BATFE Reform Bill Introduced In U.S. Senate
Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced S. 941- the “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act” - on April 30. Senator Leahy is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to which S. 941 has been referred.
S. 941 represents the first time such BATFE Reform legislation has been introduced in the Senate. However, the House passed similar legislation (H.R. 5092) in the 109th Congress by a 277-131 vote. A majority of the House - 224 congressmen - cosponsored a similar bill (H.R. 4900), in the 110th Congress.
Failed President Supports Failed Gun Ban: In an opinion piece published in the New York Times on April 27, former president Jimmy Carter—who did his darnedest to undermine the Second Amendment when he was in the White House—asked, “What Happened to the Ban on Assault Weapons?”
The answer is, the same thing that happened to Jimmy Carter. After one of the most unsuccessful presidencies in U.S. history, Mr. Carter couldn’t get enough votes to be reelected. Similarly, once Congress realized that gun control supporters had exaggerated the role of “assault weapons” in crime, they couldn’t get the votes necessary to extend the ban past its 10-year “sunset” date.
Disgraced Law-Breaking Ex-Governor Pushes Gun Control: You know you are doing something right when two prominent politicians driven from public office come out in favor of gun control in the same week.
After resigning from the governorship of New York in shame and spending months out of the public eye, Eliot Spitzer (D) has decided to launch a campaign to rehabilitate himself by giving unsolicited gun control advice to President Barack Obama. Yes, this is the same Eliot Spitzer who, after railing against the “unregulated” firearm industry as New York’s Attorney General, was driven from public office when caught spending $4,300 on a member of the oldest and most unregulated of professions.
ILA Dinner and Auction At Annual Meetings: The Institute for Legislative Action will hold its Third Annual Dinner and Auction in conjunction with the NRA Annual Meetings in Phoenix, Arizona 
on Friday evening, May 15th.
The Third Annual NRA-ILA Dinner and Auction will allow you to show your continued support for NRA-ILA, and to enjoy a great evening filled with good food, friends and an excellent live and silent auction. This year’s auction is dedicated to “Investing in our Firearms Freedom.”
For more information regarding this great event, or to purchase tickets, please click here.
Supreme Court Plaintiff Dick Heller To Speak At Grassroots Workshop Breakfast! If you haven’t signed up yet for the NRA-ILA Grassroots Workshop on May 15, being held in conjunction with NRA’s Annual Meeting, here’s another reason to do so.
During the free continental breakfast that proceeds the Workshop, Dick Heller, the plaintiff in the landmark D.C. v. Heller case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Washington, D.C.’s handgun ban and affirmed the Second Amendment as an individual right, will be presenting remarks.
Mr. Heller will speak at 8:30 a.m., on the Heller decision and the need for continued and increased grassroots activism in order to protect the Second Amendment.
To read more about this Workshop, please click here.
Volunteers Needed In Phoenix For 2009 NRA Annual Meetings: The 2009 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will be an exciting weekend, as thousands of NRA members will come together May 15-17, 2009, in Phoenix, AZ. You can contribute to the success of our meeting by participating as an Annual Meeting Volunteer. To volunteer or to see how you can get involved, please click here.
Help Defend Your Gun Rights One Easy Click At A Time: We now have a revolutionary yet simple tool that will allow you to stay connected to NRA-ILA and raise valuable contributions to defend our Second Amendment rights without spending a dime! It’s the NRA-ILA Toolbar, and you can make a difference by downloading and using it.
Show your support, stay connected to your NRA-ILA, and raise valuable contributions for our defense of the Second Amendment by downloading and using this free toolbar! Please click here to download your toolbar now!
STATE ROUNDUP (Please note the only items listed below are those that have had recent action. For other updates on state legislation, please go to the state legislation section at www.NRAILA.org, and check each week’s issue of the Grassroots Alert.”)
