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Grassroots Spotlight: Meet Jay M. Littlefield Award Winners Rick Coufal and Dennis Barthenheier

Monday, February 13, 2023

Grassroots Spotlight: Meet Jay M. Littlefield Award Winners Rick Coufal and Dennis Barthenheier

The annual NRA-ILA Jay M. Littlefield Award recognizes individual NRA members for their meritorious defense of the Second Amendment. Late last year, awards were presented to two individuals for their selfless commitment to upholding and supporting the Second Amendment.

Dennis Barthenheier, owner of Wisconsin Firearms Training Center in Brookfield, Wisconsin, received the award for his invaluable work with the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division over the past five years. Combining his passion for the Second Amendment, with his business, Wisconsin Firearms Training Center, he continually serves as a beacon for pro-Second Amendment activities in Wisconsin.

Dennis is always willing to generously let NRA, local volunteers, and pro-2A activists use his business and resources for so many important grassroots events focused on educating and engaging many in Wisconsin in support of our rights. He additionally lends his own personal time to the cause and has assisted NRA-ILA with other endeavors outside his business, such as NRA State Conferences and other events.

Rick Coufal has been volunteering directly with the NRA-ILA in Oregon for just a few short years, but has made a huge impact!  He has been instrumental in important grassroots outreach in Oregon as a Frontlines Activist Leader, as well as the Legislative Director for the NRA affiliated State Association. Rick went above and beyond the call by not only helping the new NRA-ILA PNW Grassroots Coordinator get acclimated to the region, but also helped to staff numerous gun shows and legislative events that contributed to his accumulation of more than 120+ volunteer hours in a single year. Most recently he was an integral part of the Oregonians for Freedom Committee, which was instrumental in fighting the atrocious Oregon gun control ballot initiative. A U.S. Army Veteran, he has always been a wealth of knowledge and commitment and one day aspires to serve the NRA in a greater capacity on the Board of Directors.

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Jive Turkeys: Everytown Gears Up to Spoil Thanksgiving with Gobbledygook

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Monday, November 17, 2025

Jive Turkeys: Everytown Gears Up to Spoil Thanksgiving with Gobbledygook

Thanksgiving in America isn’t just about food, family and football. According to a survey published by casino.ca (with its Great Thanksgiving Family Feud Map), the holiday typically “comes with a slice of family chaos and a touch of ...

Different Election, Same Billionaire, Same Gun Control Agenda

News  

Monday, October 26, 2026

Different Election, Same Billionaire, Same Gun Control Agenda

Another election, same former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg working to shape the nation’s gun laws. For years, NRA has exposed Bloomberg’s relentless efforts to export New York style gun restrictions to the rest ...

San Francisco Law Professor Purports to Channel Scalia on AR-15s; Ignores Scalia

News  

Monday, October 26, 2026

San Francisco Law Professor Purports to Channel Scalia on AR-15s; Ignores Scalia

Some arguments succeed by being true. Some attempt to succeed by confusing the debate and substituting misdirection for clarity. And some attempt to succeed merely by dogged persistence, refusing to die or go away, no ...

New York:  Gov. Hochul Signs More Gun Control This Week

Thursday, October 22, 2026

New York: Gov. Hochul Signs More Gun Control This Week

Gov. Kathy Hochul remains the scariest thing in Albany for law-abiding gun owners.  On Wednesday, October 21 the anti-gun governor of the Empire State signed a pair of gun bills into law.  We've knocked on ...

Fifth Circuit Rules Federal Switchblade Knife Restrictions Violate the Second Amendment

Friday, October 23, 2026

Fifth Circuit Rules Federal Switchblade Knife Restrictions Violate the Second Amendment

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled that the federal Switchblade Act’s restrictions on the interstate commerce of switchblade knives violate the Second Amendment.

Location, Location, Location: Study Finds Crime Concentration Correlates with Politics

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Monday, October 26, 2026

Location, Location, Location: Study Finds Crime Concentration Correlates with Politics

It’s well established that certain offenders remain disproportionately responsible for violent crime. A 2001 report on such “chronic offenders” in Minnesota concluded that over a four-year period, just five percent of offenders were responsible for ...

District Court Declines to Enter Agreement to Invalidate Florida’s Waiting Period Law in NRA Case and Invites Amici Participation

Thursday, October 29, 2026

District Court Declines to Enter Agreement to Invalidate Florida’s Waiting Period Law in NRA Case and Invites Amici Participation

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday denied the parties’ joint motion for entry of judgment in the National Rifle Association’s challenge to Florida’s firearm waiting period law. The case, Dunn v. Glass, remains pending ...

The NFA’s New Era: What Has Changed, What Remains the Same, Items of Note

News  

Monday, October 12, 2026

The NFA’s New Era: What Has Changed, What Remains the Same, Items of Note

As we announced separately this week, ATF has determined that it will use its executive discretion to uniformly suspend enforcement of large portions of the National Firearms Act (NFA).

“I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that” – ChatGPT is Now “Completely Anti-gun”

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Monday, October 19, 2026

“I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that” – ChatGPT is Now “Completely Anti-gun”

More than half a century ago, Stanley Kubrick’s film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, introduced the world to HAL-9000, a sentient “supercomputer” with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) processing. When HAL, responsible for running the spacecraft, decides ...

U.S. Department of Justice Declares Age 18-20 Handgun Sales Ban Unconstitutional

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Wednesday, September 23, 2026

U.S. Department of Justice Declares Age 18-20 Handgun Sales Ban Unconstitutional

On September 17, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a memorandum opinion to answer the question “whether restricting young adults from buying firearms comports with the Second Amendment as the Supreme ...

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Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.