SAF & ANJRPC Will Appeal New Jersey Right-To-Carry Ruling

Second Amendment Foundation

BELLEVUE, WA --(Ammoland.com)- The Second Amendment Foundation and Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs will appeal a federal judge’s ruling Friday that “the Second Amendment does not include a general right to carry handguns outside the home.”

Federal Judge William H. Walls, a Clinton appointee, dismissed a case filed by both organizations challenging New Jersey’s handgun carry laws, which have all but eliminated the right to self-defense with a firearm outside the home.

“The Second Amendment Foundation and ANJRPC are prepared to take this case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where SAF has already won a landmark case defending the rights of gun owners,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb.

In upholding the New Jersey law, which effectively denies the right to carry a firearm for self-defense outside the home, Judge Walls wrote “the protection of citizens from potentially lethal force is compelling.”

“The judge has it backwards,” said ANJRPC President Scott Bach. “If he really cared about protecting citizens from lethal force, he wouldn’t be interfering with their constitutional right to defend themselves against violent criminals. Ironically, the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the police owe no duty to protect individual citizens, so you’re on your own when you step outside your home. This decision wrongly demonizes those who want to take responsibility for their own safety and turns all but a privileged few into helpless victims.”

Particularly disturbing to Gottlieb was Judge Walls’ comment, “The Supreme Court has found limitations on the scope of a constitutional right outside the home in the First Amendment context, recognizing a right to privately possess obscene materials in the home but allowing the states broad power to regulate obscenity outside the home.”

“He appears to suggest the right to keep and bear arms is an obscenity,” Gottlieb said. “I wonder how that view might square with Thomas Jefferson or James Madison.”

Judge Walls’ decision sets the stage for appeals which could bring this case to the U.S. Supreme Court as early as next year. The case was filed in late 2010 by ANJRPC, SAF and six individual plaintiffs, challenging New Jersey’s “justifiable need” standard for issuance of handgun carry permits, which is nearly an impossible standard to meet.

Plaintiffs believe that requiring a showing of “need” to exercise a fundamental right is unconstitutional.

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. In addition to the landmark McDonald v. Chicago Supreme Court Case, SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; New Orleans; Chicago and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers and numerous amicus briefs holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.

Texas State Rifle Association

Houston, Tx --(Ammoland.com)- Contrary to email alerts from the usual group of nay-sayers, HR 822 dealing with National Reciprocity for those with a state-issued concealed handgun license is a very good bill.

John Snyder with www.gunrightspolicies.org calls HR 822 an “idea whose time has come”. He offers the state-issued drivers license as an example of how the bill works. States will continue to have full control over their laws and the issuance of their license. Only travel between states will be improved.

HR 822 would not create a federal licensing system and would not interject the federal government into the states’ laws regarding where a licensee could or could not carry.

HR 822 will increase licensees’ mobility and serves to by-pass the legalese and minor tweaks that currently prevent further reciprocal agreements between states.

There is no camel, no tent, and definitely no Trojan horse!

HR 822-NRA Bill supported by TSRA

Opposition to HR 822 comes from the usual ideological groups; none armed with facts, all with “feelings”. The gun rights movement continues to be on the rise as the desire for personal safety options increases.

Other opposition comes from small but noisy groups far from the congressional arena.

Texas currently has over a half-million concealed handgun licensees and the figure continues to grow. We are a mobile population wanting safety as we travel in Texas and in other states.

HR 822 Expected to Pass
NRA-supported HR 822 should hit the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for a floor-vote this week and is expected to pass. It could make the U.S. Senate early in 2012.

Go to www.tsra.com for information and plan to attend the Annual Members Meeting in Mesquite Feb. 24, 25, 26 in Mesquite.

Saturday, Feb. 25th, Keynote Speaker’s Luncheon features Texas Lt. Governor David Dewhurst. Dewhurst has brought a decade of successes to Texas gun owners.

Join, renew, or upgrade your membership at www.tsra.com or call 512-615-4200 during business hours. We’re only as strong as our membership. In addition, give to the Political Action Committee fund to support and elect pro-gun candidates in coming elections.

And remember, 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

NRA - ILA

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- NRA has filed friend of the court briefs in two separate cases involving the right to carry firearms outside the home for self-defense.

In Shepard v. Madigan, currently pending in the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, the lead plaintiff is church treasurer Mary Shepard, who, along with an elderly co-worker, was severely beaten at her workplace by an attacker with a criminal record. Mrs. Shepard has carry permits issued by two other states, but was left unarmed and defenseless by Illinois’ law. Her challenge – in which the Illinois State Rifle Association, NRA’s state affiliate, also joins as a plaintiff – contends that Illinois’ carry ban cannot stand in light of the Heller and McDonald decisions.

In Richards v. Prieto, currently pending in the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in California, plaintiffs brought suit against Yolo County, Calif. Sheriff Ed Prieto for his refusal to issue carry permits to law-abiding applicants. The case was first heard in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, where the court ruled for the sheriff.

In both cases, the NRA, as the leading organization in the nation advocating for gun owners’ rights and specifically in advocating for the passage of right-to-carry laws in the states, has lent its expertise on the issue by filing briefs in strong support of the right to carry.

The briefs stress that the right to carry is an important part of the fundamental right of self-defense. Additionally, the briefs counter the arguments that permit holders are a public safety threat. Specifically, the brief responds to Brady Campaign claims that passage of right-to-carry laws lead to increases in crime. In fact, the briefs show not only that crime does not increase in right-to-carry states, but that right-to-carry laws contribute to a reduction in crime.

Armed American Radio

Atlanta, GA-(Ammoland.com)- Nationally syndicated Armed American Radio continues its unprecedented growth across the nation’s airwaves this week with the addition of WWWI-3Wi AM 1270 in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Syndicated host Mark Walters said, “The addition of WWWI in Brainerd brings Armed American Radio to 10 affiliates in Minnesota! We have a large fan base throughout the state and WWWI allows AAR’s Minnesota fans even more access to the fastest growing pro-gun/pro-carry radio broadcast in America”.

Adding affiliate stations at an unprecedented pace since its syndication less than two years ago, AAR now airs in dozens of markets across America from Florida to Alaska every Sunday evening from 8-11pm ET, 5-8 pm PT and is the fastest growing nationally syndicated, pro-gun radio broadcast in America. Focusing on the right to carry a firearm, Mark Walters and the Armed American Radio Network bring listeners the news, information and truth about the right to carry that the mainstream media simply ignore!

For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Mark Walters Host Armed American Radio Network www.armedamericanradio.com mark@armedamericanradio.org (386)-AAR-MARK Armed American Radio is syndicated on the Salem Radio Network. For media kit information, please visit http://www.srnonline.com/talk/talk-walters.shtml

Right To Carry Litigation – Get Involved

AR15.com

Honeoye Falls, NY -(Ammoland.com)- Gun owners have had much to celebrate over the last several years.

The Heller and McDonald decisions confirmed what gun owners had long known to be true regarding the Second Amendment; the number of “shall issue” Right-to-Carry states has grown to 37; the number of permit-less carry states now stands at four (with Wisconsin pending) and federal Right-to-Carry reciprocity legislation has gained momentum.

With all of this success it’s sometimes easy to forget that there are still portions of this country where politicians continue to deny their citizens the means of self-defense outside the home, whether through discriminatory licensing procedures or outright carry bans. When lawmakers in these jurisdictions refuse to respect the natural right to self-defense through the legislative process, the NRA is taking the offenders to court.

Such is the case in Illinois, where politicians surrounding the gun control hotbed of Chicago have denied the rights of all the state’s citizens, making Illinois the only remaining state that bans all manner of concealed carry. In response, the NRA and the Illinois State Rifle Association have filed suit against Illinois in the case of Shepard v. Madigan.

The plaintiff, Mary Shepard, is a church treasurer living and working in Illinois. Despite complying with Illinois’ onerous firearm owner’s identification card requirement, obtaining Right-to-Carry permits from Florida and Pennsylvania, and acquiring five firearms training certifications, Illinois law offers her no way to legally carry a handgun for her own protection.

The experiences of 40 Right-to-Carry states have proven Illinois’ policy misguided, but Shepard’s personal experience is downright outrageous. On September 28, 2009, while attending to her duties at the church along with an 83-year-old co-worker, a defenseless Shepard was viciously beaten within an inch of her life by a six-foot-three-inch 245-pound convicted criminal. The NRA/ISRA brief lists her injuries as including “skull fractures, fractures to both cheeks, brain swelling, shattered teeth, a concussion, a loss of hearing, injuries to the vertebrae in her neck requiring surgical implants, torn rotator cuffs in her shoulders, [and] an injured clavicle.” Shepard’s co-worker suffered a similar fate.

Illinois denied Shepard her right to self-defense, but in doing so created a compelling figure whose experience will hopefully serve to convince the courts that Illinois’ ban on self-defense outside the home is unjust and unlawful.

Nearly as insidious as Illinois’ ban on concealed carry is the way in which some jurisdictions pick and choose which law-abiding citizens are worthy of exercising the right to self-defense. Over the years California localities have made this type of discrimination an art form, with the San Diego Sheriff’s Office attracting the attention of the NRA and California Rifle and Pistol Association Foundation in the case of Peruta v. County of San Diego. The case is currently making its way through the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals after the U.S. District Court ruled in favor of San Diego County’s restrictive policy.

Under California law a locality can issue a permit if the applicant shows “good cause.” The NRA and CRPAF have argued that in light of the Heller decision, self-defense is a “good cause.” The County of San Diego’s interpretation of “good cause” to require a “special need” or “specific threat” flies in the face of Heller and only serves as a means to discourage the lawful carry of firearms in San Diego County.

The U.S. District Court opinion stated that the County of San Diego’s requirement that an applicant detail a “specific threat” or “special need” in order to obtain a permit is not an unlawful restriction on the right to bear arms. Why? With reasoning that would surely puzzle any proponent of “condition one” carry, the court held that concealed carry can be restricted because California allows for the open carry of unloaded handguns, and the “armed” citizen can supposedly draw and load his pistol while under attack! While a bill restricting even this level of carry (currently making its way through the California Assembly) should be fought as a restriction on the right to bear arms, “empty carry” is obviously far from ideal. The Ninth Circuit should reject this bad alternative, overturn the lower court ruling and recognize self-defense as a “good cause.”

It should amaze any reasonable person that despite the experiences of the vast majority of the country that operates under a “shall issue” or permit less carry system. With a 47-year-low in the murder rate, 37-year low in violent crime and the outstanding scholarship of John Lott, there are still those who insist on restricting the right of law abiding citizens to carry firearms for protection. While these forces have been entrenched for decades, the rapid growth of the Right-to-Carry movement proves that their days are numbered. The NRA and its local affiliates will be ready to act wherever democracy has failed… by using the judiciary just as the framers of the constitution intended, to protect the rights of the individual against the state.

As a Life Member of the Illinois State Rifle Association and the California Rifle and Pistol Association, I am very proud of the efforts of these hardworking organizations. I wholeheartedly encourage all [AmmoLand readers] to join their various NRA state affiliates. They are the NRA in your state and to a one, do a fantastic job.

I would also like to thank all of you that have contributed to these causes through your advocacy by calling, writing, emailing and visiting your respective elected officials and respectfully making your views on these issues known. Together we are making a difference.

About:
AR15.Com originated in 1996 as a mailing list for firearm enthusiasts. As the years passed and interest grew, a website came into existence to present those same enthusiasts with a means to collect, share, and explore information. Shortly afterwards, a bulletin board was added to create a more interactive experience for the growing list of users. The site was still in it’s infancy, but was growing in popularity. Visit: www.ar15.com

Wisconsin Carry

Wisconsin --(Ammoland.com)- If you pass along one piece of information to your freedom-minded friends who support the right to carry, let this be the one.

In this video, NRA lobbyist Darren La Sorte discusses the current situation with regard to constitutional carry/concealed carry legislation in Wisconsin.

Its especially important to watch at the 8:10 mark when Darren talks about the damage that was done by supposedly “conservative” Milwaukee radio talk show hosts to right to carry.

