States with updates this issue: Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
THE NOT-SWEET 16
As reported in last week’s Alert, on July 13, 2006, all 55 Republicans, joined by 28 Democrats and 1 Independent, voted to pass Senator David Vitter’s (R-La.) amendment to prohibit the use of taxpayer funds allocated under the Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 5441) to be used to confiscate lawfully-possessed firearms during an emergency or major disaster. Sixteen Senators opposed the prohibition.
In passing this legislation, the United States Senate acted on a bi-partisan basis to protect the self-defense rights of citizens when those rights are most vital, in the aftermath of a major disaster, when law-abiding citizens are left to defend themselves and their families.
Sixteen Democrats (including both Senators from the states of California, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York) voted to defeat this commonsense legislation (Déjà vu Note: Under the unblinking eye of the C-SPAN cameras, Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) voted against the Vitter amendment, then minutes later he reversed course and voted for it.) These extreme opponents of the Second Amendment are:
| Daniel Akaka, Hawaii | Edward Kennedy, Massachusetts | |
| Barbara Boxer, California | Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey | |
| Hillary Clinton, New York | Carl Levin, Michigan | |
| Christopher Dodd, Connecticut | Robert Menéndez, New Jersey | |
| Dick Durbin, Illinois | Barbara Mikulski, Maryland | |
| Dianne Feinstein, California | Jack Reed, Rhode Island | |
| Tom Harkin, Iowa | Paul Sarbanes, Maryland | |
| Daniel Inouye, Hawaii | Chuck Schumer, New York |
While the passage of Senator Vitter’s Amendment is significant, enactment into law of the “Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006” should remain our overarching goal. Introduced as S. 2599 by Senator Vitter in the Senate, and H.R. 5013 by U.S. Representative Bobby Jindal (R-La.) in the House, this NRA-supported legislation would amend federal emergency statute laws to prohibit federal, state, and local authorities from confiscating lawfully-owned firearms during times of disaster.
Please be sure to contact your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative, and urge them to cosponsor and support S. 2599, and H.R. 5013, respectively, the “Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006!” You can reach your Senators at (202) 224-3121 and your Representative at (202) 225-3121.
MICHIGAN IS LATEST STATE TO ENACT
NRA-BACKED “CASTLE DOCTRINE” LEGISLATION!
On July 20, Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) signed into law a package of six self-defense bills backed by NRA, bringing “Castle Doctrine” protections to law-abiding Michigan citizens.
“I want to thank the Michigan Legislature and Governor Jennifer Granholm for working together in making this victims’ rights bill law,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox. “When you’re confronted by a criminal, you don’t have the luxury of time. This “Castle Doctrine” package states that if victims choose to stand their ground and fight, their decision will not be second-guessed by the State of Michigan. The ability to protect yourself, your children, or your spouse from harm is important, whether you’re in your home or outside.”
The six-bill “Castle Doctrine” Package passed with bi-partisan, supermajority support in both houses of the Michigan legislature:
HB 5143, sponsored by Rep. Rick Jones (R-71), creates the “Self Defense Act” and specifies that it is not a crime to use force or deadly force to defend oneself if that person is not breaking any laws when defensive force was used. The person must be facing imminent threat of death or great bodily harm.
SB 1046, sponsored by Sen. Alan Cropsey (R-33), outlines rebuttal presumptions for justified use of self-defense. The bill makes it clear that there is no “duty to retreat” if a person is in a place where he or she has a legal right to be.
SB 1185, sponsored by Sen. Ron Jelinek (R-21), allows for the award of court and attorney fees in civil cases where it was determined a person acted in accordance with the “Self Defense Act” and where civil immunities apply.
HB 5548, sponsored by Rep. Tim Moore (R-97), gives civil immunities to persons acting in accordance with the “Self Defense Act,” preventing criminals and their families from suing law-abiding citizens.
HB 5153, sponsored by Rep. Leslie Mortimer (R-65), puts the burden of proof on the prosecutor to show that a person acted unlawfully in the application of force, rather than the person using the force having to prove they acted lawfully.
HB 5142, sponsored by Rep. Tom Casperson (R-108), expands the definition of “dwelling” to include a person’s garage, barn, backyard, etc.
“On behalf of all NRA members in Michigan, I want to thank each of the bills’ chief sponsors for their leadership in seeing these measures become law,” Cox said. “The Castle Doctrine is about putting the law back on the side of the victim; the way it’s supposed to be.”
