This provision has been included since FY 2005.
2. Firearms Database Prohibition. A prohibition on the use of funds to create, maintain or administer a database of firearms owners or their firearms. This prohibition has been in place since FY 1979 and prevents the federal government from establishing a national gun registry.
3. Physical Inventory Prohibition. Prohibition on a requirement to allow a physical inventory of Federal Firearms Licensees. The Clinton Administration proposed a rule in 2000 to require an annual inventory by all licensees. While the Bush Administration eventually withdrew the proposal, Congress has still passed this preventive provision every year, beginning in FY 2007.
4. Firearms Parts Export to Canada. A prohibition on the use of funds to require an export license for small firearms parts valued at less than $500 for export to Canada. This provision removed an unnecessary and burdensome requirement on U.S. gun manufacturers that was imposed under the Clinton Administration. It has been included since FY 2006.
5. Business Activity. A prohibition on the use of funds to deny a Federal Firearms License (FFL) or renewal of an FFL on the basis of business activity. This provision prohibits ATF from denying federal firearms license applications or renewals based on a dealer’s low business volume alone. Congress added this general provision in FY 2005.
6. Information Retrieval Prohibition. A prohibition on the use of funds to electronically retrieve personally identifying information gathered by federal firearms licensees. This provision prohibits the creation of a gun registry from dealers’ records that are required by law to be surrendered to the federal government when a dealer goes out of business. This provision has been included since FY 1997.
7. Information Gathering Prohibition. A prohibition on the use of funds to maintain any information gathered as a part of an instant background check or to maintain information for more than 24 hours. This provision protects the privacy of law-abiding gun buyers by prohibiting information about legal gun purchases from being kept by government authorities. It has been included since FY 1999.
8. Curio and Relic Definition. A prohibition on the use of funds to change the definition of a “curio or relic.” This provision protects the status of collectible firearms for future generations of firearms collectors. This provision has been included since Fiscal Year 1997.
9. Importation of Curios and Relics. A prohibition on the use of funds to arbitrarily deny importation of qualifying curio and relic firearms. This provision insures that collectible firearms that meet all legal requirements for importation into the United States are not prevented from import by executive branch fiat. This provision has been included since FY 2006.

Visit NSSF’s Government Relations site at nssf.org/GovRel.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

Tell the White House to Support H.R. 822 - National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011

LongIslandFirearms.com

Ronkonkoma, NY --(Ammoland.com)- Long Island Firearms, New York’s foremost online firearms enthusiast community, submitted an online petition within The White House’s website to support HR 822.

A similar petition which ended yesterday had thousands of votes, however did not fulfill the minimum requirements.

The requirements from The White House’s website were changed to require a minimum of 25,000 votes in order to obtain an official reply from The President. Please sign this online petition to support HR 822:

Sign Petition here: http://wh.gov/Tkz

About:
Long Island Firearms is a web based community founded in 2009 to promote a sense of community within firearms enthusiasts on Long Island. You can find us online at www.LongIslandFirearms.com Long Island Freedom Fund is a not-for-profit filed under the laws governing US 501(c)(3). Please visit http://www.liffreedomfund.org/ for more information.

Community activities performed by Long Island Firearms members can be found by visiting: http://www.KeepLongIslandClean.org Club LIF is duly chartered by the National Rifle Association, and is an affiliate club of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association.

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- Last week, the House Judiciary considered amendments to H.R. 822, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Bill, and defeated all anti-gun amendments offered in an effort to weaken or gut the legislation.

The legislation is an important pro-gun reform that will provide for the recognition of carry permits in all states that issue permits. (For detailed information on the legislation, click here http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?id=189&issue=003.)

The bill, as originally written, was successfully amended at the outset of the markup with a substitute that added a number of important protections. Foremost, it amended the language so that visitors to states that have laws requiring licenses just for possession of a handgun, do not need a possession license, which is often unavailable to nonresidents.

The substitute also made clear that in states with local jurisdictions that restrict carrying or possession, visitors will not need to apply for special permits from those jurisdictions.

Opponents of the bill proposed a number of anti-gun amendments that sought to use misdemeanor convictions to disqualify people from the benefits of the bill. All of these efforts were defeated, rejecting the anti-gun efforts to weaken the bill. Clearly, the majority of committee members believe that revocation of fundamental constitutional rights is not a legitimate punishment for misdemeanor violations.

One pro-gun amendment was defeated as well. Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-Texas), a steadfast supporter of the Second Amendment, brought an amendment that would have allowed permit holders to carry firearms in the District of Columbia. As written, H. R. 822 does not apply reciprocity to jurisdictions that completely ban Right-to-Carry.