Quote:
“They (conservative talk show hosts in Milwaukee) are doing exactly what the radical liberals are doing. Acting on a total lack of education, total emotion.”…

“They should be ashamed of themselves.” … “Those Two (I presume Charlie Sykes and Jeff Wagner) hosts out in the Milwaukee area, conservative people, probably did more harm to constitutional carry and the fight there than any other people out there, the anti-gunners or anyone else” – Darren La Sorte NRA lobbyist

Send this video to Charlie Sykes and Jeff Wagner. Let them know that the NRA’s 100,000+ members in Wisconsin ALONG with Wisconsin Carry, The United States Concealed Carry Association, Wisconsin Gun Owners, the Tea Party Coalition, Campaign for Liberty, and many other groups in Wisconsin are incredibly disappointed in their “embarrassing” position on right to carry.

• wagner@620wtmj.com
• sykes@620wtmj.com

The concealed carry legislation is not yet schedule for a vote. Please encourage Mr. Wagner and Mr. Sykes to reconsider their positions on this issue and stop damaging legislative efforts to bring a law that has been proven successful in other states to Wisconsin.

Share this video on your facebook pages. Let your freedom minded friends know what “conservative” talk show hosts in Milwaukee are doing to their right to carry.

Carry on,

About:
Wisconsin Carry, Inc. is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation and reclamation of the rights of law-abiding Wisconsin residents to carry in the manner of their choosing. We believe that “open carry” and “concealed carry” are choices to be made by law-abiding citizens based on their situation and preference. Wisconsin Carry, like many gun-rights organizations in Wisconsin, is investing a great deal of resources to get Wisconsin law changed to allow concealed carry this next legislative session by proposing Constitutional Carry. Wisconsin Carry, Inc. will continue to use legal recourse to deter unlawful treatment of law-abiding Wisconsin residents who currently exercise their right to open carry, and soon will exercise their right to concealed carry in Wisconsin. Visit: www.wisconsincarry.org

Illinois State Rifle Association

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- There has been a great deal of conjecture out there about what we are going to do after placing HB148 on postponed consideration. First let me explain what postponed consideration means.

It simply means the sponsor withdrew the bill before the vote could be recorded. The bill is still alive and will be until the second Wednesday in January 2013. This means we can bring the bill back during veto session, next session, or next veto session.

You will not see HB148 brought up again before May 31st ,which is the end of the Spring 2011 session. There is no way to do it and have any better results.

Long before the vote it was decided that if the bill did not pass we would sue the State of Illinois over the inability of Illinois citizens to defend themselves outside of their home. Illinois is the only state that does not allow either open carry or concealed carry.

We have now begun the legal challenges to the Illinois laws with the NRA. The is another challenge from the Second Amendment Foundation on a similar basis. Illinois is now facing two law suits over the inability of Illinois citizens being able to defend themselves outside their homes. Brandon Phelps the CCW sponsor warned the House of Representatives that they would be in court if the bill was not passed. Within seven days we delivered on that promise. If we get CCW by court order I am happy with that. If it comes by court order the legislature will have to still enact some legislation but they will find their hands are tied. We offered a good bill and they turned it down.

These lawsuits will take time to make their way through the court system. There is a great deal of work that goes into these suits every day before they are heard in court. It is not a simple thing to file a law suit. There is always on going work behind the scenes. Be patient.

We promised that in 2011 we would get a up and down vote on CCW and we did. We had to probe and find out the other side’s strengths, weakness, and reactions. We have done that. There were a few surprises but not many. We have a lot of work to do in the next few months. This effort has taken a toll on our resources and our energy. We have to develop new strategies and reinforce old ones that work. We are not quitting. Remember we fiercely believe in the Second Amendment and the right to self defense. We will win this battle.

As I reminded one of our opponents – “You don’t defeat us- we just fall back reload and attack again.”

Note by Don Moran, ISRA President: This summer will see a lot of activity in relation to HB-148 and all the pending litigation ISRA is involved in, Ezel v Chicago (Chicago range suit), Wilson v Cook County (Cook County Assault Weapon Ban), ISRA v ISP (FOID Privacy), and ISRA v Madigan (Carry suit). It is very important that we are able to contact as many of you and your friends as possible quickly when action is needed. I know you get tired of hearing it, but funding all this requires constant vigilance as well. We’ve put on even more lobbyists this year and we are now involved in an incredible amount of litigation on behalf of Illinois firearm owners. When people ask you, who is the ISRA, or what has ISRA done for me lately, let them know all of the above, and then ask them what have they are doing for the fight RIGHT NOW? We need their help as well.

UPDATE: Wilson v Cook County, the ISRA’s suit seeking to overturn the Cook County Assault Weapon ban, was granted leave to appeal by the Illinois Supreme Court yesterday, meaning the Court will hear the case.

Generous donations to help in the legislative and legal battles are needed now to help put us in position to win these fights.

About:
The ISRA is the state’s leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners Visit: www.isra.org

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Just one week after the IL House failed to pass legislation to restore the right to keep and bear arms to law-abiding citizens, two of the nation’s largest gun-rights groups hit the IL Attorney General’s office with both barrels!

The NRA is backing a lawsuit on behalf of lead plaintiff Mary Shepard, a church treasurer who was attacked by a 6ft. 245 lb. violent parolee. Mary Shepard is trained and licensed to carry a concealed firearm for personal protection in over 30 states – but not in Illinois, the only state left to completely ban her right to carry. The Illinois State Rifle Association joins Ms. Shepard as a plaintiff. The lawsuit names IL Attorney General Lisa Madigan as one of the key defendants. The NRA is represented by attorneys William Howard and Jeffery Cross of Freeborn & Peters LLP. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District, Benton Division. To read the text of the lawsuit click here.

The Second Amendment Foundation filed suit on behalf of Michael Moore, a retired correctional officer of Champaign and Charles Hooks of Percy. Named as defendants are Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and State Police Superintendent Patrick Keen. SAF is represented by attorneys David Jensen and David Sigale. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, Springfield Division. To read the text of the lawsuit click here.

IllinoisCarry knows in the battle to regain our rights we must fight not just on the legislative and electoral fronts but also on the judicial front.

We thank the NRA, ISRA, and SAF for their efforts on behalf of the law-abiding citizens of Illinois!!!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois State Rifle Association

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- I know you are all down in the dumps about today’s vote but you should not be. I’m not saying you should be happy either. Be pragmatic. That will be hard for everyone on our side of this issue, I realize.

We put 68 votes on the board our first time out. That is great. I know in the end we wound up with 65 and we needed 71. The Mayor and the Governor were threatening everyone they could and we only missed by a few votes. We had promises that weren’t kept, because the threats from the mayor carried more weight than we could deliver, today.

That’s life in Springfield. I know many of you and many of our members see things in black and white. If you ever come across anything in Springfield that is either pure white or completely black run away as fast as you can. It’s a trap. Ask some of our former Governors!

We know who voted one way or the other and why. We will take care of it. I’m not saying that some people shouldn’t be put in the spot light, but not all should because that will solidify their position against us. Some need to be finessed.

If there were a few legislators that need to be in the spotlight, Farnham, Crespo, and Monique Davis would be the three that I would pick.

So where are we? The bill was put on postponed consideration. That means it can be called anytime between now and the second Wednesday in 2013. Now that we have probed and found out the weak spots we can begin working on the bill again.

Firearm owners in Illinois are not the second class citizens Mayor Daley makes us out to be. He asked today for a publically funded protection detail, once he is retired! Once he is retired, he is a common citizen just like the rest of us. I can’t get the state of Illinois or my city to provide me with armed guards to watch out for me and neither should he.

Fox News Chicago reported this evening that NRA will file a law suit against the state of Illinois and there will be NO input from the Legislature once litigation commences. I am not sure what their sources are, but it was alluded to during the closing statement at the end of debate.

Representative Phelps put a lot of work into this bill. He invited all sides in to negotiate any issues they had with the bill. Conspicuously absent from those discussions was the city of Chicago. They were invited, but never even gave the courtesy of a response.

ISRA Members and our supporters are not quitters and we’re not done. Adversity makes us stronger! We WILL WIN THIS!

About:
The ISRA is the state’s leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners Visit: www.isra.org

Illinois State Rifle Association

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- For the first time in nearly two decades a Right to Carry bill made it to the floor of the IL House of Representatives for debate and a vote.

Unfortunately lawmakers from the Chicago area failed to recognize the constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. HB148 fell only three votes shy of the 71 needed. Just before the final tally was taken the sponsor of the bill called for postponed consideration and the bill was pulled from consideration.

This maneuver is common when a bill does not reach the required number of votes to pass. This will keep the bill active and the sponsors can try to gather the needed votes and bring the bill back for another vote later in the session.

It is more critical than ever that you contact your legislator and urge them to support HB148. Call them, write them, go to their offices and meet with them in person.

Firmly but politely let them know your fight for the right to protect yourself and your family is not over. Firmly but politely tell them you expect them to stand up for your constitutional right.

Need help finding your state legislator?

Go to Illinois State Board of Elections or call 217-782-2000

Please join us at IllinoisCarry.com for the ongoing discussions about the bill what happens as we move forward.

Right to Carry Bill HB148 Endorsed by Law Enforcement Groups
HB148 continues to gain support of law enforcement groups all across the state.

The following groups are now on record supporting your right to protect yourself and your loved ones:

• Illinois Sheriffs Association
• Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police
• Chicago Police Department Sergeants Association
• Chicago Police Department Lieutenants Association

About:
The ISRA is the state’s leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners Visit: www.isra.org

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- House Bill 148, the NRA-supported Right-to-Carry Bill introduced by state Representative Brandon Phelps (D-118), is facing an action deadline this Friday, May 6.

This important self-defense legislation has never had a better chance to pass in Illinois and the anti-gunners know it.

We need to make our voices heard now and let your state legislators know that the propaganda being spread by these extremists is nothing but misrepresented fallacies. Governor Pat Quinn has recently announced his opposition to HB 148 and would veto it should it reach his desk. With Governor Quinn’s opposition, the Illinois State Police will also now come out in opposition.

We cannot let these anti-gun forces determine our rights and need to make our voices heard. It is critical that you contact your state Representative TODAY and urge him or her to support your right to self-defense by voting for HB 148. A vote on this legislation could take place ANYTIME, so be sure to take action NOW, and urge others to do the same. To locate your state Representative and his or her contact information, please click here.

On April 20, the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV) and the Brady Campaign joined together with other anti-freedom advocates in Chicago to promote their agenda of opposing the right to personal protection. The focus of this attack on freedom was the claim that HB 148 should be defeated because the Illinois State Police (ISP) would not be able to accurately check for individuals who should be prohibited from acquiring permits due to mental health issues.

The Brady Bunch and its Illinois shills at the ICHV also stated that the entire Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card system had “dangerous gaps.” It is estimated, however, that passage of HB 148 could result in the ISP receiving anywhere from nearly $9 million to almost $40 million in revenue that could be used to update its computer and reporting systems. The ISP has already received a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice for upgrading its computers. If there truly are any “dangerous gaps,” this grant, and the potential money generated through HB 148, should be more than enough to seal those gaps air tight.

In addition to the attacks by these anti-gun extremists, many college and public university administrators are working to defeat HB 148. Our understanding is that Southern Illinois University is leading the effort to oppose HB 148 because the NRA will not agree to make it a felony offense if you carry a firearm onto college or university property.

Ultimately, the goal of the anti-gunners is to reject the idea that Illinois should finally recognize the right to self-defense. As one of only two states that prohibit law-abiding citizens from lawfully carrying a concealed firearm for personal protection, Illinois is on the verge of joining the other 48 states if it can pass HB 148 this year.

Again, please contact your state Representative and urge him or her to support House Bill 148. To locate your state Representative and his or her contact information, 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

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Supporters of Right to Carry legislation in Illinois welcome the new support of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

Leadership from the organization voted this past week to add their support to Right to Carry bill HB148. Current text in the bill is considered a place holder for new text which is expected to be amended into the bill in the next few weeks.

HB148 now has the support of the Chiefs association, the Illinois Sheriffs Association, and the Chicago Police Department’s Sheriff’s Union.

Please join us at IllinoisCarry.com for the ongoing discussions about the bill and the support it is gaining as it makes its way through the legislative process.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Mary Shepard was severely injured when a vicious felon out on parole attacked her and a co-worker in a church in the middle of the afternoon on Sept. 28, 2009.

