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NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert Vol. 11, No. 7 1-800-392-8683 www.nraila.org Please forward this information to your family, friends, and fellow gun owners! If you would like to receive this in a text only format, go to Update Profile/Unsubscribe and change your Email type to "Text".
S. 659/S. 1806 VOTE COULD COME NEXT WEEK! The vote on S. 659/S. 1806, the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act," could come as early as next week. This is a critical time and your IMMEDIATE ACTION is needed! Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.), Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) will almost certainly attempt a filibuster. We can also expect these gun-banners to try and load the legislation with numerous anti-gun amendments, including S. 1034?the Clinton gun ban extension?and S. 1807?the Gun Show Restriction Bill. We are very close to passing S. 659/S. 1806 and defeating the threatened filibuster, but we need your help to succeed! Gun owners must continue to take action if we are to pass this vitally-important bill and send it to President Bush for his signature. It is therefore imperative that you continue to contact your U.S. Senators and urge them to fully support S. 659/S. 1806, as written, without any anti-gun amendments! Also, please re-double your efforts and pull out all of the stops to encourage your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to contact their Senators in support of S. 659/S. 1806 as well. To further assist you in this effort, NRA-ILA has designed a special section of our website (www.NRAILA.org) that contains a host of useful information and resources, including additional background on the bill, a list of current cosponsors, and sample letters to your lawmakers and to the editors of your local papers. In addition, you can call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, or you can use the "Write Your Representatives" tool at www.NRAILA.org to find contact information. ALERT US TO, AND ATTEND TOWN HALL MEETINGS Congress is currently on its President`s Day Work Period until early next week. During this time, your Senators and Representative will be back home in their respective states and districts. Many lawmakers use this time to hold town hall meetings, where they can report on what they`ve been doing in Washington, and take questions from their constituents. These meetings offer an additional opportunity for you to personally voice your strong support for the Senate reckless lawsuit prohibition bill (S. 659/S. 1806), and your staunch opposition to legislation that seeks to reauthorize and expand the 1994 Clinton gun ban (S. 1034, S. 1431, and H.R. 2038). Please contact your lawmakers` district offices and ask when they plan to hold their town hall meetings during the break. If you do not know the number for your lawmakers` district offices, you can use the "Write Your Representatives" tool at www.NRAILA.org, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683. If you get a chance to meet with your lawmakers, we once again urge you to: Ask Your Senators to Cosponsor and Support S. 659/S. 1806 and to Oppose S. 1034 and S. 1431 Which Expand the Clinton Gun Ban. Encourage Your U.S. Representative to Oppose H.R. 2038, The House Bill To Vastly Expand The Clinton Gun Ban. In addition to attending town hall meetings and speaking out in support of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms, please forward the dates, times, and locations of any town hall meetings to your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners, and to the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division, so we may compile this information and share it with the pro-gun community. Please forward this information to the Grassroots Division by calling (800) 392-8683, by faxing to (703) 267-3918, or by sending an e-mail to townhall@nrahq.org. Also, please take advantage of this recess to try and schedule personal meetings with your lawmakers and/or their staffs in their district offices to discuss these issues. For a current list of these meetings, please visit www.NRAILA.org, choose "Get Involved Locally," and then click the "Event Calendar." STAY INFORMED & HELP SAVE ILA FUNDS Our campaign to ensure readers of the Grassroots Alert switch from receiving the newsletter by fax to e-mail is paying off! However, we still have thousands of Grassroots Alert recipients who receive the weekly Alert via fax. If you have an e-mail address, but you still receive the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert every Friday via fax, we encourage you to switch over to our e-mail system. We can send e-mail at virtually no cost, while each fax incurs the cost of a long distance call, not to mention your cost in paper. E-mail also allows you more flexibility in relaying our information to others. If you would like to switch to e-mail delivery, just go to www.NRAILA.org, then follow the instructions through the link called "Sign Up For Email." Once you start receiving our alerts via e-mail, please call the Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683, and let us know so we can take you off the fax system. NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS ELECTION WORKSHOPS In preparation for the 2004 elections, NRA-ILA is hosting FREE Grassroots-Election Workshops across the country. These Workshops provide NRA members with training on what they can do locally to ensure pro-gun candidates are elected to office in 2004. The meetings also provide a venue for lawmakers, candidates, and their staffs to reach out to NRA members and explain their positions on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. The next Workshop is slated for: Green Bay, Wisconsin ? 