While the amendment was well intentioned, as Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) pointed out, the bill “does not confer any expansion of the right to bear arms on the residents of the District of Columbia,” and the Gohmert amendment would only have benefited visitors. It was the feeling of the majority, including nearly all those who support the bill, that H. R. 822 is not the proper vehicle for dealing with the serious problems presented by Washington, D.C.’s harshly restrictive gun laws.

As Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said, “this is a debate best saved for another day and another bill.”

NRA has fought for many years to restore the Second Amendment rights of D.C. residents and will continue to work toward that goal by fighting for passage of H.R. 645, the Second Amendment Enforcement Act.

An amendment was also added calling on the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study of the impact of this legislation. Unsurprisingly, opponents of the bill voted against the amendment, probably fearing that it will show, like previous government and academic studies, that the many objections they make to lawful Right-to-Carry are without basis. The study will have no impact on the reforms included in the legislation and will have no effect on concealed carry laws. This study will not delay the implementation of the bill, because it will not take place until after the legislation has taken effect.

The committee will take up the legislation and vote on final passage when Congress returns from its recess. This legislation will be an important advance in the protection of the fundamental right to self-defense, whether at home or traveling through most of America.

Full House consideration of the legislation is expected to happen in the next few weeks. Please contact your member of Congress today and urge their support for H.R. 822 and opposition to any amendments anti-gun legislators are expected to bring to weaken the legislation. You can find contact information for your elected officials by using the “Write Your Representatives” tool at www.NRAILA.org, or you can call your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

AmmoLand Gun News

WASHINGTON, D.C. –-(Ammoland.com)- Today, U.S. Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Jim Webb (D-VA), along with 10 other cosponsors, introduced legislation that would end the arbitrary process through which the government strips veterans and other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries of their Second Amendment rights.

Currently, veterans who have a fiduciary appointed to act on their behalf are deemed “mentally defective” and are reported to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), a system which prevents them from being able to purchase firearms in the United States.

The Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act would require a judicial authority to determine that VA beneficiaries pose a danger to themselves or others before they can be added to the FBI’s NICS.

“Taking away a Constitutional right is a serious action, and veterans should be afforded the same due process under the law as all other American citizens,” Burr said. “This legislation would protect the rights of veterans and their families by ensuring that only a proper judicial authority is able to determine who is referred to NICS. Our veterans took an oath to uphold the Constitution and they deserve to enjoy the rights they fought so hard to protect.”

“As a matter of fairness, a veteran should be permitted to purchase a firearm under the same conditions as every other American,” said Senator Webb. “This bipartisan bill ensures consistent guidelines are used for reporting citizens to the FBI, and that no veteran is needlessly stripped of their Second Amendment rights.”

The Federal Gun Control Act prohibits certain individuals who have been deemed a “mental defective” from purchasing a firearm. Currently, around 114,000 people who are receiving VA benefits have been reported to NICS, stripping them of their constitutional rights simply because VA appointed a fiduciary to act on their behalf. A fiduciary is assigned to handle disability compensation, pensions, survivors’ compensation, and other VA payments on behalf of a veteran, surviving spouse, dependent child, or dependent parent. VA’s review process for assigning a fiduciary is meant to determine one’s ability to manage VA-provided cash assistance.

The process does not determine whether they are a danger to themselves or others.

FirearmsCoalition.org

Manassas, VA --(Ammoland.com)- This important legislation has been languishing in both houses of Congress for the past several years in spite of bi-partisan efforts to get it moving.

The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), was passed out of the Judiciary Committee in 2009 and placed on the Senate Calendar under General Orders where it remained awaiting action from self-avowed Second Amendment supporter, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

Reid allowed the bill to die with the close of the 111th Congress and it was not reintroduced in the Senate in the 112th Congress.

Now that a version of the legislation has passed out of the House, the pressure needs to be on for Senators to sign off on it and send it to the President.

Representative Denny Rehberg (R-MT) successfully amended the language from his bill, H.R.1898, to a broader veterans benefits bill, H.R.2349, which then passed the House on Tuesday, October 11.

The broader bill now goes to the Senate for consideration where shenanigans could strip out or seriously undermine the impact of the Rehberg language.

Contact your Senator – especially Democrats who have gotten elected by claiming to support the Second Amendment - and urge them to vote for passage of H.R.2349 with the Veterans’ Second Amendment Protection language intact.