Ms. Shepard, 71, and her co-worker, an 84 year old woman, were assaulted, beaten, and kicked by their attacker who was 6 ft. 3 and 245 lbs.. After beating the two women, he stomped them in the head, neck, and face then left them for dead in the church.

Mary maintains that awful crime did not have to happen because long before the attack she had successfully completed five different firearm training courses including Personal Protection Outside the Home. She had also qualified for and had been issued two separate licenses to carry a firearm which are honored in over 30 states. However, Mary was not carrying the day of the attack because in Illinois carrying a loaded firearm in public by a citizen is considered a felony.

Watch Mary’s video recorded testimony above.

Mary was not released by her physicians to travel to the Capitol to testify in committee in support of HB148, a right to carry bill sponsored by Rep. Brandon Phelps, so her testimony was presented by her friend Valinda Rowe, spokesperson for IllinoisCarry.com.

The committee voted 12-2 to pass the bill out of committee. Reps. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, and Kelly Burke, D-Evergreen Park, were the two dissenting votes. The bill now proceeds to second and third reading, at which time a vote can be called.

Help get Mary’s message to all 118 representatives and 59 state senators by forwarding the link to her testimony to your legislators!

Then call to ask if they have viewed her message – keep calling until they confirm they have!

Demand they support your right to self defense

by supporting HB148 with their yes vote!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- Last week, H.R. 822, was introduced in the U.S. House by Representatives Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.).

The measure would allow any person with a valid state-issued concealed carry permit to carry a concealed firearm in any state that issues concealed firearm permits, or that does not prohibit the carrying of concealed firearms. A state’s laws governing where concealed firearms may be carried would apply within its borders. The bill also applies to Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and U.S. territories.

H.R. 822 would not create a federal licensing system. Rather, it would require the states to recognize each others’ carry permits, just as they recognize drivers’ licenses and carry permits held by armored car guards. Rep. Stearns has introduced such legislation since 1995.

Right-To-Carry: The National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Bill
H.R. 822, introduced in the U.S. House by Representatives Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), would allow any person with a valid state-issued concealed firearm permit to carry a concealed firearm in any state that issues concealed firearm permits, or that does not prohibit the carrying of concealed firearms for lawful purposes. A state’s laws governing where concealed firearms may be carried would apply within its borders. The bill applies to D.C., Puerto Rico and U.S. territories.

• H.R. 822 recognizes the significant impact of the landmark cases, District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010), which found that the Second Amendment protects a fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms and that the protections of the Second Amendment extend to infringements under state law.
• Today, 48 states have laws permitting concealed carry, in some circumstances. Forty states, accounting for two-thirds of the U.S. population, have right-to-carry laws. Thirty-six of those have “shall issue” permit laws (including Alaska and Arizona, which also allow carrying without a permit), two have fairly administered “discretionary issue” permit laws, and Vermont (along with Alaska and Arizona) allows carrying without a permit. (Eight states have restrictive discretionary issue laws.)
• Citizens with carry permits are more law-abiding than the general public. Only 0.01% of nearly 1.2 million permits issued by Florida have been revoked because of firearm crimes by permit holders. Similarly low percentages of permits have been revoked in Texas, Virginia, and other right-to-carry states that keep such statistics. Right-to-carry is widely supported by law enforcement officials and groups.
• States with right-to-carry laws have lower violent crime rates. On average, right-to-carry states have 22 percent lower total violent crime rates, 30 percent lower murder rates, 46 percent lower robbery rates, and 12 percent lower aggravated assault rates, compared to the rest of the country. The seven states with the lowest violent crime rates are right-to-carry states. (Data: FBI.)
• Crime declines in states with right-to-carry laws. Since adopting right-to-carry in 1987, Florida’s total violent crime and murder rates have dropped 32 percent and 58 percent, respectively. Texas’ violent crime and murder rates have dropped 20 percent and 31 percent, respectively, since enactment of its 1996 right-to-carry law. (Data: FBI.)
• The right of self-defense is fundamental, and has been recognized in law for centuries. The Declaration of Independence asserts that “life” is among the unalienable rights of all people. The Second Amendment guarantees the right of the people to keep and bear arms for “security.”
• The laws of all states and the constitutions of most states recognize the right to use force in self-defense. The Supreme Court has stated that a person “may repel force by force” in self-defense, and is “entitled to stand his ground and meet any attack made upon him with a deadly weapon, in such a way and with such force” as needed to prevent “great bodily injury or death.” (Beard v. United States (1895))
• Congress affirmed the right to own guns for “protective purposes” in the Gun Control Act (1968) and Firearm Owners’ Protection Act (1986). In 1982, the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution described the right to arms as “a right of the individual citizen to privately possess and carry in a peaceful manner firearms and similar arms.”

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

Second Amendment Foundation

BELLEVUE, WA --(Ammoland.com)- Powerful Response to NJ Attorney General’s Argument That the Second Amendment Only Applies inside the Home And that the Public Needs to be Protected from Those Who Legally Carry Firearms

On February 18, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs (ANJRPC) and 6 individual plaintiffs filed reply papers in their historic right to carry lawsuit, in response to the State of New Jersey’s absurd argument that the Second Amendment only applies inside the home, and that the public needs to be protected from those who legally carry firearms. The new reply papers are available below and on www.saf.org.

The federal lawsuit, filed in November of last year, challenges New Jersey’s unconstitutional “justifiable need” standard for issuance of handgun carry permits – a nearly impossible standard to meet that has all but eliminated the right to self-defense with a firearm in the Garden State.

In its papers filed last month, the Attorney General defended New Jersey’s existing carry laws, revealed apparent anti-Second Amendment bias, and moved to dismiss (i.e., end) the case. A nearly identical “friend of the court” brief was filed one day later by The Brady Campaign, Million Mom March NJ chapter, and CeaseFire NJ.

“The Second Amendment Foundation has funded this important lawsuit because the State of New Jersey can not be allowed to violate the Constitution,” said Alan Gottlieb, founder of SAF. “We are not going to let New Jersey or any other state violate the rights of gun owners,” he added.

“It is now crystal clear that the State of New Jersey has no intention of ever respecting the right to defend yourself with a firearm outside the home, and will have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into compliance with the Heller and McDonald decisions,” said ANJRPC President Scott Bach. “With this lawsuit, we intend to do just that, even if we have to go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Bach.

The State’s responsive papers are due in Mid-March, after which the case will be submitted to a U.S. District Court Judge for decision, which could come as early as this Summer. Appeals are anticipated regardless of the decision.

The Second Amendment Foundation will keep you apprised of major case developments as they occur. Please watch for future alerts and updates.

SAF Reply Brief in Support of Motion for Summary Judgement and in Opposition to Motion to Dismiss

Join The Fight at SAF.org! Support The Second Amendment Foundation’s Efforts to Restore The Second Amendment in the Garden State and all across America .

About:
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers and an amicus brief and fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.

Iowa Gun Owners

Iowa Gun Owners

Iowa--(Ammoland.com)- Two years ago, when Iowa Gun Owners was formed, Iowa had some of the worst gun laws in the country.

You needed government permission to do virtually anything when it came to buying or carrying a gun for self-defense.

A permit to buy…and the fees…later on a class on how to carry a gun…and pay the fee after waiting for months for the class. Later on a permit to carry…and pay another fee and wait for a few more weeks…with baited breath.

After all that, the sheriff could and often times did deny your permit… …often with no explanation or justification whatsoever.

Only a handful of states had laws this bad, IE: New Jersey. Then Iowa Gun Owners got involved in the fight to defend and enhance your Second Amendment rights.

At first we were called crazy. Nut-jobs. Idiots who didn’t understand how the political process worked. But we held on. We grew. Our membership grew and your support continued to help this organization.

At the end of the 2009 legislative session, due to all the pressure you helped create, we obtained what no one else had ever achieved: a roll call vote in the House on a REAL Right-to-Carry bill which would allow all law abiding Iowans the option to carry a weapon for self-defense WITHOUT all the classes, fees, and waiting.

Of course some said this was meaningless. But the anti-gunners didn’t think that vote was meaningless. They knew that now they were on the record as being opposed to gun rights.

They knew that they needed to do something about that or else they would face the wrath of the voters in 2010.

And so they passed a gun bill last year. While it provided some marginal improvements over existing law, it came at a terrible cost.

But what would you expect from a bunch of anti-gunners? They wanted to tell you that they were pro-gun without really doing anything.

So they passed a bill that takes guns away from young Iowans. They passed a bill that takes guns away from those with simple misdemeanors. While claiming to be pro-gun, they passed a bill that makes it easy for veterans to have their guns striped from them.

And for the lucky few who are allowed to carry a gun…well you have to get certified every couple of years for the rest of your life!

(Maybe some of you have seen the signs in Des Moines on the side of the road, advertising for training? Pretty sweet deal if you are the company offering the training – it costs $400 for the class!)

Anti-gun politicians wasted no time in trying to tell you how pro-gun they were. In fact they began to flaunt their new found pro-gun positions immediately.

Through it all you helped IGO stay fixed on the goal of passing a REAL Right-to-Carry bill. We worked hard and got a floor vote on our legislation.

Now we had what we were shooting for: a target list.

While the institutional gun lobby was endorsing Chet Culver, notorious anti-gun Senators like Keith Kreiman, Amanda Reagan, Daryl Beall as well as gun hating Representatives like Kevin McCarthy, Doris Kelley, McKinley Bailey, Ray Zirkelbach and more- we went to work.

With your support we launched a massive mail campaign to our members and other gun rights enthusiasts across Iowa in the week before election day exposing anti-gun candidates for who they were. When election night was over we were pleased to help kick out over 20 anti-gun legislators in the House and Senate.

Our long two year fight paid off and we now have a much different make-up in the House, Senate and Governor’s Mansion.

Now the fight to pass solid gun bills can begin again. Only this time we’ve got the support of the majority of the House, and even Governor elect Branstad supports REAL Right-to-Carry according the survey he returned to us.

In fact, the same groups and out of state organizations that said we were crazy and too extreme for Iowa are now joining in the fight to pass a REAL Right-to-Carry bill.

Thank you for all of your support which helped to get us to this point!

We look forward to contending for your gun rights again this legislative session.

For our members, your renewal notices are in the mail and you should be receiving them soon. For those who have not yet joined please consider doing so today. You can join at a variety of membership levels that you can learn more about by clicking HERE.

Also, please take a moment to check out our redesigned website. While it’s still under re-construction, please take a moment to sign our petition in support of REAL Right-to-Carry.

While you are at it, forward the petition page to a few of your friends. Word of mouth is still one of the best tools we have in growing Iowa Gun Owners.

We look forward to another aggressive year of fighting with you to defend our 2nd Amendment freedoms.

Contact Us: You can contact us in the following ways:

About:
Iowa Gun Owners (IGO) was formed in January of 2009 to combat the oppressive gun laws in the State of Iowa. IGO does not believe that you, as a law abiding citizen, should have to beg permission from the government to be able to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we are working so hard to get a Vermont/Alaska style carry law passed in Iowa. In these states, unless you are a convicted felon or otherwise barred from possessing weapons, you don’t need a permit to carry a gun for self-defense! Join us now! Visit: www.iowagunowners.org

Georgia Gun Owners

Kennesaw, Georgia --(Ammoland.com)- They know that if REAL Right-to-Carry passes here in Georgia, liberty advances. A government mandate will die. They’ve been shackling our liberties to a Big Government master for decades. You and I cannot let them succeed.

I can report some good news. Over the weekend, a Georgia Gun Owners volunteer dropped a few trays of letters into a mail box to be delivered this week to gun rights activists all across the State of Georgia. I can’t wait for those Georgia REAL Right-to-Carry petitions to start rolling in.

But that’s not the only reason I’m excited.

A buddy from Colorado called recently and informed me that Georgia isn’t the only state where the movement to pass REAL Right-to-Carry is gaining steam. North Carolina. Colorado. Oregon. Iowa. Wyoming. New Hampshire. There’s also word of a growing movement for REAL Right-to-Carry in Virginia.

