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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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ATF Announces New Director, Historic Regulatory Overhaul

News  

Thursday, April 30, 2026

ATF Announces New Director, Historic Regulatory Overhaul

April 29 was a big day for Second Amendment supporters in Washington, D.C., as ATF announced the confirmation of a new director, Robert Cekada, and rolled out perhaps the biggest one-day regulatory overhaul in the agency’s ...

Self-Defense: Another “Luxury” the Poor Can Do Without

News  

Monday, May 4, 2026

Self-Defense: Another “Luxury” the Poor Can Do Without

Many years ago, Otis McDonald, a 76-year old retiree living in a high-crime area of Chicago testified that he had “been robbed numerous times in his Morgan Park home; [he’d] witnessed too many crimes to count and ...

Virginia Bills Spark Gun-Buying Boom, Warning from DOJ

News  

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Virginia Bills Spark Gun-Buying Boom, Warning from DOJ

As your NRA-ILA has reported over the last several weeks, the Democrat-controlled Virginia General Assembly and Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) have, between them, approved a sweeping array of radical gun control bills aimed, as NRA’s John Commerford says, ...

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging U.S. Supreme Court to Hear the Case of Navy Veteran Patrick “Tate” Adamiak

Monday, May 4, 2026

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging U.S. Supreme Court to Hear the Case of Navy Veteran Patrick “Tate” Adamiak

The National Rifle Association joined the Second Amendment Foundation, California Rifle & Pistol Association, Second Amendment Law Center, Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in ...

Virginia: Spanberger Signs Unconstitutional Gun Bills into Law

Thursday, April 23, 2026

Virginia: Spanberger Signs Unconstitutional Gun Bills into Law

Today, April 23rd, Governor Spanberger Signed HB1525 and SB727/HB1524 into law. 

Federal Bill Passes Off National Firearm Prohibition Agenda As “Virginia Model”

News  

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Federal Bill Passes Off National Firearm Prohibition Agenda As “Virginia Model”

Virginia has recently been featured in a lot of headlines about gun control, for all the wrong reasons. A number of them have mentioned a federal gun control bill pending in the U.S. Senate, sponsored ...

Minnesota: Gun Control Wish List Policies Moved to New Bill

Friday, May 1, 2026

Minnesota: Gun Control Wish List Policies Moved to New Bill

It would seem that gun control radicals in the Minnesota legislature cannot decide on what bill to put their gun control package in, and have again moved them to another bill. 

Anti-gun Officials Target Glock, While Failing to Hold Criminals to Account

News  

Monday, May 4, 2026

Anti-gun Officials Target Glock, While Failing to Hold Criminals to Account

In 2024, the City of Chicago filed a lawsuit against gun manufacturer Glock – the maker of some of the world’s most popular pistols for civilian and law enforcement use (including at one point the Chicago ...

Minnesota: Gun Control Wish List Passes Senate

Monday, May 4, 2026

Minnesota: Gun Control Wish List Passes Senate

Today, May 4th, the Senate passed SF 4067, the "gun violence prevention package," by a party-line vote of 34-33.

More Guns, Less Homicide: Good News for America, Bad News for Gun Prohibitionists

News  

Monday, May 4, 2026

More Guns, Less Homicide: Good News for America, Bad News for Gun Prohibitionists

Homicide rates in the United States, including those where firearms are used, have been declining over the last few years.  According to multiple reports on early projections, 2025 is expected to see the largest decline in ...

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NRA ILA

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.