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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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Texas: A Flurry of Anti-Gun Bills Introduced on the First Day of Prefiling

Monday, November 9, 2026

Texas: A Flurry of Anti-Gun Bills Introduced on the First Day of Prefiling

Prefiling of legislative bills for the 2027 Regular Session of the Texas State Legislature began today. On the first day alone, legislators filed roughly 35 firearm-related bills, with the vast majority aimed are infringing on ...

DOJ Files Amicus Brief Supporting NRA-Backed Challenge to IL’s Ban on “Assault Weapons” and “Large-Capacity Magazines”

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

DOJ Files Amicus Brief Supporting NRA-Backed Challenge to IL’s Ban on “Assault Weapons” and “Large-Capacity Magazines”

Last Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in the Seventh Circuit supporting an NRA-backed challenge to Illinois’s prohibition on so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines.”

Buckle Up, Friends: DOJ Opens New 2A Division, Promises “A Lot More Action” to Safeguard Rights

News  

Monday, December 15, 2025

Buckle Up, Friends: DOJ Opens New 2A Division, Promises “A Lot More Action” to Safeguard Rights

In a landmark accomplishment in furtherance of President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order on the Second Amendment, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the creation of a new section under its Civil Rights Division - ...

Trump Administration Loses Two of its Brightest Second Amendment Lights

News  

Monday, November 9, 2026

Trump Administration Loses Two of its Brightest Second Amendment Lights

Along with other difficult tidings, the last couple of weeks brought the unfortunate news that two key figures in the Trump administration’s Second Amendment Renaissance were leaving government service. 

Trump DOJ to Investigate Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for Permit Delays

News  

Monday, March 31, 2025

Trump DOJ to Investigate Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for Permit Delays

The United States Supreme Court, in its landmark Bruen decision recognizing a right to carry in public for self-defense, did not foreclose shall-issue licensing as being consistent with the Second Amendment.

The Election is Over: Now the Real Work Begins

News  

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

The Election is Over: Now the Real Work Begins

While the complete picture from the 2026 midterm elections is still emerging, the results, to say the least, were not what gun owners wanted. Anti-gun forces took control of the U.S. Senate and House of ...

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones Reveals Ignorance on Basic Firearms Technology

News  

Monday, November 9, 2026

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones Reveals Ignorance on Basic Firearms Technology

Back in 2019, David Harsanyi penned an article titled, If You’re Trying To Ban Guns, The Least You Can Do Is Learn The Basics, which focused on complaints of “gunsplaining” by gun control advocates objecting ...

Arizona: Anti-Gun Lawmakers Waste No Time Taking Aim at Second Amendment Rights

Friday, November 6, 2026

Arizona: Anti-Gun Lawmakers Waste No Time Taking Aim at Second Amendment Rights

Just hours after Election Day, anti-gun lawmakers in Arizona are already signaling plans to pursue gun control in 2027, leaving law-abiding Arizonans to face the harsh reality that a consequential legislative session lies ahead.  

Beyond Colorado: DOJ Lawsuits Herald a National Defense of the Second Amendment

News  

Monday, May 11, 2026

Beyond Colorado: DOJ Lawsuits Herald a National Defense of the Second Amendment

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon and her newly hired brigade of Second Amendment attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division Second Amendment Section are clearly ready to work. 

The Election is Over: Now the Real Work Begins

News  

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

The Election is Over: Now the Real Work Begins

While the complete picture from the 2026 midterm elections is still emerging, the results, to say the least, were not what gun owners wanted. Anti-gun forces took control of the U.S. Senate and House of ...

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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.