The Veterans’ Second Amendment Protection Act was introduced in response to a Veterans Administration policy of submitting names of veterans to the FBI for inclusion in the NICS firearms purchaser background check database. The VA has been submitting the names of veterans who have a fiduciary appointed to manage their financial affairs as “mental defectives” who are then permanently prohibited from possessing or having access to firearms and/or ammunition. It is not uncommon for a veteran with minor memory issues or problems such as compulsive buying or gambling to have themselves declared mentally incompetent to manage their own affairs and turn over control of their financial affairs to a spouse or relative to manage for them. Even if such an arrangement and diagnoses is temporary – such as in the case of a severely wounded veteran undergoing long-term rehabilitation or comatose patients – once the name is submitted to NICS, it is very difficult for them to ever regain right to arms.

The Veterans’ Second Amendment Protection Act specifies that only veterans who have been adjudicated to be a danger to themselves or others are to be submitted for inclusion in the NICS database. This simple adjustment could restore firearms rights to as many as 100,000 veterans who have had their names unreasonably submitted to NICS.
This important reform is long overdue and this is the closest we’ve ever come to getting it signed into law.

Your Immediate Action is Required!

Contact both of your senators AND Senate Majority Leader Reid.
Tell them that you want H.R.2349 passed with the Veterans’ Second Amendment Protection Act language retained intact. Do it Today and then do it again every few days until the bill is passed and signed by the President.

Also, please forward this Alert to every veteran and gun owner you know and re-post it on every veteran or firearms related forum, blog, and website you can find.

Our veterans deserve your support on this and the support of your senators.

For reference, here is a list of the 17 Republicans and 1 Democrat who cosponsored the Senate version of this bill in 2009:

Name [Party-ST] – Date Cosponsored

• Sen Burr, Richard [R-NC] – Prime Sponsor
• Sen Brownback, Sam [R-KS] – 9/29/2009
• Sen Coburn, Tom [R-OK] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Cochran, Thad [R-MS] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Crapo, Mike [R-ID] – 3/23/2009
• Sen DeMint, Jim [R-SC] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Ensign, John [R-NV] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Graham, Lindsey [R-SC] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Inhofe, James M. [R-OK] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Risch, James E. [R-ID] – 8/6/2009
• Sen Roberts, Pat [R-KS] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Sessions, Jeff [R-AL] – 5/10/2010
• Sen Thune, John [R-SD] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Vitter, David [R-LA] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] – 3/23/2009
• Sen Webb, Jim [D-VA] – 3/23/2009

About:
The Firearms Coalition is a loose-knit coalition of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs and civil rights organizations. Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, the organization provides support to grassroots activists in the form of education, analysis of current issues, and with a historical perspective of the gun rights movement. The Firearms Coalition is a project of Neal Knox Associates, Manassas, VA. Visit: www.FirearmsCoalition.org

Stand with Ron Paul - End Criminal Safezones with H.R. 2613

National Association for Gun Rights

Colorado -–(Ammoland.com)- “Courage is being scared to death — but saddling up anyway.”

That’s one of my favorite quotes of all time from one of my favorite actors of all time, John Wayne.

He was right …

… there are times when we all have to do things that we are scared of or aren’t comfortable with, but go forward with anyway.

The fact is, gun rights activists like you and me are under constant assault.

Most of the assaults are perpetrated by left-wingers in the media who despise guns.

Let’s face the facts — they carry the water for gun-grabbing politicians throughout this country.

And, of course, the gun controllers in academia are brain-washing American students to think that “guns are bad/evil/fill in the blank.”

There is nothing you and I can do about that except organize at the grassroots level in defense of our gun rights.

Very few elected politicians will stand up in the face of left-wing assaults and do what’s right. One of those politicians is Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, a long-time Second Amendment advocate.

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think he really has to muster up any courage to “do what is right” when it comes to fighting the gun grabbers. I don’t think he cares what the media says.

That’s refreshing.

We need more elected officials who will defend our gun rights and not think such actions are “courageous” at all.

I wanted to write and inform you of Congressman Ron Paul’s “Citizens Protection Act of 2011.”

The bill number is H.R. 2613.

As you may know, since 1990, the federal government and Congress has designated ALL school zones “gun free.”

I call them “Criminal Safezones.”

You and I know that criminals and thugs don’t care what laws or restrictions or road blocks anyone puts up.

When a thug wants to murder or wreak havoc, no law or posted metal sign declaring an area “gun free” will deter them.

And for those of us gun owners who carry every day, we’re left defenseless in the face of a rampaging criminal, intent on doing significant harm.

Congressman Paul’s “Citizens Protection Act of 2011” would repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and remove all federal “Criminal Safezones.”

I’m personally asking you to call Congressman Paul’s office today and thank him for introducing H.R. 2613.

Here’s the number: 202-225-2831

And once you are finished making that call, please call your Congressman at 202-224-3121 and make it known that you support H.R. 2613.