This is a trend — a REAL Right-to-Carry wave is sweeping the nation. Vermont, Alaska, and just this year, Arizona, passed REAL Right-to-Carry.

To counter the left-wing, anti-liberty establishment, Georgia Gun Owners is preparing to launch a massive grassroots liberty mobilization effort that will reach every city and town in the State of Georgia.

Georgia Gun Owners needs your help as our volunteers prepare this mailing. In order to mobilize liberty-loving Georgians, will you consider a contribution to help offset the cost of buying stamps?

We have to keep this wave going…and growing. With your help, there’s no telling how many activists here in Georgia we can mobilize.

There is no time to wait. Our liberty cannot wait.

P.S. The anti-liberty, anti-gun establishment is aiming their artillery directly at the Georgia REAL Right-to-Carry Bill.

To mobilize an army of grassroots REAL Right-to-Carry supporters across the State of Georgia, please consider a generous contribution.

And, if you haven’t yet signed your Georgia REAL Right-to-Carry petition, please do so at once.

About:
Georgia Gun Owners in a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots firearm advocacy organization dedicated to countering the gun control lobby through an aggressive program designed to mobilize gun owners and liberty activists across the State of Georgia, while seeking to enlist public support for legislation that would remove compulsory government requirements for gun owners throughout the state. Georgia Gun Owners’ mailing address is 1635 Old 41 Hwy., Ste. 112-202, Kennesaw, Georgia 30152. Georgia Gun Owners can be contacted at 678-719-2348. Georgia Gun Owners’ web address is www.georgiagunowners.org.

FirearmsCoalition.org

Manassas, VA --(Ammoland.com)- Earlier this year I wrote about and participated in a brouhaha regarding concealed carry in Iowa.

The NRA had put forward a poor excuse for a carry reform bill that made the already complex maze that is Iowa’s gun law even more complex and dangerous to Second Amendment rights. Several of us were trying hard to get the bill improved before it ended up doing more damage than good.

The hero of that fight was a young State Representative named Kent Sorenson who is now being attacked for being too supportive of gun rights by his opponent in a tough State Senate race.

Not only is Sorenson being attacked as a pro-rights “extremist” by his opponent, Staci Appel, she is accusing him of defending “wife beaters” because he opposed a state expansion of the notorious Lautenberg domestic violence law. What’s even worse is that Appel was literally moments away from receiving the official NRA endorsement in the race when her first attack ads hit criticizing Sorenson for supporting pro-rights positions which are also all supported by the NRA. To their credit, NRA immediately withdrew their endorsement, but the association literally had to stop the presses to keep an endorsement of Appel from appearing in the pages of NRA publications.

Sorenson was the sponsor of an Iowa Constitutional Carry bill which I strongly supported and was instrumental in pushing a much weaker NRA-sponsored bill into revisions which eventually made the bill an acceptable, though disappointing vehicle for reforming concealed carry in the state. Not only did Kent Sorenson carry a heavy load in that fight, he has been an active sponsor or cosponsor of virtually every pro-rights measure introduced in the Iowa legislature since he was first elected a few years ago. Sorenson has not just been a supporter of gun owners, he has been an outspoken advocate on our behalf. That’s why I was thrilled to see him step up to challenge the anti-rights, liberal Democrat, Appel for a seat in the State Senate this year.

In the Senate, Sorenson would have even more influence and be a more effective advocate for the Second Amendment cause. But Appel’s attacks seem to be taking a toll. She has zeroed in on Sorenson’s opposition to a state ban on firearms possession by persons convicted of any misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. The bill also called for local authorities to immediately confiscate all firearms from anyone who is the subject of a restraining order or order of protection – including women who are routinely placed under such orders in retaliation when they get restraining orders against estranged husbands or boyfriends. Appel’s brutally tasteless ads are appearing on television and in direct mail and picture battered women with statements that “Kent Sorenson’s positions on guns are so scary, even the NRA has opposed them” and that “Sorenson actually supported letting people with a history of domestic abuse own a gun.”

Of Course Appel’s ads are suggesting that Sorenson’s position on the domestic violence bill was what was too extreme for NRA. In fact NRA opposed the domestic violence bill and negotiated changes to keep the Iowa bill from doing much more than mirroring federal law. What Appel’s ads are actually alluding to is the rift created when Sorenson pushed forward with his Constitutional Carry bill instead of withdrawing it in favor of the much weaker NRA compromise proposal. In truth, Sorenson’s bill was officially supported by NRA and Sorenson voted for the NRA bill when it cam to a vote. NRA didn’t oppose the Sorenson bill, they just didn’t really work for its passage because they felt that it couldn’t garner the necessary votes and they preferred an incremental approach.

At this point the race between Sorenson and Appel is statistically a dead heat and that’s not good news for Sorenson or gun owners. If Appel’s Domestic Violence attack strategy proves successful we can expect to see many more of these types of attacks all around the country in future elections. It has the potential to make Republicans run from the gun issue and it will embolden the anti-rights crowd to push even harder – especially on confusing and misleading legislation like the “No Guns for Wife Beaters” legislation exploited in this case.

The “wife beater” attack is not a new strategy, but if it works against Sorenson, it would represent a ray of hope for a whole lot of anti-gun politicians hopelessly bobbing about on rough political seas these days. In the wrong hands a little hope can be a very dangerous and destructive thing.

Here’s to hoping that this particular hope proves empty in short order. If you’re in Iowa or know anyone there, Kent Sorenson needs your help.

Visit: www.kentsorenson.com

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

NRA - ILA

Charlotte, NC --(Ammoland.com)- NRA-ILA grass roots news recently debuted a new and improved format for the “Grassroots News Minute” video!

.

To view the current video in its new format, please click above:

Read More on these topics:

• Judge Rules Concealed Carry Ban Unconstitutional
• Pennsylvania: “Castle Doctrine” Bill Passes Senate

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

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield IL --(AmmoLand.com)- One of the keys to securing a Right to Carry law in the state of Illinois is informing and educating the public about the Right to Carry and how successful it is in the 49 states where concealed or open carry is recognized as lawful.

IllinoisCarry working together with the Illinois State Rifle Association and Second Amendment Sisters is leading that effort by sponsoring town hall meetings all over the state.

Many residents of Illinois do not know Illinois is the last and only state which prohibits carrying a firearm for personal protection. With the media bias against the Right to Carry we cannot rely on the mainstream media to get the word out – we must take the message to the public.

Recent town hall meetings in McHenry, DuPage, Kane Counties and in the city of Chicago have been very successful and we are expanding our efforts all over the state and deeper into Chicago! Find a town hall meeting near you and invite your friends and family who have questions or concerns about the issue. Bring them to the meetings where those questions can be answered and their concerns can be addressed.

Please come join IllinoisCarry.com, ISRA, Second Amendment Sisters and many local featured speakers. Show your support for the right to carry and join in the effort to see a right to carry law passed in the state of Illinois! Don’t see a meeting in your area and would like to help organize one? Contact IllinoisCarry and let us know!

Will County Right To Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday May 25, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Lincolnway High School Auditorium
1801 East Lincoln Highway
New Lenox, IL

Winnebago County Right To Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday May 26, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Giovanni’s Convention Center
610 North Bell School Road
Rockford, IL

Cook County Right to Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Thursday May 27, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Serbian Social Center
18550 Stony Island Ave
Lansing, Illinois 60438

Rock Island County Right to Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Saturday June 12, 2010
9:00 am – 11:00 am
The Rock
302 First Street
Coal Valley, IL 61240

La Salle County Right To Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Sunday June 13, 2010
1:00 – 3:00 pm
The Pitstick
3401 N State Route 23
Ottawa, Illinois

St. Clair County Right to Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Friday June 18, 2010
7 :00 – 9:00 pm
VFW
5325 North Illinois Street
Fairview Heights, IL‎

Wayne-Jefferson-Richland-Effingham-Clay County
Right to Carry Meeting
Saturday June 6, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Outer West Delaware
Fairfield, IL

Help IllinoisCarry in the Fight for Right To Carry

We’re entering a very critical time in our fight for Right to Carry and restoration of the Second Amendment here in IL. Your dollars make it possible for IllinoisCarry volunteers to conduct these town hall meetings and educate the citizens of Illinois -
We need your support!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Iowa Gun Owners

Iowa – -(AmmoLand.com)- Folks, this article is difficult to write. But you have to hear about what happened yesterday in the Capitol to State Representative Kent Sorenson.

For two years now, Representative Kent Sorenson has been one of the leading champions for the 2nd Amendment here in Iowa.

He was the one who introduced and pushed the REAL Right-to-Carry bill for Iowa Gun Owners last session.

(This is the famous legislation that would allow all law abiding Iowans the option the carry weapons, openly or concealed, WITHOUT having to beg permission from the government first. This is similar to the laws in Vermont, Alaska, most of Montana and may soon become law in Wyoming and Arizona.)

When the Speaker of the House used procedural rules to try to kill your gun rights, Rep. Sorenson pressed ahead and used his own procedural moves to force this issue to a vote and walked away with a tie vote of 49-49! This was a very important step – only by obtaining a vote can you and I know who truly supports your right to keep and bear arms.

(Of course, even though the bill was not passed you and I now know which politicians support the 2nd Amendment and we can use this information this coming November.)

Since that time Rep. Sorenson has worked tirelessly with Iowa Gun Owners to fight for your 2nd Amendment rights – the whole Capitol knows that he is a major gun rights advocate.

Like you and Iowa Gun Owners, Rep. Sorenson has concerns about the other gaggle of compromised carry bills being offered at the Capitol. And like you, he wants the best bill available for Iowans.

Some of the concerns with the current bills include:

1. The option for the government to deny you a permit for a mere misdemeanor assault charge;
2. The ability for the government to deny you a permit if some mental health staffer says you are not stable because you’ve seen horrific combat – what an insult to Iowa veterans;
3. Raising the age on applicants from 18 to 21 – which simply takes gun out of the hands of young Iowans;
4. Making you get government permission to exercise a Constitutionally guaranteed right.
5. Being forced to submit to mandatory government training before being allowed to carry a gun and defend your family in public.

These are clearly big concerns and you, Iowa Gun Owners, and Rep. Sorenson are right to not want this bill when the REAL Right-to-Carry bill contains none of these problems.

Well the truth is, the authors of this compromised legislation is the National Rifle Association. Like many of you, many of us at Iowa Gun Owners are either current or past members of the NRA – and we have a natural respect for them. This is not something we want to bring to your attention.

But unfortunately the fight for concealed carry reform this year has been a two-fold fight. You see on the one hand the hard corps anti-gun crowd is always trying to destroy more of your freedoms and we are working on stopping them.

But on the other we have the NRA with their poorly written bill.

This is the bill that you’ve been hearing about. It’s gone through many versions and edits but still has the troublesome issues listed above. This bill is something that many “moderate anti-gunners” are in favor of because as watered down as this bill is even they can support it! That’s why anti-gun politicians Senator Mike Gronstal and Representative Kevin McCarthy introduced this bill for the NRA last week.

Because of all of your emails, phone calls, and trips to the Capitol the NRA bill is not moving as quickly as they would have liked. You see, your elected officials realize that Iowans both want and deserve the best gun bill possible – and that you don’t want to settle for anything less.

So yesterday the NRA did the unthinkable. The lobbyist that the NRA sent to Iowa, sent one of his subordinates to Representative Sorenson and gave him an ultimatum: either help us with our bill (and we will make you a hero in Iowa) or we will help your opponent in the upcoming election.

That’s right, an NRA lobbyist said that he was going to try to defeat a pro-gun Representative like Sorenson because he’s too………….pro-gun.

And, the opponent that Sorenson has in his upcoming election is a notorious anti-gunner!!!

So the NRA is willing to support an anti-gunner over pro-gun Representative Kent Sorenson just because he does not like the details of the NRA bill.

I don’t know about you, but I find this outrageous!!

Also, you don’t have to just take our word for it. You see, word of this attack is getting out and yesterday Rep. Sorenson was interviewed about this on WHO radio in Des Moines. You can listen to a podcast by clicking RADIO.

This is especially confusing in light of the fact that bills very similar to our bill are getting NRA support in states like Wyoming and Arizona. Why can’t they support the bill in Iowa?

While today may be the last day in the 2010 legislative session it is not too late for you to take action.

