NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS ALERT: Vol. 21, No. 12 03/21/2014

Feinstein Wants Obama to Pull a Clinton on Firearm Importation

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), sponsor of the federal "assault weapon" and "large" magazine "ban" of 1994-2004, is asking President Barack Obama to direct the BATFE to reinterpret a provision of the Gun Control Act of 1968 to prohibit the importation of various semi-automatic firearms and their parts.

In a letter to Obama, the text of which was included in an article published by the Daily Caller on Thursday, Feinstein said that, "at a minimum," the BATFE should:

prohibit importation of all semiautomatic rifles that can accept, or be readily converted to accept, a large capacity ammunition magazine of more than 10 rounds . . . . prohibit semiautomatic rifles with fixed magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds, prohibit the importation of the frame or receiver of any prohibited rifle . . . . prohibit the practice of importing assault rifles in parts …. prohibit the use of a "thumbhole" stock . . . . and prohibit the importation of assault pistols.

Watch the Latest NRA-ILA Grassroots News Minute

Obama Still Hasn't Lost Hope for Anti-gun Surgeon General Nominee

Despite a "delay" in the Senate confirmation vote on President Obama's nominee for U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Fox News is reporting that the White House "is not giving up on getting Murthy confirmed." Instead, Obama is "recalibrating the strategy around Dr. Murthy's floor vote," and he expects that Murthy will ultimately gain Senate approval.

The delay in Murthy's vote in the Senate is reportedly due to the fact that a number of Democrat U.S. senators who are up for election in November would prefer not to be forced to vote on the question until after the elections have been held. As Fox News elsewhere notes, "Whether the White House will postpone the vote until after the November elections remains unclear." Meanwhile, White House press secretary Jay Carney has said, "We will make assessments about how and when to move forward accordingly."

Bloomberg-Funded Anti-Gun "Moms" Group Tries to Falsely Take Credit for "Removal" of Gun-Related Billboard Ad

In its search for anti-gun-group relevance, "Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America" recently took credit for an action they apparently had no hand in provoking. In a Washington Times op-ed piece, Emily Miller details how the Michael Bloomberg-funded "Moms" group falsely claimed victory in "forcing" a billboard company to take down a "Slide Fire" gun-related billboard ad in Chicago.

The billboard in question was designed by Slide Fire Solutions, a Texas-based company that sells "Slide Stock" replacement stocks, and showed an apple pie, a baseball glove with a ball, and a modern sporting rifle, with a caption reading, "Pure American."

The Latest on the Obama Administration's Proposed Ban on the Domestic Sale of Ivory

In recent Grassroots Alerts, we addressed the Obama administration's proposal to ban the trade and sale of legally owned ivory within the United States (click here to see the initial alert). The NRA supports efforts to stop poaching and the illegal trade of ivory, but this proposed ban on legally owned ivory sold domestically will have no impact on poaching of elephants and the illegal ivory trade. On the contrary, this ban will only affect honest law-abiding Americans by making their possessions valueless. Please see this New York Times article highlighting the broad spectrum of people who will be harmed by the ban.

Safe at Home: Delaware Supreme Court Upholds Right to Bear Arms for Tenants of Public Housing

Thanks to a successful NRA-backed lawsuit, Delaware public housing tenants will be safer in their homes. In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court of Delaware held on March 18 that policies adopted by the Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA), which prevented residents, their families and their guests from exercising the right to self-defense in certain areas of the housing authority's property, were unconstitutional.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, persons receiving housing assistance are estimated to be over twice as likely to suffer victimization (including firearm-related crime) as other members of the population.

Ninth Circuit Requires Federal District Court to Reexamine Hawaii's Restrictive Carry Permit System

There was breaking news in Hawaii this week, as the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals released a decision in the case of Baker v. Kealoha, which vacated a lower court decision that upheld Hawaii's restrictive "may-issue" carry permit system and required the lower court to reexamine the issue in light of the Ninth Circuit's recent Peruta decision.

A Guns.com article notes that the case was heard by the same three judges who sat on the earlier Peruta and Richards cases in California, which challenged the state's restrictive 'may issue' policies that required concealed carry permit applicants to show "good cause" to warrant a permit. The judges heard the Baker case in December and issued their findings this week.

Anti-Gunners Want Help from Whom?

Gun bans, magazine bans, a background check expansion designed to pave the way for gun registration, and efforts to prevent people from carrying firearms for protection are all serious business. However, it's sometimes healthy to be able to see a little humor in things that are otherwise not humorous.

Take anti-gun activists' latest tactic, for example. Thus far unable to convince a majority of Americans or their elected representatives in Washington to impose the gun control package that President Obama has been pushing for more than a year, they've decided to ask for help from the corporate world.

When you finish laughing, we'll finish the story. . . .

Attend the Free Grassroots Workshop at NRA's Annual Meetings in Indianapolis!

With the critically important 2014 elections just around the corner, it has never been more important for NRA members and Second Amendment supporters to be effective activists in our efforts to protect and preserve our Second Amendment rights. Our freedom is under attack and we simply have no other option than to take action if we are to repel this attack. For our own sake, and for the freedom of future generations, we must fight. And to fight effectively, you've got to be trained.

As such, your attendance at this year's FREE NRA-ILA Grassroots Workshop in Indianapolis is a critical step toward ensuring the future of our gun rights. This Workshop has been a staple of NRA's Annual Meetings for decades, and is one of the most popular seminars of the week, attended by hundreds of freedom-loving NRA members.

Attend the NRA Firearms Law Seminar at NRA's Annual Meetings in Indianapolis!

The 17th Annual Firearms Law Seminar will be held on Friday, April 25, 2014, as part of the NRA Annual Meetings. The gold standard in firearms CLE classes, this day-long seminar provides legal instruction for practicing attorneys and all others having an interest in Second Amendment law. Topics to be discussed include gun trusts, current law suits across the country, recent changes in Illinois law, Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine laws, federal and state firearms disqualifications and the restoration of rights, working with firearms ranges, and legal ethics.