Send a message to Congress that “Criminal Safezones” are nothing more than federally-protected target practice locations for those willing to do harm to innocents.

I know you don’t need courage to pick up the phone and tell Congress what you believe about our gun rights.

Most so-called “pro-gun” politicians need to “saddle up” and do what is right even in the face of left-wing assaults.

Make those calls today.

For Freedom,

About:
The National Association for Gun Rights is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, single-purpose citizens’ organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the Constitutionally protected right-to-keep-and-bear-arms through an aggressive program designed to mobilize public opposition to anti-gun legislation. The National Association for Gun Rights’ mailing address is P.O 7002, Fredericksburg, VA 22404. They can be contacted toll-free at 1-877-405-4570. Its web address is www.NationalGunRights.org

Editorial Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed above do not necessarily reflect those of the staff, AmmoLand Shooting Sports News, or other sponsors and partners. See the Editorial-Review Process for more details.

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- This summer Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) introduced S. 1249, the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act.

This bi-partisan legislation will give states greater flexibility in using their Pittman-Robertson funds to establish safe recreational shooting areas.

More specifically, the legislation will help facilitate the construction and expansion of public target ranges, including ranges on federal land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

A companion bill, H.R. 3065, was introduced in the House last week and may soon be heard in the Environment and Public Works Committee. NSSF supports this legislation and encourages all sportsmen to contact their legislators and urge them to back this pro-shooting measure.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- As we reported last week, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security recently held a hearing on H.R. 822, the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011.”

This critically important bill, introduced earlier this year by Congressmen Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) and cosponsored by more than 240 of their colleagues, would enable millions of permit holders to exercise their right to self-defense while traveling outside their home states.

There is currently only one remaining state (Illinois) that has no clear legal way for individuals to carry concealed firearms for self-defense. Forty states have permit systems that make it possible for any law-abiding person to obtain a permit, while most of the others have discretionary permit systems. (Vermont has never required a permit.)

H.R. 822 would mark a major step forward for gun owners’ rights by significantly expanding where those permits are recognized. Dozens of states have passed Right-to-Carry laws over the past 25 years because the right to self-defense does not end when one leaves home. However, interstate recognition of those permits is not uniform and creates great confusion and potential problems for travelers. While many states have broad reciprocity, others have very restrictive reciprocity laws. Still others deny recognition completely.

H.R. 822 would solve this problem by requiring that lawfully issued carry permits be recognized, while protecting the ability of the various states to determine the areas where carrying is prohibited within their boundaries.

Unfortunately, but predictably, H.R. 822 continues to be attacked in some quarters, namely the anti-gun media, like the New York Times and the Washington Post; anti-gun organizations, like the Brady Campaign, and New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns; and, regrettably, even some so-called pro-gun organizations.

Opponents of the legislation claim that it tramples on each “states‘ rights.” But states don’t have rights, only powers. And while many anti-gun lawmakers who’ve long pushed national gun bans, national bans on private gun sales, national waiting periods and other federal restrictions have suddenly become born-again advocates of “states’ rights” to oppose this bill, several provisions of the Constitution give Congress the authority to enact interstate carry. Congress also has the power to protect the rights of citizens, nationwide, under the 14th Amendment (please see related article from last week’s Grassroots Alert).

Next, despite what a handful of “pro-gun” activists say, the bill would not create a federal licensing system, nor would it establish a minimum federal standard for the carry permit. Rather, it would require the states to recognize each others’ carry permits, just as they recognize driver’s licenses and carry permits held by armored car guards. Unfortunately, these self-proclaimed “gun rights” supporters, who have no active lobbying presence in any legislature, have an agenda that has very little to do with promoting the interests of gun owners.

Here are the FACTS about a few of their claims:

Myth: H.R. 822 would involve the federal bureaucracy in setting standards for carry permits, resulting in “need” requirements, higher fees, waiting periods, national gun owner registration, or worse.

FACT: H.R. 822 doesn’t require —or even authorize— any such action by any federal agency. In fact, since it would amend the Gun Control Act, it would fall under a limitation within that law that authorizes “only such rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out” the GCA’s provisions. No federal rules or regulations would be needed to implement H.R. 822, which simply overrides certain state laws.

Myth: H.R. 822 would destroy permitless carry systems such as those in Arizona, Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming.

FACT: H.R. 822 would have absolutely no effect on how the permitless carry states’ laws work within those states. For residents of Arizona, Alaska and Wyoming, where permits are not required but remain available under state law, H.R. 822 would make those permits valid in all states that issue permits to their own residents. Residents of Vermont, where no permits are issued or required, could obtain nonresident permits from other states to enjoy the benefits of H.R. 822.