Please do the following things:

1. Email Representative Sorenson and thank him for his vast support of your right to keep and bear arms. His email address is: kent.sorenson@legis.state.ia.us and folks, he truly deserves this.
2. Email your Senator and Representative and demand that they support the REAL Right-to-Carry bill that will be coming to the Floor as an amendment on the NRA bill – if it comes to the Floor. (You may use the pre-written email below.)
3. Call the NRA lobbyist, Chris Rager, and tell him that his conduct towards Rep. Sorenson is outrageous and demand that he publicly apologize for it. (Don’t be thrown off track – just because he had an underling deliver the threat doesn’t lessen his personal responsibility.) His number is 703-282-5296 and folks, he needs to hear from you.

• To find out who your State Representative and Senator is please FIND OUT HERE.
• To find the email address of your State Representative please click EMAIL.

You can reach your Representative by either calling the House switchboard at 515-281-3221 (ask to be transferred) or by clicking on your State Representative’s name once you hit the link above and calling the number given with their information.

To find the email address for your Senator please click EMAIL.

To call your Senator please call 515-281-3371 and ask to be transferred.

—————————————————————————–

(Pre-Written Email)

Dear ________________,

I am sending you this last email to urge your support for the REAL Right-to-Carry bill that should be coming to the Floor as an amendment as soon as today.

REAL Right-to-Carry is the best bill ever introduced here in Iowa and allows all law abiding Iowans the option to carry a weapon for self-defense without having to beg government permission.

No other bill does this. In fact, HF2528/SF2379 contain very compromised language and I am not in support of it – even as a gun owner.

I will be watching to see how you vote on REAL Right-to-Carry.

Sincerely,

—————————————————————————–

Yours for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms,

About:
Iowa Gun Owners (IGO) was formed in January of 2009 to combat the oppressive gun laws in the State of Iowa. IGO does not believe that you, as a law abiding citizen, should have to beg permission from the government to be able to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we are working so hard to get a Vermont/Alaska style carry law passed in Iowa. In these states, unless you are a convicted felon or otherwise barred from possessing weapons, you don’t need a permit to carry a gun for self-defense! Join us now! Visit: www.iowagunowners.org

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia Beach VA. – -(AmmoLand.com)- Unbelievably, Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake Jacocks, Jr., speaking for the state association of the chiefs of police, has asked Governor McDonnell to veto SB 334, the restaurant ban repeal, because guns in bars would be a “recipe for disaster.”

Hmmm. The only people that the bill allows to mix guns and alcohol are police officers (on duty, off duty, and retired) and Commonwealth Attorneys and their deputies. So it sounds like Chief Jacocks is afraid of his own officers carrying guns and being able to drink responsibly. That’s a sad commentary on his department and the other departments that are backing this position. I wonder if these chiefs prohibit their officers from driving cars to restaurants, too?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: a whole lot of chiefs of police are nothing more than political hacks that did not work their way up through the ranks and don’t share the beliefs of their rank and file officers on such matters.

Also, the Sheriff’s Association did NOT share the bogus concerns of the Chiefs.

I personally don’t donate to the Fraternal Order of Police for their past and current interference with our gun rights and I also have no intention of contributing to anything from the Association of Chiefs of Police, either, for the same reason. The Sheriffs Association doesn’t pull this kind of baloney.

The good news is that according to the article, the Governor is going to stand strong and sign the bill:

“McDonnell will sign the bill, said Taylor Thornley, the governor’s spokeswoman. While McDonnell appreciates the work and comments of the police chiefs, he will ‘continue to protect and uphold the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,’ Thornley said.”

Here is the story:

State’s police chiefs seek veto of guns-in-bars bill

http://hamptonroads.com/node/546409

By Deirdre Fernandes The Virginian-Pilot © March 17, 2010 VIRGINIA BEACH

Calling guns in bars a “recipe for disaster,” the state’s police chiefs have pleaded with Gov. Bob McDonnell to veto legislation that would ease Virginia’s concealed weapon laws.

Virginia Beach police Chief Jake Jacocks Jr. sent a letter to McDonnell last week on behalf of the state association of chiefs comparing the combination of firearms and alcohol with drinking and driving.

“We can fully expect that at some point in the future a disagreement that today would likely end up in a verbal confrontation, or a bar fight, will inevitably end with gunfire if you sign this legislation into law,” Jacocks wrote.

SB334′s requirement that anybody with a gun is prohibited from drinking and could be charged with a misdemeanor is “absurd,” Jacocks said, and can’t be enforced. [PVC: In that case, perhaps we need to just get rid of the penalty altogether or make it a civil fine.]

On Tuesday, Jacocks got support from Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms, a McDonnell supporter and gun owner.

“Not only is it stupid,” Sessoms said, “I think it could be a fatal mistake.”

But their efforts seem unlikely to sway McDonnell.

McDonnell will sign the bill, said Taylor Thornley, the governor’s spokeswoman. While McDonnell appreciates the work and comments of the police chiefs, he will “continue to protect and uphold the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,” Thornley said.

The bill deals only with concealed weapons; in Virginia it’s legal to carry a gun openly without a permit.

SB334 and its House counterpart, along with legislation that allows gun owners without concealed-carry permits to store firearms in locked vehicle compartments, were among the gun-friendly bills approved by the General Assembly this year. The Democratic-controlled Senate formed a special subcommittee late in the session to kill several gun-rights bills, including a repeal of the state’s one-handgun-purchase-a-month limit.

The police chiefs association has opposed the guns in bars bill in the past, but it also had a more sympathetic ear. Former Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine twice vetoed such bills.

The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police didn’t come out strongly against the bills during the session because it was spread too thin trying to preserve state funding for police departments, said Dana Schrad, the organization’s executive director. [PVC: Life does have its priorities ]

“We didn’t duck and cover on this one,” Schrad said. “We had to prioritize on budget issues.”

The Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, the other large law-enforcement lobby in the General Assembly, did not take a stand on the legislation, said John Jones, the organization’s executive director.

“No, we’re not going down that road,” Jones said.

But association members recently did vote on a resolution supporting Second Amendment rights, Jones said.

Jacocks and Schrad did acknowledge that the letter was a last-ditch effort.

“It was important to let him know directly how we felt about this issue,” Jacocks said.

If police across Virginia see an increase in gun violence at bars, the association will come back and ask the General Assembly to reconsider its decision, Schrad said. [PVC: Or course any such violence would have to be unjustified and perpetrated by CHP holders, police, or Commonwealth Attorneys. Even then, that is why we have laws - to punish bad people, not to punish the good ones.]

Statistics on gun-related incidents at establishments with liquor licenses were not available Tuesday. [PVC: Again, unless they deal with CHP holders acting unlawfully, such statistics are irrelevant.]

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

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield, Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- HB6249 A Right to Carry bill sponsored by Rep. John Bradley passed out of the House Agriculture & Conservation committee this past week with a vote of 11-1.

It is now placed on the House calendar for Second Reading. HB462, another Right to Carry bill sponsored by Rep. Brandon Phelps is scheduled to be heard by the same committee on March 9, 2010 and is expected to pass out of committee with the same support.

Click on the bill numbers above to see if your Representative is one of the co-sponsors of these bills. If their name is not listed as a sponsor, call them and urge them to support your right to protect your self and your family. Urge them to show their support by signing on as co-sponsors of these bills.

If your representative does not support your right to carry, be sure to inform him/her they will not have your support in the next election!

Lobby in person for the Right to Carry, March to the State Capitol, and make your voice heard! Don’t miss an important opportunity to show your support for the Right to Carry!

Join the largest group of Second Amendment supporters IL has ever seen.

IGOLD participants will present their message to their state representative, state senator, the Speaker of the House, and the President of the Senate!

Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day – IGOLD
Wed. March 10, 2010
Prairie Capitol Convention Center, Springfield, IL

Doors open at 10:30, Concessions open all day,
Pre-rally 11:45, Legislative Briefing Noon,
March to Capitol 1:15 pm!

IGOLD.isra.org
Deadline to reserve a seat on one of the many charter buses from around the state is Mon. Mar. 8th!

To expedite security procedures it is best to enter the Capitol with the least number of items that must be opened, searched or screened. If you can narrow that down to a wallet that can be tossed on the scanner bed all the better!

We thank you for your cooperation – and so will Capitol security!

IGOLD Marshals Needed!
Like to help others? Familiar with the State Capitol Complex? Volunteers for the IGOLD ground crew are needed. They are the friendly, smiling volunteers who assist at the Prarie Capitol Convention Center and the march to the Capitol. Once inside the Capitol they help direct attendees to their legislators offices.
If you would like to volunteer, please go the IGOLD Volunteer page for more info.

Help IllinoisCarry in the Fight for Right To Carry

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Iowa Gun Owners

Iowa --(AmmoLand.com)- To recap, currently in Iowa if you want to carry a weapon to defend yourself or your family you need to get permission from your sheriff to do so. In certain parts of the state you can get these permits pretty easily.

In others, you can not get permits at all. There is no one else to apply to either, leaving the sheriff with the complete power to decide who’s life is worthy of defense and whose is not.

Further, in many counties, while you can get a permit, it can be regulated so heavily as to be virtually worthless – leaving you with a permit that is only good in very specific cases.

Iowa Gun Owners is promoting the REAL Right-to-Carry bill as the answer to this abusive system. The REAL Right-to-Carry Bill would allow any law abiding Iowan the right to carry a weapon for self-defense WITHOUT having to first beg government permission. This is patterned after the common sense gun laws in Vermont and Alaska where permits are not required of law abiding citizens.

Last session, Iowa Gun Owners, working with our bill sponsor Rep. Kent Sorenson, was able to secure a tie procedural vote on this historic legislation.

This session our bill, HF596, is lodged in sub-committee. Continue reading below for more information of who is supporting the REAL Right-to-Carry bill and who is not.

Enemies of the REAL Right-to-Carry
Politicians are human beings, just like you and me. As such they get nervous from time to time. Right now in Des Moines, there are a lot of nervous anti-gun politicians who are watching the days go by and trying to figure out a way to win their re-election bids later on this year. They are aware of the anti-incumbent wave that is sweeping the nation and they are scared.

So in an attempt to bolster their image with the voters in their districts these anti-gun and closet anti-gun politicians are seeking political cover.

This is only possible if another gun bill, besides the REAL Right-to-Carry bill, is introduced into the General Assembly that is so compromised that even an anti-gunner can vote for it.

Unfortunately, one such bill has emerged this session. House File 2255, sponsored by Rep. Clel Baudler, would do the following things:

• Still require that law abiding Iowans beg permission from the government to be able to carry a weapon for self-defense.
• Raises the age on applicants for a carry permit from the present 18, to 21.

So if you are a veteran, returning home from war and are still under the age of 21, you would not be able to carry in Iowa because you are not considered mature enough to carry a gun. Even for those who are not vets, this bill denies young Iowans their right to keep and bear arms for an extra 3 years!

Incorporate federal language into Iowa code regarding mental health that makes it easier for some psychologist to deny you your gun rights based on their say so.

This dangerous policy, as interpreted by the BATFE, has lead to some 200,000 vets having their gun rights taken from them. This has been aptly tracked by Gun Owners of America and more information can be found about this on their website. This issue is so divisive that just last week, on Capitol Hill in Washington, the Veterans Affairs Committee unanimously, and with bi-partisan support, passed a bill out of their committee that would finally provide vets with the needed due process protections that they currently lack. Clearly even the politicians in Washington realize how abused this current language is – and the Baudler bill would bring that same mess into Iowa.

Incorporate the dangerous Lautenberg language into Iowa code. This is the idea that anyone with a domestic violence misdemeanor conviction can’t possess or carry a handgun. While this is federal law right now, it’s not been put into Iowa code yet and we see no reason why a “pro-gun” bill should do so. In fact, recently the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction of a man who was convicted of having a weapon after having been declared prohibited due to a domestic violence conviction.

The court said that the defendant’s 2nd Amendment rights were not forfeited on account of a mere misdemeanor.

We could not agree more – and we can’t understand why anyone would want to throw up more roadblocks to gun ownership here in Iowa.