ALABAMA:“Worker Protection” Bill to be Heard Next Week! House Bill 362, Alabama’s “Worker Protection” bill, is expected to be heard on the House floor Tuesday, May 5. HB362, as originally written, would protect your right to lawfully transport and store firearms in a privately-owned and locked motor vehicle while parked in publicly accessible parking lots controlled by your employer or a business you frequent. However, in its current form, HB362 contains an exemption that would allow railroad companies to prohibit their employees from storing lawfully-owned firearms at work. Please continue to contact your State Representative and urge them to support this bill with no exemptions. You can find contact information by clicking here.
ARIZONA: Pro-Gun Bills Ready to Break Loose in Arizona Legislature NRA is working hard to pass several pro-gun bills this legislative session, including House Bill 2474, which would permit a law-abiding gun-owners to keep a firearm locked in their privately-owned vehicles when parked on their employer’s publicly accessible parking lot, Senate Bill 1113 which would give customers the right to take handguns into a restaurant as long as the restaurant owner has not posted a sign prohibiting them and Senate Bill 1243, which would clarify the statutory definition of defensive display of a firearm. Your quick action in support of these bills could be the difference in whether or not they move forward. Please contact your State Representatives and respectfully urge them to pass HB2474. Also, please contact your State Senator and voice your support for SB1113 and SB1243. For contact information, please visit www.azleg.gov.
BLM Travel Management Plans Will Eliminate or Restrict Motorized Game Retrieval The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is in the process of designating roads and trails where motorized travel will be restricted on BLM lands in Arizona. BLM's Tucson Field Office recently released a travel management plan for the Middle Gila Canyons, which proposed that cross-country motorized travel for hunting or to retrieve game be prohibited. If you hunt on BLM land in this area, it is important that you comment on the proposed management plan. BLM is taking public comment on the plan until Friday, May 8. For more information and how to take action, please click here.
CALIFORNIA: Attack on Gun Shows Dealt a Blow in California! On Monday, April 27, Senate Bill 585 was voted into the suspense file by the Senate Appropriations Committee. SB585 would 
prohibit the sale of firearms and ammunition on the property or inside the buildings that comprise the Cow Palace. SB585 is a stepping-stone to banning gun shows on all publicly-owned property in California. While this development is a solid step towards defeating SB585, the bill still poses a threat. Please continue checking your e-mail and www.NRAILA.org for updates.
Author Pulls “Smart Guns” Bill from Committee Schedule Senate Bill 697 would prohibit the sale of handguns other than "owner-authorized (‘smart’) handguns" -- handguns with a permanent, programmable biometric feature that renders the firearm useless unless activated by the authorized user. SB697 was scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, April 28 in the Senate Public Safety Committee, however, it was pulled from the committee schedule at the request of the sponsor, State Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-7). While this development is a solid step towards defeating SB697, the bill still poses a threat. Please continue checking your e-mail and www.NRAILA.org for updates.
COLORADO: Important Pro-Gun Reform Bill Awaits House Concurrence! After passing the Senate on April 17, the House of Representatives has yet to concur with the Senate-passed version of House Bill 1180. This legislation would exempt Colorado concealed handgun permit holders from the background check requirement for the transfer of a firearm. Please contact your State Representative today and ask him or her to support the Senate-passed version of HB1180 and to please resist any further amendments. Contact information for your State Representative can be found by clicking here.
CONNECTICUT: “No-Net-Loss” Legislation Heading to the House Floor! House Bill 5209 is currently awaiting action on the House floor and could be heard at any time. If enacted, this important legislation, would guarantee that the current level of available public hunting lands would have to be maintained. We encourage you to contact members of the Connecticut House of Representatives and urge them to preserve your hunting rights by voting “Yes” on HB5209 without amendments. To find contact information for all of the members of the Connecticut House of Representatives, click here.
HAWAII:Important Range Funding Bill Needs Your Help! Senate Bill 636, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Recreational Renaissance package, has been resurrected and is now before the House Finance Committee awaiting a vote. This $250 million funding bill will aid numerous DLNR endeavors in the state. Please contact the members of the House Finance Committee TODAY and respectfully ask for their support of the Recreational Renaissance package (SB636) when it comes up for a vote. Contact information can be found here.