Myth: If H.R. 822 moved through the legislative process, it would be subject to anti-gun amendments.

TRUTH: By this logic, neither NRA, nor any other pro-gun group, should ever promote any pro-gun reform legislation. But inaction isn’t an option for those of us who want to make positive changes for gun owners. Instead, we know that by careful vote counting and strategic use of legislative procedure, anti-gun amendments can be avoided or defeated.

H.R. 822 is a good bill for gun owners. Don’t listen to false and misleading accusations. Read the bill yourself and read our fact sheet to get the facts. Then, please contact your member of Congress and urge him or her to support the earliest possible consideration of H.R. 822 this year.

You can find contact information for your U.S. Representative by using the “Write Your Representatives” tool at www.NRAILA.org. You may also contact your Representative by phone at (202) 225-3121.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

House Crime Subcommittee Holds Hearing on National Right-to-Carry Bill

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- On Tuesday, Sept. 13, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security held a hearing on H.R. 822, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011.

The bill, introduced earlier this year by Congressmen Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) and cosponsored by more than 240 of their colleagues, would enable millions of permit holders to exercise their right to self-defense while traveling outside their home states.

Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) opened the hearing by saying the legislation is needed because state laws on right to carry reciprocity are “confusing, vary widely and can subject otherwise law-abiding citizens to frivolous prosecution.” He also argued that permit holders’ fundamental Second Amendment rights were at stake, noting that “this legislation recognizes that the right to bear arms does not stop at the state line.”

Testifying in support of the bill were Prof. Joyce Lee Malcolm of the George Mason University School of Law and Prof. David Kopel of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Prof. Malcolm, an expert on the rise and fall of the right to keep and bear arms in Great Britain, noted that while America has seen crime fall as “shall issue” permit laws became the norm, Britain has systematically wiped out gun ownership for self-defense since 1920 – culminating in the 1997 handgun ban – with opposite results. As Prof. Malcolm noted in her written testimony, “English men and women have suffered from a doubling of gun crime in the last decade while in London alone gun crime doubled in 2010 over the previous year.”

Prof. Malcolm responded strongly when challenged by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) about crime and gun ownership, testifying that “more firearms has not increased violent crime. We’ve had more firearms over the last few years, millions more, and crime, violent crime has been going down.”

Prof. Kopel’s testimony focused on the constitutional aspects of the bill. While many anti-gun lawmakers who’ve long pushed national gun bans, national bans on private gun sales, national waiting periods and other federal restrictions have suddenly become born-again advocates of “states’ rights” to oppose this bill, Prof. Kopel pointed out that several provisions of the Constitution give Congress the authority to enact interstate carry.

First, Article IV protects the “Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States,” which the Supreme Court has interpreted to include a right to travel freely throughout the country. As the court said in the 1989 case of Saenz v. Roe, that includes the “right to be treated as a welcome visitor rather than an unfriendly alien when temporarily present in the second State.”

Next, section 5 of the 14th Amendment gives Congress the power to enforce the provisions of that amendment. Not only does the history of the amendment show that it was also intended to protect a right to travel, but the Supreme Court held last year in McDonald v. City of Chicago that the 14th Amendment also protects the right to keep and bear arms against state infringement. “Bear” clearly means “carry,” though several courts are currently considering how far that right goes.

Finally, Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce — which includes the power to remove state barriers to free interstate travel. (This was the basis for the civil rights laws of the 1960s that ended racial discrimination by places of public accommodation such as motels.) H.R. 822 also applies only to guns that have been shipped or transported in interstate commerce, which has been the basis for most federal gun control laws since the 1960s; here, however, the power would be used to advance gun owners’ rights rather than to restrict them.

Opposing the bill was Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, who previously was the police chief in Washington, D.C. While Ramsey admitted that permit holders aren’t the problem, he also made clear that he strongly opposes the right to carry firearms, even for retired police officers.

Ramsey repeatedly claimed the bill didn’t include enough restrictions on permit holders — but when pressed, admitted that there was no level of regulation that would make the bill acceptable to him.

“Personally, I don’t like it . . .” was his response when asked if he supported right to carry laws.

Commissioner Ramsey’s responses demonstrated that his opposition to the bill was based on a basic opposition to civilian firearms — unsurprising for a man who spent the majority of his law enforcement career in Chicago and Washington D.C., where guns were banned. Ramsey repeated many of the exaggerated claims made by opponents of right to carry for the past quarter century, even as he admitted that permit holders are “not the problem.” He made clear that he fundamentally doubts law-abiding Americans’ ability to defend themselves in a legal and appropriate manner.