We could go on – but likely you get the idea. (In addition, IGO members deserve a major round of applause here because as bad as this bill is, it was far worse in its original form. Your constant pressure being expressed to your elected officials regarding this bill has directly impacted it and made it “better” according to sources at the Capitol.)

What is starting to become evident now at the Capitol is that those who are not truly pro-2nd Amendment want to kill the REAL Right-to-Carry bill by leaving it stuck in committee where they will never have to vote on it. Instead, these anti-gun folks want to be able to vote on another bill, being touted as pro-gun, to receive the political cover for being pro-gun, when as we’ve shown above, this bill is clearly not.

If these politicians want to prove their commitment to your gun rights they should simply move the REAL Right-to-Carry bill out of sub-committee and then onto the floor and pass it.

Anything less than that is making concessions up front to anti-gun politicians. Why would a “pro-gun” organization, or Representative, make this kind of deal?

We’ve spoken to Representative Baudler about this but he needs to hear from you as well. Please take a moment to contact Representative Baudler and demand that he support the REAL Right-to-Carry bill – the same bill he voted in support of last legislative session – by working to move it off the sub-committee where it currently is stuck. (Rep. Baudler is on the sub-committee and could do a lot to see it passed onto the full committee.) Tell him that his bill is dangerous as it takes guns out of the hands of many Iowans and makes dangerous concessions to the anti-gun lobby in Des Moines.

You can contact Representative Baudler by calling 641.431.3309

In addition, in the last few days at the Capitol, representatives from Iowa Gun Owners have received very hostile responses from Rep. Ray Zirkelbach. Zirkelbach, who says he is in favor of gun rights, refuses to even speak to us at the Capitol and needs to hear from you as well. Rep. Zirkelbach can be reached at 319.480.0296

You should know that the calls you make and the emails that you send are having a major impact at the Capitol. I see it every day down there. Elected officials are telling us daily that they are receiving constant emails and phone calls regarding the REAL Right-to-Carry. Some have even asked us to stop the calls. We tell them that the calls will stop when they vote the right way. So thank you for all your work so far and please take a moment to call these individuals today. In addition, you can email them the pre-written email below by using the following email addresses:

• clel.baudler@legis.state.ia.us
• ray.zirkelbach@legis.state.ia.us

——————————————————————————–

Pre-Written Email

Dear Repsentative _____________________,

As a 2nd Amendment supporter in Iowa I am very concerned about House File 2255 that is currently being touted as a pro-gun bill.

This bill makes it easier for Iowans to lose their gun rights if they are: young Iowans, vets returning from military service, or people with certain mere misdemeanor convictions.

Any bill that weakens Iowa’s gun laws is a bad bill and I would urge you to drop your support of this bill and instead support the REAL Right-to-Carry bill. This bill eliminates the need for law-abiding Iowans to have to seek government permission for the right to defend themselves and their families. This bill, House File 596, needs your full support. I would ask that you drop your support of the dangerous HF2255 and support HF596 instead.

2nd Amendment enthusists across Iowa are now watching to see who truly supports the 2nd Amendment and who just says they do.

Sincerely,

——————————————————————————–

Supporters of the REAL Right-to-Carry
Often you receive alerts from us telling you about an anti-gun politician who needs to hear from you immediately about some anti-gun bill he’s promoting or an anti-gun vote that he needs to vote no on.

Today I’m happy to tell you about some supporters of the REAL Right-to-Carry bill, besides our bill sponsor Rep. Kent Sorenson, at the Capitol that have stood fast and not supported a compromised carry bill.

These Representatives needs to hear from you as well – they are under a lot of pressure – yet they have remained true to the 2nd Amendment.

They are:

• Rep. Matt Windschitl (matt.windschitl@legis.state.ia.us)
• Rep. Jason Schultz (jason.schultz@legis.state.ia.us)
• Rep. Chris Hagenow (chris.hagenow@legis.state.ia.us)

Please take a moment to email these Representatives and thank them for their stance on the 2nd Amendment. Your calls and emails played a major role in keeping their feet anchored and they deserve to hear from you now.

Yours for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms,

About:
Iowa Gun Owners (IGO) was formed in January of 2009 to combat the oppressive gun laws in the State of Iowa. IGO does not believe that you, as a law abiding citizen, should have to beg permission from the government to be able to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we are working so hard to get a Vermont/Alaska style carry law passed in Iowa. In these states, unless you are a convicted felon or otherwise barred from possessing weapons, you don’t need a permit to carry a gun for self-defense! Join us now! Visit: www.iowagunowners.org

Iowa Gun Owners

Iowa – -(AmmoLand.com)- January 12th, 2010 the General Assembly gaveled in at the Capitol in Des Moines and Iowa Gun Owners was there to continue our fight for the REAL Right-to-Carry bill.

For those unfamiliar with IGO, I will quickly summarize what the bill would do. The REAL Right-to-Carry bill would allow any Iowan, who is not a felon or otherwise barred by law from owning weapons, to carry a weapon for self-defense, concealed or openly, WITHOUT having to get government permission.

The bill restores the 2nd Amendment in Iowa by eliminating mandatory government training, paying fees, and the whole concept of having to beg permission to exercise a Constitutional right.

Our bill currently has 24 co-sponsors in the House, nine in the Senate, and is causing a major stir at the Capitol amongst anti-gun politicians and even amongst a few “pro-gun” politicians who can’t fathom a law that allows you to carry a weapon without a permit! Of course, this is already the law in Vermont, Alaska, and most of Montana – and these are some of the safest states anywhere in the country.

In the final hours of the 2009 session, Iowa Gun Owners, working with our bill sponsor Rep. Kent Sorenson (R-Indianola), was able to force a vote on this historic gun bill in the House. The result was an amazing 49-49 tie!

Since that time the anti-gun crowd in Iowa has been on the run. With the November elections not too far away they know that there may be a price to pay for their anti-gun votes.

Now we are seeing new gun bills being introduced at the legislature that seem designed to give these anti-gun politicians ‘cover.’ You see, these anti-gun politicians are desperate to vote on a watered down gun bill so as to be able to tell you, their constituents, that they are pro-gun when, in reality, they refused to vote for the REAL Right-to-Carry.

One proposed bill this session would raise the age on applicants for carry permits, incorporate abusive federal language into Iowa code regarding mental health requirements, create ever larger classes of people in Iowa who are prohibited from owning and carrying weapons, and more! In fact, one proposal would even seek to create new classes of people who can no longer even BUY a handgun, let alone carry it.

We must not allow anti-gun politicians to get a free pass. We must demand that they vote on the REAL Right-to-Carry bill and focus their energy on this bill.

If the anti-gun politicians want to kill the bill, or water it down with weakening amendments they can do that. But they are going to have to do it on the record, with recorded votes. This may come at a high price next November.

What you will not see happen is Iowa Gun Owners making these concessions up front, granting the gun-grabbers exactly what they want. This is what it means to be No Compromise!

Now is the time to contact your elected officials. Tell them that you expect them to support and vote for the REAL Right-to-Carry bill. Any other bill is a compromise designed to protect anti-gunners.

To find out who your elected officials are click HERE.

To find your elected official’s phone number click HERE.

If you prefer, or in addition to any calls that you make, you can certainly email your elected officials as well using this pre-written email found below.

To find your elected official’s email address click HERE.
(Once you are here, just click on your legislator’s name.)

—————————————————————

(Pre-Written Email)

Dear Representative ________________,

As your constituent I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor and vote to support the REAL Right-to-Carry bill being offered by Rep. Kent Sorenson.

This bill would allow all law-abiding Iowans the right to carry a weapon for self-defense without having to beg permission first. This is currently the law in Vermont and Alaska and as a mid-western state Iowa should join them as a leader in the right to keep and bear arms.

I understand that there are other gun bills being introduced this session. Iowa Gun Owners has informed me that these bills contain compromises that are dangerous to my right to keep and bear arms.

The 2nd Amendment doesn’t say anything about begging permission, paying fees, passing tests, or having to shoot a government mandated training course before I should be allowed to carry a weapon for self-defense. I consider these types of provisions to be dangerous to my right to keep and bear arms.

Again I ask you to co-sponsor and give your full support to the REAL Right-to-Carry bill. If the anti-gun politicians want to kill this bill or attempt to destroy it with weakening amendments that is something they will have to do on the record with recorded roll call votes.

You must not concede this fight up front with anti-gun compromises. Please co-sponsor and vote in favor of this bill.

Sincerely,

—————————————————————-

Dear Senator ________________,

As your constituent I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor and vote to support the REAL Right-to-Carry bill being offered by Senator David Hartsuch.

This bill would allow all law-abiding Iowans the right to carry a weapon for self-defense without having to beg permission first. This is currently the law in Vermont and Alaska and as a mid-western state Iowa should join them as a leader in the right to keep and bear arms.

I understand that there are other gun bills being introduced this session. Iowa Gun Owners has informed me that these bills contain compromises that are dangerous to my right to keep and bear arms.

The 2nd Amendment doesn’t say anything about begging permission, paying fees, passing tests, or having to shoot a government mandated training course before I should be allowed to carry a weapon for self-defense. I consider these types of provisions to be dangerous to my right to keep and bear arms.

Again I ask you to co-sponsor and give your full support to the REAL Right-to-Carry bill. If the anti-gun politicians want to kill this bill or attempt to destroy it with weakening amendments that is something they will have to do on the record with recorded roll call votes.

You must not concede this fight up front with anti-gun compromises. Please co-sponsor and vote in favor of this bill.

Sincerely,

—————————————————————-

Yours for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms,

About:
Iowa Gun Owners (IGO) was formed in January of 2009 to combat the oppressive gun laws in the State of Iowa. IGO does not believe that you, as a law abiding citizen, should have to beg permission from the government to be able to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we are working so hard to get a Vermont/Alaska style carry law passed in Iowa. In these states, unless you are a convicted felon or otherwise barred from possessing weapons, you don’t need a permit to carry a gun for self-defense! Join us now! Visit: www.iowagunowners.org

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- On Monday, December 7, 2009 IL Farm Bureau delegates gathered in Chicago voted overwhelmingly to support Right to Carry legislation in Illinois.

Earlier in the year Farm Bureau delegates from the White/Edwards County area submitted the issue to be considered by the Farm Bureau Policy and Development committee who then sought input from members on the issue of whether or not Illinois should join the other 48 states in the nation and pass a law providing for the lawful carry of a firearm for personal protection of self and family.

Doug Anderson, White County Farm Bureau manager, reported the majority of those offering input supported the issue which was then placed on the agenda for consideration by the delegates at the annual meeting.

The resolution endorsing Right to Carry passed with a large majority voting in favor of the measure. Right to Carry legislation will now be added to the list of issues Farm Bureau lobbyists will work toward advancing when the General Assembly returns to its regular session in January.

IllinoisCarry is proud our friends in the Farm Bureau see the importance of this issue. We are proud to have worked with them in providing data and background information on the success of Right to Carry in other states. And we are proud to have them join the fight for our right to self-defense in the state of IL!

Welcome, friends, welcome!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Iowa Gun Owners

Iowa – -(AmmoLand.com)-Recently Iowa Gun Owners, with the help of several dedicated volunteers, attended the Waterloo gun show.

The crowd was impressive and diverse. We met with doctors, waitresses, line workers, pastors, Democrats, and Republicans. All are tired of the government being able to regulate their right of self-defense and were happy to sign our petition.

The energy was contagious and there were times when we were simply overwhelmed by the crowds and couldn’t interact with everyone. What a great problem!

IGO was able to secure an additional 550 signed petitions for the REAL Right-to-Carry bill next session and raise some much needed financial support as well.

We are going to be at the following locations this fall:

• Nov. 6-7 in Altoona, held at the Adventureland Park (305 34th Ave NW), from 5-9pm on Friday to 9am-5pm on Saturday.
• Nov. 13-14 in Cedar Rapids, held at the Hawkeye Downs Building #1 (4400 6th St SW) same times as above.
• Dec. 11-12 in Waterloo, held in the McElroy Auditorium (257 Ansborough St) same times as above.

If you are coming to these shows please look for us. We really enjoy getting to meet our members. In addition, if you would like to volunteer working at an IGO table during an upcoming gun show please let us know. They really are a lot of fun!