3/20/04 NRA members who are interested in attending should contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) for details and to reserve their spots. NRA members who have access to the Internet can also go to www.NRAILA.org/workshops/ to reserve their spots on-line. A LOOK AT THE STATES ARIZONA As many of you know, the Ben Avery Shooting Facility (BASF) is one of the country`s best shooting ranges. It has come under attack in recent years because of encroaching development. The NRA, with the City of Phoenix and others, is working hard to pass HB 2158, the Shooting Range Preservation bill. This bill would place zoning provisions under state law to protect against future conflicts between the range and its encroaching neighbors. In addition, it would require approval by the Legislature and the Governor if the Fish and Game Commission attempts to dispose of all or a part of the range. HB 2158 is critical to BASF`s long-term survival. Well-financed opposition is making the claim that the bill violates private property rights. This is untrue in light of the fact that the land affected is entirely owned by the state and federal government. The bill is currently being held in the Rules Committee by Representative Karen Johnson (R-18). Please call Representative Johnson at (602) 926-4467 and tell her that HB 2158 deserves a full and fair vote on the House floor. Also, please contact your state representative and ask that he protect BASF by supporting HB 2158. HB 2648, the Restaurant Carry bill, is also a critical bill in this year`s session. It will eliminate the prohibition on carrying firearms for self-defense in most restaurants that serve alcohol. This will bring Arizona in line with the vast majority of all states in the country. Please contact your legislator in support of HB 2648. You can find contact information for you legislator by using the "Write Your Representative" feature at www.NRAILA.org. INDIANA The State Senate Criminal, Civil and Public Policy Committee voted February 17, on an amendment to HB 1349 authored by Senator Bob Meeks (R-13). Senator Meeks` amendment protects law-abiding gun owners from frivolous lawsuits if an unauthorized party misuses their firearm. This important legislation will now go before the Senate early next week. Please call your Senator at (317) 232-2554 and urge him to support HB 1349. For contact information, please visit www.NRAILA.org and click on the "Write Your Representatives" feature. KANSAS HB 2798, the Personal and Family Protection Act, which will provide law-abiding gun owners with the ability to protect themselves and their loved ones, is expected on the House floor soon. Please contact your Representative and respectfully urge him to support HB 2798. You can find contact information for your Representative using the "Write Your Representatives" feature at www.NRAILA.org. KENTUCKY Senate Bill 95, sponsored by Senator Albert Robinson (R-D 21), passed out of the Committee on State and Local Government. This critical legislation closes a judicially-created "loophole" in the state`s 1984 preemption law and allows local governments to discriminate against licensed gun dealers and manufacturers through the use of their zoning laws. SB 95 requires local governments to treat dealers and manufacturers in the same manner as they do all other businesses. Please call your state Senator and request that he support SB 95. You can find contact information for your Senator by using the "Write Your Representatives" feature at www.NRAILA.org. MARYLAND The committee vote on SB 288, the "Assault Weapons" Ban, has been delayed. The vote is now scheduled for early next week. Please continue to call your State Senator and voice your opposition to this onerous bill. You can find contact information for your Senator by using the "Write Your Representatives" feature at www.NRAILA.org. Please make the call today! MICHIGAN The Michigan Dove Bill is still pending a vote in the Senate. Please contact your Senator and respectfully urge him to support the bill. You can find contact information for your Senator by using the "Write Your Representatives" feature at www.NRAILA.org. MISSISSIPPI The following NRA-supported bills have been introduced in the 2004 Mississippi Legislature: HB 988 and SB 2623 create a specialized NRA license plate and send fees collected for the tags to the for NRA Foundation`s State Fund Account for Mississippi for hunter education programs, firearms safety courses, marksmanship training, and wildlife conservation. HB 989 and SB 2705 streamline Mississippi`s reciprocity law by requiring Mississippi to recognize carry permits from other states which, in turn, agree to recognize Mississippi permits. This would greatly expand the number of states where Mississippi permit holders could lawfully carry when traveling. Both House bills are sponsored by Representative Warner McBride (D-10). The Senate versions are sponsored by Senator Walter Michel (R-25). Please contact your State Representatives & State Senators and urge them to support these measures. MISSOURI The 12th Annual Missouri Gun Rights Rally Day will take place Wednesday, February 25, in the Capital`s 1st floor Rotunda, in Jefferson City, from 9:00 a.m.- Noon. The Missouri Sport Shooting Association (MSSA) is jointly hosting this event with The Second Amendment Coalition of Missouri, Inc. (SACMO), both of which are NRA Affiliated Organizations. The Rally will have booths, information, door prizes, and many good speakers. For more information please call the Second Amendment Hotline at (636) 230-2399, ext. 3. OKLAHOMA House Bill 2182, sponsored by Representative Don Armes (R-63), was passed out of committee last week and is expected to come up for a vote in the House soon. HB 2182 establishes a web site where waterfowl hunters may obtain their federal HIP number for free, rather than the $2 fee currently charged. Please contact your Representative and urge him to support HB 2182 when it is heard in the House. You can reach your Representative at (405) 521-2711, or you can visit www.NRAILA.org and click on the "Write Your Representatives" feature for contact information. WASHINGTON On February 19, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 5083. SB 5083 would recognize Right-to-Carry permits from states which accept Washington carry permits. The hearing went well, and a vote should be held next week. Please contact the House Judiciary Committee members and respectfully urge them to support Senate Bill 5083. You can find contact information regarding the House Judiciary Committee by calling ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683 or by calling the Washington Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000.
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