NEWLY REVISED “FREEDOM’S VOICE” NEWSLETTER
TO BE IN E-MAIL INBOXES NEXT WEEK!
As noted in the July 7 issue of the Grassroots Alert, our monthly newsletter “Freedom’s Voice” is going to be totally revamped to provide readers with information they can put to use, that won’t be found in the Friday Grassroots Alert.
Those of you who subscribe to this electronic newsletter should keep your eyes on your e-mail inbox next week, as that’s when we will transmit the first issue of our revised newsletter. In it you will find tips on contacting and working with pro-gun campaigns, find out which U.S. Senator made our “spotlight,” and learn how to contact the editor’s of “Freedom’s Voice.”
If you or someone you know currently don’t receive “Freedom’s Voice, ” please go to www.NRAILA.org and choose “Get Involved Locally.” Once there, click the “Sign up to Volunteer!” link and complete the on-line Volunteer Information Form, noting you wish to receive “Freedom’s Voice” and providing your e-mail address. You may also contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683 to sign-up, by providing us your name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address.
We hope you enjoy the new “activist-laden” “Freedom’s Voice” newsletter, and we recommend you encourage your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to sign up to receive this free e-newsletter!
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!
For more than a decade, NRA-ILA has developed and implemented a grassroots program that is perhaps the best in the nation.
As you’ve read countless times in the Grassroots Alert and elsewhere, the NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinator (EVC) program seeks to place an individual NRA member in every congressional district to act as a liaison between NRA members and gun owners in his area and pro-Second Amendment campaigns. (EVCs also work to provide volunteer support for NRA-ILA’s legislative agendas at the federal, state, and local levels.) The EVC’s role is to recruit and organize gun owners to undertake critically-important campaign volunteer activities, including: phone banks, precinct walks, literature drops, yard sign & bumper sticker distribution, Get Out The Vote, and Election Day activities. Thanks in large part to the efforts of our nationwide network of EVCs, gun owners have enjoyed tremendous successes at the ballot box in recent years.
BUT NOW, ONCE AGAIN, WE NEED YOUR HELP!
You see, while we have secured an EVC in most congressional districts, we still have vacancies we must fill in time to make a difference in the November 7 elections. Currently, there are EVC vacancies in the following congressional districts:
| California | Districts 02, 03, 04, 05, 21, 25, 38, 40, 46, and 48 | ||
| Colorado | District 03 | ||
| Connecticut | Districts 01, 03, and 04 | ||
| Florida | Districts 09, 10, 11, 17, 20, and 23 | ||
| Georgia | District 06, and 12 | ||
| Illinois | District 04 | ||
| Indiana | Districts 02, 03, 05, and 06 | ||
| Kentucky | Districts 02, and 06 | ||
| Louisiana | Districts 02, and 05 | ||
| Massachusetts | Districts 03, 08, and 09 | ||
| Maryland | Districts 02, 03, 04, 05, 07, and 08 | ||
| Maine | District 01 | ||
| Michigan | Districts 11, 13, 14, and 15 | ||
| Nebraska | Districts 01, and 03 | ||
| New Mexico | Districts 02, and 03 | ||
| New York | Districts 06, 07, 09, 11, and 24 | ||
| North Carolina | Districts 04, 08, and 09 | ||
| New Jersey | Districts 06, and 12 | ||
| Pennsylvania | Districts 09, 16, 17, and 19 | ||
| South Carolina | Districts 01, and 04 | ||
| Tennessee | Districts 04, and 06 | ||
| Texas | Districts 08, 09, 11, 12, 18, 25, 29, and 30 | ||
| Utah | District 01 | ||
| Virginia | Districts 03, and 10 | ||
| West Virginia | Districts 01, and 03 | ||
| Washington | District 07 |
If you are willing to serve as your district’s EVC, or if you know someone whom you feel is qualified for this volunteer leadership position, please contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), and ask to speak to your state’s Grassroots Coordinator.
To view a list of current EVCs in your state or to learn more about the program, please visit www.nraila.org/ActionCenter/GetInvolvedLocally/Default.aspx#evc, or call ILA’s Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683).
We hope you or someone you know will be able to answer this call to action, and we thank you for your active support in defense of freedom!