About:
Iowa Gun Owners (IGO) was formed in January of 2009 to combat the oppressive gun laws in the State of Iowa. IGO does not believe that you, as a law abiding citizen, should have to beg permission from the government to be able to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we are working so hard to get a Vermont/Alaska style carry law passed in Iowa. In these states, unless you are a convicted felon or otherwise barred from possessing weapons, you don’t need a permit to carry a gun for self-defense! Join us now!

State Representative Kent Sorenson (R-74) (Left, in suit) and IGO's Executive Director Aaron Dorr (Right) explaining the REAL Right-to-Carry bill to 2nd Amendment supporters at the gun show.

Iowa Gun Owners

Iowa - -(AmmoLand.com)-Our goal was to spread the message of Iowa Gun Owners to like minded 2nd Amendment supporters in Iowa as well as obtain petitions to the Iowa State Senate urging the Senate to vote on the REAL Right-to-Carry bill.

(After receiving a tie vote in the House last session of 49-49, our next goal is to obtain a vote in the State Senate so we can inform you, our members, where your State Senator stands on the 2nd Amendment.)

Our booth at the show was a tremendous hit! Iowa Gun Owners succeeded in obtaining over 500 signed petitions to the Iowa State Senate from Friday night through Saturday afternoon!! That’s 500 new people who are now aware that there is a No Compromise gun rights group in Iowa at last, dedicated to fighting for their right to keep and bear arms. Many of these people joined as regular dues paying members as well.

Iowa Gun Owners was also pleased to have State Representative Kent Sorenson drop by and meet some of our members and friends!

At the show we met a lot of interesting people from the Central Iowa region. All are tired of Iowa’s terrible gun laws. One of these people was a woman from Eastern Iowa. Originally from Austria, this woman has lived in Iowa for the past 18 years and has no criminal background of any kind. She told us that she was born in Austria, right after it was freed by Allied Forces in 1945.

While having no personal knowledge of that time, she vividly remembers her parents and neighbors telling her about the gun registration and eventual confiscation initiatives that preceded Austria’s takeover by the Axis forces.

She told us that she supports our work 100% because she can see the gun laws in the US and in Iowa heading right down that road unless we organize and stop them now!

Oh yeah, and her sheriff won’t give her a permit to carry either because he doesn’t think the Constitution mentions anything about carrying weapons for self-defense.

The overwhelming message we took away from Des Moines is that the people of Iowa are sick and tired of a permit system that requires law abiding citizens to beg permission from the government to be able to defend their families.

The excitement at the No Compromise philosophy of IGO’s REAL Right-to-Carry bill was contagious. We had doctors, line workers, pastors, laborers, farmers, and even some law enforcement officers (yes, in full uniform) sign our petition and join our organization.

For all the members that came by and introduced themselves to us, thank you. It is a big encouragement to meet our members in person.

Our next gun show is in Council Bluffs. Dates are October 9 and 10, 5-9pm on the 9th and 9am-5pm on Saturday and it’s being held in the Westfair Amphitheatre (22984 Highway 6).

This will be an important show for us because as we press ahead to obtain a vote on our bill in the State Senate, Senator Mike Gronstal, Majority Leader of the Senate from Council Bluffs, will be a major obstacle to overcome. It will be vital to have grassroots pressure ready to bring to bear on him in the form of petitions during the session.

So if you live in the area of South West Iowa, and especially if you are in the Council Bluffs area, please come out and meet us!

Yours for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms,

About:
Iowa Gun Owners (IGO) was formed in January of 2009 to combat the oppressive gun laws in the State of Iowa. IGO does not believe that you, as a law abiding citizen, should have to beg permission from the government to be able to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we are working so hard to get a Vermont/Alaska style carry law passed in Iowa. In these states, unless you are a convicted felon or otherwise barred from possessing weapons, you don’t need a permit to carry a gun for self-defense! Join us now!

Michigan Coalition For Responsible Gun Owners

Michigan - -(AmmoLand.com)- MCRGO Frequently Asked Questions:

MCL 28.425f(3) states: “An individual licensed under this act to carry a concealed pistol and who is carrying a concealed pistol and who is stopped by a peace officer shall immediately disclose to the peace officer that he or she is carrying a pistol concealed upon his or her person or in his or her vehicle.” The penalty for a first offense includes a $100 fine, and a CPL suspension of up to six months.

Q: If I get pulled over by the police while I am lawfully carrying a concealed pistol, is it considered sufficient notice to hand over my Concealed Pistol License (CPL) with my Driver’s License?

A: Maybe not.

In one recent case, the driver handed his CPL over to the officer who stopped him. He did this because he had been told by a reliable source (an experienced police officer from another jurisdiction) that it is considered dangerous to use the word “gun” when talking to an officer on the road side since officers yell, “Gun!” to one another when a dangerous person displays a firearm. The driver was ticketed for the non-disclosure. In subsequent trial, the dashboard video camera record showed that it was approximately 40 seconds after the officer arrived at the driver’s window that the driver verbally disclosed his concealed pistol.

The court found that the simple act of handing over the CPL was not adequate disclosure and that the 40-second delay before verbally disclosing was not “immediate disclosure.”

So, the only safe course of action if you are pulled over is to make your disclosure as soon as the officer gets up to the window. In order to try to avoid what police officers often refer to as “a heightened sense of awareness.” (their way of saying that they are alarmed or frightened,) you should maintain a calm tone of voice and demeanor and simply tell the officer that you have a valid Concealed Pistol License and that you are carrying. You do not have to use the word “gun.”

Note that the statute does not require you disclose when you have a CPL and are NOT carrying. However, some officers will be alerted to the fact that you have a CPL before they approach your car. You may want to have a brief conversation with the officer even on days when you are not carrying, simply to avoid any confusion or misapprehension.

Note also that it is a good idea to avoid rummaging around in your passenger compartment as the officer is walking up to your vehicle. If it is dark out, turn on your interior lights, turn off your car stereo and keep your hands in plain sight on the wheel until the officer establishes contact. Remember that the police have dangerous job and your interaction will go more smoothly if you show that you are not a threat to the officer’s safety.

Steve Dulan (www.StevenWDulan.com) is a member of the Board of Directors of the MCRGO and the MCRGO Foundation, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the MCRGO Foundation. He is an attorney in private practice in East Lansing and Adjunct Professor of firearms law at The Thomas M. Cooley Law School. as well as an NRA Life Member.

About:
The Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. Formed from just eight people in 1996, we now have thousands of members and numerous affiliated clubs across the state. We’re growing larger and more effective every day.

Our mission statement is: “Promoting safe use and ownership of firearms through education, litigation, and legislation”

National Rifle Association

Washington, DC - -(AmmoLand.com)- The United States Senate recently voted on an amendment that would have allowed Right-to-Carry permit holders to carry in all other states that also grant carry permits. The amendment, sponsored by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and David Vitter (R-La.), won a significant majority of votes, 58 to 39, but failed to reach the 60 votes needed to avoid a Senate filibuster.

Anti-gun senators have long argued that the majority of Americans do not support firearm freedoms. They made this erroneous claim once again during the debate on the Thune/Vitter amendment. Now, a new poll has proven them wrong.

Conducted by Zogby International and The O’Leary Report, the poll looked at Americans’ opinions on some key issues related to the Second Amendment. One of the questions asked: “Currently, 39 states have laws that allow residents to carry firearms to protect themselves, only if they pass a background check and pay a fee to cover administrative costs. Most of those states also require applicants to have firearms safety training. Do you support or oppose this law?”

It will come as a shock to the 39 senators who voted to deny law-abiding Americans their right to self-defense when traveling outside their home states, but the results showed that 83% of Americans support Right-to-Carry laws. The poll also revealed that support for Right-to-Carry crosses party lines, with 86% of independent voters and 80% of Democratic voters supporting Right-to-Carry. This is no surprise to gun owners, however, who have long known that the majority of Americans support the Second Amendment and the right to self-defense.

The anti-gun community is trumpeting its 39-vote procedural “victory” as a major achievement. But just like the vote in the Senate, the overwhelming majority of Americans are on our side.

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.

Second Amendment Foundation

BELLEVUE, WA – -(AmmoLand.com)- The Second Amendment Foundation today filed a lawsuit on behalf of three residents of the District of Columbia and a New Hampshire resident, seeking to compel the city to issue carry permits to law-abiding citizens.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court on behalf of Tom Palmer, George Lyon and Amy McVey, all District residents, and Edward Raymond, a New Hampshire resident. SAF and the individual plaintiffs are being represented by attorney Alan Gura, who successfully argued the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller case in 2008 that overturned the District’s handgun ban on the grounds that it was unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.

“Once again,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, “we’re heading back to court because the anti-gun city administration refuses to abide by the law. It is beginning to appear like residents of the District are up against a rogue city government that simply does not want to ease its stranglehold on the most important civil right of all, the right of self-preservation.”

“In most major American cities,” said attorney Gura, “where the right to bear arms is respected, licensed permit holders have proven themselves safe and effective. Washington, D.C. already requires handgun registrants to complete the background checks and training classes required of carry permit holders throughout the country. It is pointless to deny these individuals the right to bear arms.”

SAF previously sued the District over its restrictive handgun registration policies, leading the city to amend those policies. This time, SAF is alleging that the District previously had a city code under which the police chief could issue licenses to carry handguns to individuals, including citizens not residing in the District, though the city did not issue such licenses as a matter of policy for several years. That authority was revoked last December by the Mayor and City Council.

Plaintiffs are seeking a permanent injunction against the continued ban on carrying handguns by law-abiding citizens for personal protection.

About:
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nations oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers and an amicus brief and fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.

“Gun Owners of America, another leading gun rights Second Amendment group, is a strong supporter of this amendment that’s specifically pushing for passage and scoring member’s votes.” — Louisiana Senator David Vitter, July 22, 2009

Gun Owners of America

Washington, DC - -(AmmoLand.com)- The bad news is that the Senate still fell two votes short of the 60 votes needed to enact the amendment, which was sponsored by Republican Senators John Thune (SD) and David Vitter (LA). A prior Unanimous Consent agreement allowed the amendment to be offered in the first place, but as such, required that the legislation garner 60 votes (rather than a simple majority) in order to pass.

The good news is that a majority of the U.S. Senate (58 members) voted for an amendment to allow citizens who are already authorized to carry firearms concealed to do so when they travel out of state.

The Thune-Vitter amendment was hotly debated on the Senate floor Wednesday. Senator Thune pointed out that, while 48 states have some form of concealed carry law, his measure would simply “extend that constitutional right across State lines,” recognizing that the right to bear arms and defend oneself  “does not end at State borders or State lines.”

One of the more comical arguments made by some Democrat Senators — Chuck Schumer (NY), Frank Lautenberg (NJ) and Dianne Feinstein (CA) — is that this provision would compromise “states rights.”

Of course, these Senators have shown they care little about “states rights,” as evidenced by federal gun control laws that bear their names: the ban on semi-automatic firearms (the so-called Feinstein assault weapons ban) and the lifetime gun ban on people who engage in pushing-and-shoving incidents in the home (the Lautenberg misdemeanor gun ban).

And where was their adherence to states rights when they voted for the Brady bill, the Gun Free School Zones Ban and the Veterans Disarmament Act?

Republican Senator Tom Coburn (OK) pointed out their hypocrisy when he said:

“We had a vote in terms of honoring States rights in terms of the national park bill on guns. Twenty-nine of my colleagues, thirteen of whom now are ‘defending States rights,’ stepped all over States rights with their vote against the Coburn amendment when it came to allowing people to have supreme their State law in terms of national parks.”

Senator Thune noted that his provision would protect the rights of states by not applying any national standards. Rather, the text simply requires states to acknowledge the concealed carry permits from other states.

In fact, the language of the text specifically states that nothing in the amendment “shall be construed to affect the permitting process for an individual… or preempt any provision of State law with respect to the issuance of licenses or permits to carry concealed firearms.”

Article IV of the U.S. Constitution allows for reciprocity-style legislation by the Congress. The Article allows Congress to enforce “full faith and credit” across the country, so that each state respects the “public acts, records, and judicial proceedings” of every other state.