One congressional questioner seemed to have no understanding of the provisions of the bill, or the issues being discussed. To open his questioning, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) stated “this is the most insane bill” he had ever seen. But in a demonstration of his fundamental lack of understanding of the bill, Rep. Conyers asked the three witnesses “How many know that almost 300 African-American youth between the age of 15 and 24 are injured or killed by gunfire each week?”

When Prof. Malcolm attempted to explain that the statistic, regardless of its accuracy, had no bearing on the issue of right to carry reciprocity, Rep. Conyers cut her off, demanding a “yes” or “no.” When allowed to continue, Prof. Malcolm explained that the majority of the people involved in violence have criminal records or are part of gangs, a fact Rep. Conyers similarly brushed aside.

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) has long championed this important legislation and is joined by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) as the primary sponsors of H.R. 822. This hearing was an important step forward for this legislation that now has more than enough support for passage. Please contact your member of Congress and urge him or her to support the earliest possible consideration of H.R. 822 this year.

H.R. 822: Responding to the Naysayers
Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, H.R. 822 is now being attacked by a few self-proclaimed “gun rights” supporters with no active lobbying presence in any legislature, whose real agendas have little to do with promoting the interests of gun owners.

Here are the facts about a few of their claims:

Myth: H.R. 822 would involve the federal bureaucracy in setting standards for carry permits, resulting in “need” requirements, higher fees, waiting periods, national gun owner registration, or worse.

Fact: H.R. 822 doesn’t require — or even authorize — any such action by any federal agency. In fact, since it would amend the Gun Control Act, it would fall under a limitation within that law that authorizes “only such rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out” the GCA’s provisions. No federal rules or regulations would be needed to implement H.R. 822, which simply overrides certain state laws.

Myth: H.R. 822 would destroy permitless carry systems such as those in Arizona, Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming.

Fact: H.R. 822 would have absolutely no effect on how the permitless carry states’ laws work within those states. For residents of Arizona, Alaska and Wyoming, where permits are not required but remain available under state law, H.R. 822 would make those permits valid in all states that issue permits to their own residents. Residents of Vermont, where no permits are issued or required, could obtain nonresident permits from other states to enjoy the benefits of H.R. 822.

Myth: If H.R. 822 moved through the legislative process, it would be subject to anti-gun amendments.

Truth: By this logic, neither the NRA nor any other pro-gun group should ever promote any pro-gun reform legislation. But inaction isn’t an option for those of us who want to make positive changes for gun owners. Instead, we know that by careful vote counting and use of legislative procedure, anti-gun amendments can be avoided or defeated.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Gun Owners of America

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Columbine. Virginia Tech. Fort Hood.

What do all of these shootings have in common?

The answer is they all occurred in government facilities where the private possession of firearms was prohibited.

In Washington, unconstitutional legislation is commonplace. But sometimes unconstitutional laws can have deadly consequences. The so-called “gun free school zones act,” written by radical anti-gun Senator Heb Kohl, is one such law.

Slammed through in 1996 as an amendment to a giant last-minute must-pass appropriations bill, the legislation disarmed school staff and other adults – leaving elementary and secondary school children defenseless to serial killers.

It also made it virtually impossible to drive your car down the street with your gun inside without violating the law by creating a 1000-foot so-called “gun-free zone” around every public and private school in the country.

“Gun free,” that is, except for the criminals.

No one – including politicians, the police, or the individual citizen – can predict where the next deranged serial killer will attack. And yet politicians continue to create “criminal safe zones” such as schools, churches, parks, restaurants that serve alcohol, etc., where the law-abiding are disarmed.

The net impact of turning schools, in particular, into defenseless targets for serial killers has been dramatic.

When many people over the age of 40 were growing up, ROTC students would march up-and-down high school campuses with their semi-automatic M1’s – and no one would think anything of it. Shooting clubs on school grounds were also not uncommon.

But within a couple a years of the enactment of the Kohl amendment, two disaffected teenagers walked into Columbine High School secure in the knowledge that they would be the only ones in the school who were armed.

And, of course, Columbine triggered a slew of copycat episodes – laying a mounting string of innocent casualties at the feet of Herb Kohl and his misbegotten legislation.

It’s time to say NO to criminal safe zones. And a great place to start is the blatantly unconstitutional gun free school zones act.

Thankfully, Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) agrees and has introduced legislation to do just that.

Rep. Paul recently introduced the “Citizens Protection Act of 2011” (H.R. 2613), which will repeal the Kohl amendment and thus remove the federally created criminal safety zones.