IDAHO: Two More Pro-Gun Bills Signed and Another is Sent to the Governor for his Consideration! Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter (R) recently signed two additional pro-gun bills, while a third awaits his consideration. Recently signed House Bill 229, will expand upon current “Emergency Powers” statute to prohibit additional restrictions on the lawful possession, transfer, sale, transport, storage, display or use of firearms or ammunition during a state of emergency. The second bill signed by the Governor, Senate Bill 1145, will ensure that records of Right-to-Carry permits issued to retired law enforcement are kept confidential. Awaiting the Governor’s action is House Bill 287, the “Employer Liability Act”. If signed, this bill would remove an employer’s liability for any accident related to a lawfully-stored firearm, if the employer adopts a policy allowing its employees to keep firearms locked in their vehicles while parked on company property.
Motorized Access in Boise National Forest Under Review The Emmett Ranger District of the Boise National Forest is working on a travel management plan that will designate what roads and trails will be opened in the future to motorized access. Particular attention is being paid to the Bull Creek and Silver Creek trails. The Ranger District is inviting public comment, which will be used in the decision making process. What roads and trails remain open or closed will affect hunters' access to these lands. Those who hunt in this National Forest need to get directly involved in this planning process. Two letters written by the District Ranger providing more detailed information can be found by clicking here or here. Please send comments to Emmett Ranger District, 1806 Highway 16, Room 5, Emmett, Idaho 83617. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to [email protected].
MONTANA: Montana Expands Self-Defense Rights for Law-Abiding Citizens! NRA-backed legislation, House Bill 228, has been signed into law! HB228 is a broad piece of legislation that provides a number of specific protections for law-abiding citizens. This new law clarifies the ability of law-abiding citizens to carry a firearm in plain view and to present the firearm for defensive purposes when threatened. Additionally, the law puts clearly into statute existing Montana case law providing that, when threatened, a law-abiding citizen has no duty to retreat if the person is in any place he or she has a legal right to be. Other provisions include expanding existing law to allow the use of force in defense of an occupied structure, and preventing landlords and hotel operators from restricting self-defense rights. Please contact Governor Schweitzer TODAY and thank him for signing HB228 into law. The Governor can be reached by phone at (406) 444-3111 or visit http://governor.mt.gov/contact/commentsform.asp to send email.
NEBRASKA:Right-to-Carry Reform Bill Continues to Advance in Lincoln! LB430 advanced Wednesday, April 22, on a voice vote from Select File to Final Reading. This legislation would provide statewide preemption for all Right-to-Carry permit holders and prevent any city, county, or municipality from preventing lawful carry by permit holders anywhere not prohibited by state law. This strong Right-to-Carry reform bill could be brought up sometime next week, so please continue to call your State Senator and urge them to support this necessary reform bill. Contact information can be found here.
NEW JERSEY: Pro-Hunting Measure on Governor’s Desk! Please continue to contact Governor Jon Corzine (D) today and respectfully urge him to sign S802. S802 would authorize bow hunting on Sundays, during the respective deer season dates set by the State Fish and Game Code, on State wildlife management areas and private property. The Governor can be reached by phone at (609) 292-6000 or visit www.state.nj.us/governor/about/contact/ to send e-mail.
NEVADA: Apprentice Hunting Bill Scheduled to be Heard in Committee! Assembly Bill 246 is slated to be heard before the Assembly Ways and Means Committee on Monday, May 4. AB246 
would establish an apprentice hunting license that would allow prospective hunters 12 years old and older to try their hand at hunting before having to complete a hunter education course. Apprentice hunters would be required to be directly supervised in the field by a mentor who is at least 18 years old and who holds a valid Nevada hunting license. Please contact the members of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee TODAY and respectfully ask them to support AB246. Contact information for the committee can be found here.