NRA-ILA “MIX N’ MINGLES”
Much is at stake in this year’s elections; we will decide if we continue to move ahead on the path of pro-gun reform, or, if we will revert to the dark Clinton-Gore years. In order to ensure continued success for the Second Amendment, we must elect pro-gun lawmakers to office this election season.
To ensure victory for our pro-gun candidates this election year, NRA-ILA will be hosting FREE NRA-ILA “Mix N’ Mingles” across the country. These events will provide NRA members with training on what they can do locally to propel candidates to victory this election season. The meetings also provide attendees the opportunity to meet and socialize with lawmakers, candidates, and their staffs; NRA-ILA Headquarters staff, fellow NRA members—and to earn FREE NRA fraternal items such as hats, pocketknives, buttons, etc. “Mix N’ Mingles,” including materials, food, beverages, and NRA items, are FREE!
Mix N’ Mingle events are scheduled for:
| - | Reading, PA | 8/12/2006 |
| - | Libby, MT | 8/15/2006 |
| - | Great Falls, MT | 8/17/2006 |
| - | Billings, MT | 8/19/2006 |
| - | Seymour, IN | 8/24/2006 |
| - | South Bend, IN | 8/26/2006 |
| - | Aurora, CO | 8/26/2006 |
| - | Lincoln, NE | 9/9/2006 |
| - | Towson, MD | 9/23/2006 |
| - | Rock Hill, SC | 9/30/2006 |
| - | Dublin, OH | 10/14/2006 |
| - | St. Cloud, MN | 10/16/2006 |
NRA members who have access to the Internet can go to www.nraila.org/workshops/ to reserve their seats on-line. NRA members are encouraged to check this website address frequently to see if any upcoming “Mix N’ Mingles” are scheduled in their area. NRA members may also contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) for details and to reserve their seats.
A LOOK AT THE STATES
(***For all of the action items below, you can find contact information for your legislators by using the “Write Your Representatives” tool at www.NRAILA.org. For information on NRA-PVF candidate endorsements, NRA members are encouraged to call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), or visit www.NRAPVF.org. If you go to the NRA-PVF site, you will have to provide your NRA member ID number to access the site. Your NRA member ID number can be found on the front of your NRA magazine or on your NRA membership card. Your ID number on the magazine’s mailing label is the 10-digit number that follows the code: #07901. Examples of how to find your ID number can also be found at www.NRAPVF.org on the login page accessed by choosing your state. As always, thank you for your support.***)
States with updates this issue: Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
COLORADO
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, August 8! Absentee ballots may already be requested, and early in-person voting will start 10 days prior to Election Day. For more information about voting in Colorado, please visit www.elections.colorado.gov/DDefault.aspx?tid=1. Be sure to “Vote Freedom First” on Tuesday, August 8!
CONNECTICUT
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, August 8! For more information about voting in Connecticut, please visit www.sots.ct.gov/ElectionsServices/VoterGuide/VoterGuide.htm. Be sure to “Vote Freedom First” on Tuesday, August 8!
KANSAS
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, August 1! Advance voting started July 12, and ends July 31! For more information about advance voting please visit www.kssos.org/elections/elections_registration_voting.html or call (800) 262-VOTE (8683). Be sure to “Vote Freedom First” on Tuesday, August 1!
MICHIGAN
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, August 8! For more information about voting in Michigan, please visit www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633_8716---,00.html. Be sure to “Vote Freedom First” on Tuesday, August 8!
MISSOURI
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, August 8! For more information about voting in Missouri, please visit www.sos.mo.gov/elections/s_default.asp?id=voters. Be sure to “Vote Freedom First” on Tuesday, August 8!
NEBRASKA
On July 18, The Omaha City Council repealed an ordinance that outlaws concealed firearms in the city of Omaha. The 5-2 vote brings Omaha in line with the state’s Right-to-Carry law, that was passed earlier this year. Mayor Mike Fahey (D) plans to veto the measure, but with five of the seven council members favoring the repeal, there are enough votes for a veto override. Congratulations to all NRA members who took the time to contact their City Council members and encourage them to support the personal protection rights of the citizens of Omaha!