Rep. Paul is one of the few members of Congress who respects the Constitution and who actually introduces legislation to restore federalism. And, unlike some legislators, Paul has a history of forcing the House to vote on his pro-gun proposals, thus putting other congressmen on record.

GOA is proud to stand with Rep. Paul in the effort to repeal the unconstitutional gun free zones law. For anyone who cares about liberty, now is the time to work on getting the 218 votes we need to pass this important piece of legislation.

ACTION: Contact you congressman. Urge him or her to cosponsor Ron Paul’s Citizens Protection Act of 2011, H.R. 2613.

About:
Gun Owners of America (GOA) is a non-profit lobbying organization formed in 1975 to preserve and defend the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. GOA sees firearms ownership as a freedom issue. `The only no comprise gun lobby in Washington’ – Ron Paul

Gun Free Killing Zones

AmmoLand Gun News

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Representative Ron Paul from Texas introduced HR 2613 on July 21, 2011.

If passed, it would completely repeal the Federal Gun Free School Zones Act. As you know, the Fed GFSZA effectively prohibits all forms of unlicensed carry, and does not recognize concealed carry reciprocity agreements between states.

It is currently a federal felony for any person to travel armed on public sidewalks, roads, or highways which pass within 1000 feet of any K-12 school’s property line, unless they have a CCW physically issued by the state that school is in.

The vast number of schools in developed areas effectively turns them into giant gun free zones.

This bill would fix the problem! PLEASE contact your representatives and urge them to support HR 2613.

H.R. 2613: To repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and amendments to that Act (GovTrack.us) (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-2613)

Grass Roots North Carolina for Firearms Education

North Carolina --(Ammoland.com)- “The idea of a concealed-carry in an Applebee’s bothered people…” - Republican Speaker Thom Tillis, after restaurant carry language was removed from gun legislation which passed.

[Analysis] With HB 650 signed by the Governor and scheduled to become law on December 1, congratulations are due to all who responded to GRNC alerts by calling and e-mailing the NC General Assembly.

Thanks are also due volunteers of the Legislative Action Team for many hours spent at the legislature, our Director and Co-Director of Communications for dozens of alerts, often sent with little notice, to our Webmaster for alerts promptly posted, to gun show volunteers for alerts distributed to thousands of gun owners and to all others who helped win this crucial victory. Once again, you have demonstrated the value of an all-volunteer organization in defending our rights.

CHAMPS
As usual, politicians’ records are more checkered. Heroes of the General Assembly include Rep. Mark Hilton (R-Catawba, GRNC ****), who acted as primary sponsor for nearly all gun bills in the House; Sen. Buck Newton (R-Nash, Wilson, ****), who spent long hours restructuring bills to make them acceptable to leadership, and who delivered on committee hearings promised, House Rules Chairman Tim Moore (R-Cleveland, ****), for courage in giving hearings to bills not always favorably regarded by leadership, Sens. Debbie Clary (R-Cleveland, Rutherford, ****) and Andrew Brock (R-Davie, Rowan, ****), for working to support numerous pro-gun bills, Rep. George Cleveland (R-Onslow, ****) for his stalwart support in committee and during floor debates, Rep. Glen Bradley (R-Franklin, Halifax, Nash, ****) for introducing the “Firearms Freedom Act” and for supporting gun bills on the floor, and Rep. Kelly Hastings(R-Cleveland, Gaston, ****) for being the most tenacious Second Amendment supporter among incoming House freshman.

CHUMPS
House Majority Leader Paul (“Skip”) Stam (R-Wake, GRNC eval. under review) worked to weaken both Castle Doctrine and HB 650, and then paradoxically voted for final passage of both. From his proposed committee substitute for Castle Doctrine to apparently orchestrating the McGrady amendment, which removed language for guns in locked vehicles at places of employment from HB 650 (during which debate Stam employed the bizarre argument that he owns everything which crosses his property), to objecting in caucus to bringing gun bills to committee votes, Stam worked to undermine gun bills in the GOP caucus.

Beyond the usual anti-gun Democrats, others who worked to subvert your rights included Rep. Deborah Ross (D-Wake, 0-star), who tried to insert a “poison pill” into HB 111 for parks and restaurant carry, Rep. David Guice(R-Henderson, Polk, Transylvania, GRNC eval. under review) who weakened parks carry by exempting certain recreational facilities, and Rep. Chuck McGrady

(R-Henderson, GRNC eval. under review), who offered the amendment to remove guns in locked vehicles from HB 650. Perhaps most pathetic was Sen. Ellie Kinnaird

(D-Orange, Person, 0-star), who after initially being ruled out of order during the floor debate over HB 650, eventually managed to insert her usual anti-gun screed (albeit pointlessly) into the record, neatly lumping gun owners in with terrorists. Poor, old Ellie. She seems increasingly out of touch.