Please go to the GOA website to see how your Senators voted:

http://capwiz.com/gunowners/issues/votes/?votenum=237&chamber=S&congress=1111

Gun owners should take special notice of Republican Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) and former-Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter (PA) — both of whom voted against concealed carry. Had they voted pro-gun, the Thune-Vitter amendment would have passed.

Las Vegas, NV --(AmmoLand.com)- The headline is somewhat misleading. Let’s not forget that the amendment did pass, 58 to 39. It just did not have the votes to overcome the threat of a veto. 48 states already have concealed carry permit issue. No less than 40 of them are mandatory issue, meaning if you pass the background check and the course, the permit must be issued. Most of the concealed carry states already have reciprocity with most other such states.

What is astounding is the doomsday rhetoric that measures like this continues to inspire:

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, and generally a supporter of gun rights, said she opposed Mr. Thune’s amendment because it infringed on states and cities. “The Thune amendment would invite chaos in our cities,” she said.

“The passage of this amendment would have done more to threaten the safety of New Yorkers than anything since the repeal of the assault weapons ban,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer.

The so-called assault weapons ban was not repealed, Senator Schumer, it was allowed to expire, because everyone knows it didn’t and couldn’t deliver as promised The so-called assault weapon ban outlawed certain semi-automatic rifles with military-style cosmetic features unrelated to the performance characteristics of the firearm.

Violent crime has steadily dropped before, during and since the expiration of the ban. Gun accidents are now at an all-time low, while gun and ammunition sales are at an all-time high. Finally, rifles of all types have a statistically insignificant role in gun violence, according to the FBI uniform crime report. This issue is nothing more a political football kicked around to distract voters from the ineptitude of our leaders to fix the more pressing problems of joblessness, poverty, rampant foreclosure, and health care.

In every single state that has passed concealed weapon permit legislation, 48 out of 50, the same old chicken little dialog erupts. Alas, the sky does not fall, the old West doesn’t reappear, and blood does not “run in our streets”. What does happen where lawful citizens carry? Violent crime, especially gun crime plummets at a disproportionate rate. Home invasions, rapes, robberies, gay bashing, all fall in numbers wherever lawful, trained, and screened citizen exercise their gun rights.

The assertion by Feinstein and Bloomburg that the demise of this measure will save lives is undermined by the facts. Indeed, lives will be lost, rapes and robberies will be committed, and gay bashing will proceed unhindered by any fear that the victims may successfully resist the attacker.

In the next term, the Supreme Court of the United States will step in again where congress has failed, by incorporating (applying) the Second Amendment to the states as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals already has done in Nordyke vs Alameda County (2009).

One day soon, a lawful, peaceable gun owner will be able to enter the Kingdom of New York with his legally transported, locked, unloaded handgun, without risking a felony, as is the case in New York at present. New York State will not issue the required pistol permit under any circumstances to a non-resident. Forget about a carry permit, even if it’s unloaded and locked in your hotel safe, you are now facing a felony. This is the complete and utter disregard for the 2nd amendment that exists in New York, and Illinois. Policies such as this will fail any constitutional standard of review.

As the Heller vs DC court indicated and as common sense dictates, “keep” means own, store, transport, and possess, and “bear” means carry. Plain and simple. The scope of the Heller case happened to be limited to possession in the home. But some confuse the scope of that case with a restriction on the right. This is a misunderstanding that gun control extremists are seizing upon to spin the meaning of the Heller ruling. But no other fundamental constitutional right ends at your doorstep, and the courts will have plenty of opportunity to clarify the extent of permissible restrictions going forward.

Take a deep breath, folks.

Nationwide, licensed concealed carry is coming, and it’s going to be OK, really it will. The sky will not fall, nor will the old West reappear, and blood will not run in our streets. We don’t have to guess about the outcome. There are 40 states that already have mandatory issue for CCW licenses, and there are 8 more states that have discretionary licensing. Together, 48 States have demonstrated in the last decade that licensed, concealed carry works, that public safety and security is enhanced, and that as a public policy, it measurably suppresses violent crime.

Americans have demonstrated once again that we can be trusted with our own safety and security. And that we can and must be trusted with our liberty.

Visit Christopher J Hoffman website www.christopherjhoffman.com

Texas - -(AmmoLand.com)- “I wish Ted was not so restrained in his words”. Ted takes some time to talk to the gun banners and give them an earful why we could all have the unmolested right to firearms ownership and self defense.

You have to give it up for Ted as this is the same logic and mind set that the writers of the United Sates Constitution had in mind when they wrote in the second amendment. Any repeat offender that tries to harm me or my family can exercise his right to die….a Dead Offender and I should not have to be a victim first before I get justice.

The quiet conservative folks of the USA are now starting to wake up and not let the gun rights banning left ruin our country and impose their misguided beliefs on us, the majority.

National Rifle Association of America

IllinoisCarry.com

Washington, DC - -(AmmoLand.com)- Today an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill which would have made concealed carry licenses reciprocal from state to state failed by just two votes.

The failure of the measure is being attributed to two republicans, Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana and Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, who both voted against passage.

The amendment introduced by Sen. John Thune (R-SD) would not have allowed law abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms in IL or WI, the two remaining states which still ban the practice but would have been of great convenience to the residents of the 48 states that do issue licenses to carry concealed firearms.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois.

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Washington, DC - -(AmmoLand.com)- The Thune-Vitter Amendment to add National Reciprocity to the 2010 Defense Programs bill has failed by a vote of 58-39. 60 votes were required for passage.

This amendment would have mandated that all states who issue a license for or otherwise allow their own residents to carry a concealed firearm for personal protection to recognize the concealed carry permits of nonresidents.

A Senate vote tally will be posted on the OFCC website as soon as it is available.

About:
Ohioans For Concealed Carry, the premier grassroots gun rights activist organization in Ohio since 1999. 2003 NRA-ILA Volunteer Organization of the Year. Visit www.ohioccw.org

Virginia Shooting Sports Association

Washington, DC - -(AmmoLand.com)- The Thune Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1390) failed this afternoon on a vote of 58-39, lacking the required 60 votes to invoke cloture.

There were more than enough votes to pass the amendment but those opposing the amendment decided to filibuster the vote – thus requiring 60 votes for passage.

Virginia’s Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb both voted with gun owners and our right to self defense and voted for the amendment. Please be sure to contact Senators Warner and Webb and thank them for standing with law abiding gun owners.

About:
The Virginia Shooting Sports Association (VSSA) was originally founded as the Virginia State Rifle and Revolver Association in 1938. VSSA is the official state association of the National Rifle Association. VSSA is also closely affiliated with the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), Virginia Outdoor Sports Information Network (VOSIN), National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Virginia Gun Collectors Association, and the Virginia Wildlife Federation (VWF).

Buckeye Firearms Foundation

Ohio - -(AmmoLand.com)- The U.S. Senate will vote at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow — Wednesday, July 22 — on an amendment to protect your right to self-defense.

The anti-gunners are now doing everything that they can to defeat this amendment and the vote by your Senators is likely to determine the outcome. So it is critical for you to call and e-mail your Senators now and urge them to support and vote for the Thune-Vitter Amendment.

The Senate is now considering an amendment by Senators John Thune (R-SD) and David Vitter (R-LA) that will provide interstate recognition of Right-to-Carry licenses and permits. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” — and other anti-gun leaders and organizations — are running ads and spreading lies to scare your Senators into opposing this important self-defense reciprocity reform.

It is crucial for you to contact your Senators today — now — and urge them to support and vote for the Thune-Vitter Self-Defense Amendment. Ohio residents use the contact information provided below, please call both their D.C. number and a state office locally AND send an e-mail message (and a fax if possible) to your Senators:

Everyone else you can use NRA CapWiz: www.capwiz.com/nra/dbq/officials/

SENATOR SHERROD BROWN
(202) 224-2315 (D.C.)
(202) 228-6321 (D.C. Fax)
(216) 522-7272 (Cleveland)
(513) 684-1021 (Cincinnati)
(614) 469-2083 (Columbus)
(440) 242-4100 (Lorain)
Email: http://brown.senate.gov/contact/

SENATOR GEORGE VOINOVICH
(202) 224-3353 (D.C.)
(202) 228-1382 (D.C. Fax)
(216) 522-7095 (Cleveland)
(513) 684-3265 (Cincinnati)
(740) 441-6410 (Southeast OH)
(216) 522-7095 (Northeast OH)
(419) 259-3895 (Toledo)
(513) 684-3265 (Dayton)
(614) 469-6697 (Central OH)
Email: http://voinovich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

P.S. If the line is busy, call back. If you’ve already called, call again.

About:
Buckeye Firearms Association is a grassroots political action committee dedicated to defending and advancing the right of Ohio citizens to own and use firearms for all legal activities.

Buckeye Firearms Association seeks to maximize your rights by endorsing and electing pro-gun candidates on the city, county, and state level, including mayors, sheriffs, legislators, and governor. We also work to defeat anti-gun legislation, pass pro-gun bills, and reform existing laws to benefit all Ohio citizens.

Unlike many anti-gun groups, we do not get our funding or support from wealthy activists or big corporations. We are a non-partisan, all-volunteer organization. Officers and supporters donate their time and skills to the pro-gun cause. Not a single dime from donors is spent on salaries or wasteful overhead. In fact, every penny is used to support political campaigns, influence public opinion, and advance gun rights around Ohio.

KeepandBearArms.com

Bellevue, WA - -(AmmoLand.com)- A vote is looming in the U.S. Senate on legislation that would bring national concealed carry reciprocity one step closer to becoming reality.

South Dakota Senator John Thune has introduced an amendment to S. 1290, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2010, that would require all states to recognize concealed carry licenses and permits from every other state, just the same as those states now recognize a driver’s license from another state.

Gun prohibitionists have been lobbying vigorously to defeat this important amendment, and it is important for gun owners to let their voices be heard.

Contact the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and leave a message for your senator.

A vote on Thune Amendment #1618 could come at any moment.

About:
KeepAndBearArms.com is a grassroots movement of the people, by the people, and for the people. It is a call to action, a call for self-education, and a 21 gun salute to the many good men and women who fought and died to bring America into being.

Gun Owners of America

Washington, DC – -(AmmoLand.com)- A vote to protect your right to travel out-of-state with a firearm could come to a vote next week — even as early as Monday!

Senators John Thune and David Vitter are the sponsors of S. 845 — a bill that will establish concealed carry reciprocity amongst the several states.

Senators Thune and Vitter offered the bill as an amendment (#1618) to the Department of Defense authorization bill (H.R. 2647).

This provision will use the constitutional authority allowing Congress to enforce “full faith and credit” across the country, so that each state respects the “public acts, records, and judicial proceedings” of every other state (Article IV).

The benefit of the Thune/Vitter legislation is that — unlike other, competing measures — it would protect the right of any U.S. citizen to carry out of state (regardless of whether he possesses a permit), as long as he is authorized to carry in his home state. This is important because of states like Vermont and Alaska, where residents can carry concealed without prior approval or permission from the state… in other words, without a permit!

ACTION: Please urge your Senators to vote YES on the Thune/Vitter concealed carry reciprocity amendment that will be offered to the Department of Defense authorization bill and NO on any modifying amendments. This vote could come as early as Monday, so please act on this right away!

You can use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators the pre-written e-mail message below.

—– Pre-written letter —–

Dear Senator:

Please support the Thune/Vitter amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill. This amendment will protect the right of citizens to carry firearms outside of their home state without violating the rights of the other states. Thus, the reciprocity language masterfully protects the principle of federalism while also promoting Second Amendment rights.

A person’s right to defend himself and his family should not end at the border of his state.

I urge you to vote for the Thune/Vitter concealed carry amendment and to oppose any modifying actions that seek to weaken their amendment.

Sincerely,

****************************

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.

GOA was founded in 1975 by Sen. H.L. (Bill) Richardson (now retired). Richardson continues to serve as the Chairman of Gun Owners of America, bringing his many years of political experience to the leadership of GOA. Richardson is also an avid hunter and outdoorsman.

The GOA Board of Directors brings over 100 years of combined knowledge and experience on guns, legislation and politics. GOA’s Board is not satisfied with the “status quo.” Americans have lost some of our precious gun rights and WE WANT THEM BACK! This is why GOA is considered the “no compromise” gun lobby.