Lincoln Public Hearing: There will be a public hearing on Monday, July 31, at 5:30 p.m., concerning Mayor Coleen Seng’s (D) proposal to ban concealed handguns within the city limits. At this point Mayor Seng has three council members who support her ban, three who are undecided, and one who wants to delay action for a year. It is crucial that all NRA members attend this hearing and voice their opposition to this proposed ordinance. The meeting will be held Monday, July 31, at the County-City Building on 555 S. 10th Street, Lincoln, 68508, at 5:30 p.m. If you are unable to attend, please contact the city council members and urge them not to support Mayor Seng’s proposal. You can contact the council members at http://www.ci.lincoln.ne.us/city/council/lista.htm.
NEW YORK
On July 15, after more than five years of hearings, debates, and studies, the Suffolk County Trap & Skeet Range has finally reopened! Please show your support by visiting the range located at 165 Gerard Road in Yaphank, New York 11980, (631) 924-5600. The hours of operation are 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., Wednesday through Sunday.
Unfortunately, Legislator Kate Browning is not giving up her fight on her resolution to close down the Suffolk County Trap & Skeet range permanently, and only large numbers of people can and will influence the members of this committee, of which Ms. Browning is a member. We can, and we must, persuade the committee and/or the County legislature to do the right thing and keep the Suffolk County Trap & Skeet Range open.
At the last Parks & Recreation Committee meeting held on June 21, the committee decided to table IR-1738-2006, and bring it back up for discussion at the next Parks & Recreation Committee meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for August 2, at 11:00 a.m., at the Suffolk County Legislative Building, Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, NY 11788, (631) 853-4000. Please call your Legislator and plan to attend this meeting and urge the Committee members to oppose IR-1738-2006. The Suffolk County Legislature can be reached at (631) 853-4074 or at www.co.suffolk.ny.us/legis/.
Also, The Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education Inc. (S.A.F.E.) will be hosting its “2006 Right-to-Carry Conference & Second Amendment Rally” on Sunday, October 1, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (doors open at 12:00 noon). The event will be held at the Sheraton, Long Island, 110 Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, Smithtown, NY, (631) 231-1100, (on Motor Parkway on North side of LIE between exits 53 & 55). In attendance at the event will be: Wayne R. LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President; Bob Barr, Former Member, U.S. House of Representatives and NRA Board Member; Jim Fotis, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Alliance of America; John Faso, Republican Candidate for New York State Governor; John Spencer, Republican/Conservative Candidate for U.S. Senator from New York; and John L. Cushman, S.A.F.E. President and Founder, and NRA Board Member.
If you believe you have the right to own and use firearms lawfully, then you need to attend this conference. You will get the latest information on the Right-to-Carry nationwide and locally. You will meet and network with fellow sportsmen and women concerning your civil rights and those of your children and grand children. This Conference will raise issues of concern and give suggested courses of action with local and national leaders of Second Amendment organizations and legislators from all levels of government. You will also have a chance to win valuable prizes in drawings limited to attendees only. Admission and parking is free and the event is open to your family and friends.
City of White Plains Common Council Meeting Reminder: Mayor Joseph Delfino (R) and the Common Council of the City of White Plains have proposed an anti-gun local law, Introductory Local Law No. 3, which effects businesses and owners of air pistols and air rifles, also known as BB or pellet guns. A public hearing has been scheduled for August 7, 2006. Introductory Local Law No. 3 would require any person who sells, possesses, or transports any air pistol or air rifle to obtain a license and pay an annual fee in the City of White Plains. Any violation of this local law will be a misdemeanor and may require payment of a fine or even the serving of jail time!
In order to stop this proposed anti-gun legislation, attendance at this public hearing is needed! The public hearing is August 7, 2006, at 7:30 p.m., to be held at the Council Chambers, on 255 Main Street. Please contact Mayor Delfino and the Common Council members immediately at (914) 422-1411 and ask them to oppose Introductory Local Law No. 3. To find contact information on your Common Council member, please visit www.ci.white-plains.ny.us/council/council.htm.
OKLAHOMA
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, July 25 for early voting dates and general information about voting in Oklahoma, please use the following ling: www.ok.gov/~elections/index.html! Be sure to “Vote Freedom First” on Tuesday, July 25!
TENNESSEE
The 2006 Primary elections are being held Thursday, August 3 and early voting started July 14 and ends July 29. For more information about voting in Tennessee, please visit www.state.tn.us/sos/election/index.htm. Be sure to “Vote Freedom First” on Thursday, August 3!