NC Senator Berger quickly forgot the pro gun voters who put him in office.

Disappointing
Frankly, we expected more from Republican leadership, specifically Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg, ****) and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger(R-Guilford, Rockingham, ****). But it quickly became apparent that support for gun rights voters who helped “bring ‘em to the dance” would be forthcoming only insofar as it could be done without sticking their necks out.

What resulted was a “thrust and parry” fencing match as we pressured chamber leaders to move gun legislation and they responded by adding and then removing bills from committee calendars, playing a “shell game” of inserting gun language into this or that bill, insisting on veto-proof majorities rather than simple majorities before bringing bills to the floor, and worst of all, removing items deemed “too controversial” from the legislation which passed.

What we got…and what we will
The result was, at best, half a loaf. We got the long-awaited Castle Doctrine, and somewhat weakened version of the parks carry GRNC has sought since 1997, and some other enhancements. Meanwhile, Tillis and Berger nixed guns in locked vehicles at places of employment, guns in locked compartments on educational property, and concealed carry in restaurants. The stated reason for the latter was poor polling on the topic.

Said Speaker Tillis to the Charlotte Observer: ““The idea of a concealed-carry in an Applebee’s bothered people…”

The good news is that HB 111 - which contains restaurant carry - passed the House and remains alive for consideration when the legislature convenes next year. GRNC will be working hard on a campaign to pass it. As an opening shot, we suggest gun rights supporters contact Senator Berger and Speaker Tillis and tell them that what “bothers” them are Republican leaders who more or less immediately forgot who put them there.

About:
Grass Roots North Carolina/Forum for Firearms Education is a non-profit, all volunteer organization devoted to educating the public about trends which abridge the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and engaging in grass roots activism to preserve those freedoms. Formed in 1994 to conduct a highly successful rally for the Second Amendment, GRNC has gone on to conduct projects like “Remember in November: A Gun Owner’s Guide to Voting,” bringing concealed carry to North Carolina. Visit:www.grnc.org

Texas State Rifle Association

Houston, Tx --(Ammoland.com)- Today, June 29th, at 12:30, the Texas House joined the Senate and gaveled to a close marking the end of Special Session.

This is when Rep. Fred Brown announced his retirement effective immediately. Rep. Brown’s Texas House District 14 includes part of Brazos County.

He’s been a pro-gun vote since his first legislative session in 1999. TSRA members in the College Station area expect a special election to be called soon. You will need to elect someone to complete Rep. Brown’s term in office. Seth McKinney, son of A&M’s Chancellor Mike McKinney, has announced he’ll run.

The major issues assigned to the Special Session by Governor Perry were completed, notably the budget bills. There were no gun-related issues on the “call” although Senator Wentworth would like to add CHL on Campus to the education bill. Likely any attempt at that would have been nullified in the House by a point of order due to rule differences between the House and Senate. The much discussed in the media TSA “groping” bill was left behind.

By the way, I’m told gun bills have never been included on a Governor’s call for a special session.

All members of the Texas House and the Texas Senate will stand for reelection in 2012. This is due to redistricting. It will be a busy election year to say the least.

Stay tuned to TSRA for more information.

TSRA Gun Show in Mesquite ~July 30-31
Also, if you’re in the DFW area, mark your calendar for July 30-31 at the Mesquite Convention Center. Get out of the Texas heat and add to your collection for the fall hunting seasons. For information about having a table or attending contact Crystal Walker at cwalker@tsra.com or call the office at 512-615-4200.

Join, Renew, or Upgrade TSRA membership at www.tsra.com or call the office at 512-615-4200. TSRA needs you to be able to support gun owners in Texas.

TSRA is the NRA state affiliate but our members and our money come from Texas!

Keep the Faith,

About:
The Mission of the Texas State Rifle Association is to protect and defend the inalienable rights of the individual Texan to acquire, possess, transport, carry, transfer ownership and enjoy the right to lawful use of firearms for self preservation, for the defense of family and property and the common defense of the Republic and the individual liberties of the people. Visit: www.TSRA.com

Firearms Microstamping Defeated In New York Again

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- Microstamping legislation A. 1157, which earlier this year passed the General Assembly, failed to be voted on in the New York State Senate.

This marks the fourth straight year that microstamping has been defeated in the Empire State.

Fortunately, legislators have listened to the independent studies of this flawed, easily-defeated concept and instead want to save the close to 9,000 jobs attributed to the firearms industry in the state.

NSSF thanks everyone who urged their legislators to oppose microstamping.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.