NEW YORK: “Anti-Gun” Lobby Day Advances Numerous Attacks on Our Second Amendment Rights! This week, in their annual attack on the gun rights of New Yorkers, anti-gun Assemblymen came out in full force. Embracing the new political landscape in New York, the predominantly anti-gun assemblymen passed numerous anti-gun bills. All of these bills will now head to the State Senate. It is critical that you contact your state senators and urge them to oppose these oppressive and unnecessary measures. For more information on these bills and how to take action, please click here.
Albany County Considering Ammunition Registration Law! The Albany County Law Committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, May 26 to consider Local Law “A.” This law would require a valid firearms license be shown when purchasing ammunition for any firearm, as well as documentation of the quantity, type, and caliber. This law would also require the make, model, and serial number of the firearm the ammunition is intended for, as well as the purchaser’s name and address. We encourage you to please attend the public hearing and respectfully voice your opposition to Local Law “A.” Also, please contact the members of the Law Committee and the County Legislators TODAY and voice your opposition to Local Law “A.” For more information on Local Law “A” and how to contact the members of the Law Committee please click here.
NORTH CAROLINA: Bill to Remove Permit to Purchase Pulled From Calendar! Senate Bill 782 was pulled from the Senate Commerce Committee’s calendar on Tuesday, April 21, due to opposition from the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association (NCSA). SB782 would repeal the requirement that prospective gun owners obtain a permit to purchase a pistol from their local sheriff before they may lawfully acquire any pistol. Please contact the members of the Senate Commerce Committee and urge them to reconsider SB782.
North Carolina’s “Puppy Mill” Bill to be Heard Soon! The House Agricultural Committee will soon take up House Bill 733, a bill actively supported by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and intended to put dog breeders and kennel owners out of business. It is imperative that you contact the members of the House Agricultural Committee and voice your opposition to HB733. Also, please go to http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/House/houseleadership.html and contact the House Leadership and urge them to oppose this bill. For contact information please click here.
North Carolina’s other “Puppy Mill” Bill Heading to the Senate Finance Committee! On Thursday, April 30, the Senate Commerce Committee passed Senate Bill 460, a bill actively supported by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and intended to put dog breeders and kennel owners out of business. S 460 will now head to the Finance Committee, where a hearing has yet to be scheduled. It is imperative that you contact the members of the Senate Finance Committee TODAY and voice your opposition to S 460. Contact information for the committee members can be found here.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Self-Defense Reform Bill Advancing in Columbia! As previously reported, on Wednesday, April 22, Senate Bill 593, was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. SB593 would allow Right-to-Carry permit holders to possess firearms while picking up or dropping off a student on school grounds. This legislation would only allow a firearm to be in the vehicle, either carried or secured, and would not allow carrying on school property while outside the vehicle. Please call your State Senator and urge him or her to support this important reform. Contact information for your State Senator can be found here.
TENNESSEE: Governor Signs Two Pro-Gun Bills into Law! Two pro-gun bills were signed by Governor Phil Bredesen (D) on Monday, April 27. House Bill 46, will prohibit the Department of Safety or any department-approved handgun safety employee from requiring carry permit applicants to provide identifying information about handguns the applicant owns or possesses. House Bill 254, will delete the requirement to provide a thumbprint as part of the background check process when purchasing a firearm. 
WISCONSIN: Anti-Gunners Taking Aim at Wisconsin’s Preemption Statute! Governor Jim Doyle (D) is proposing to repeal the state’s preemption statute which prohibits localities from passing gun laws that are more restrictive than the state’s. Wisconsin’s preemption law was originally passed in 1995, when Doyle was Attorney General. Now, Governor Doyle is using the arrest of law-abiding Wisconsin citizens exercising their constitutional right to openly carry a firearm for self-defense as a platform to call for its repeal.
Please contact your state legislators TODAY and respectfully urge them to oppose any attempt to repeal the state’s preemption statute. Also ask them to oppose any attempt to restrict the open carrying of firearms by law-abiding citizens. Your State Senator can be reached by phone at (608) 266-2517. You can reach your State Representative at (608) 266-1501. To identify your legislators and to find more contact information, please click here.
