NRA update 16

Not often I really rant about things that are posted in the updates I get from the NRA, but THIS update carries one that just absolutely is around the bend in my opinion. When you read down, you will see where New Jersey is considering legislation whereby it would be illegal to give toy guns to children under the age of 18. My mind wanders back to my own childhood, where, as my father is anti-gun, toy guns were VERBOTEN in my household. Did that stop us? Nope. I wonder if the State of New Jersey is going to include sticks SHAPED like guns, lego's, and (gasp) the forefinger and thumb pointed to PRETEND that it's a gun? Common sense has gone out the frigging window YET AGAIN, it would seem.

Here's a little reminder of what our founding fathers had to say about such as this. "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,
the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

HCdL

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


U.S. HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

PRESERVES TIAHRT AMENDMENT!

On Thursday, July 12, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted to protect language commonly known as the "Tiahrt Amendment," rejecting two separate amendments designed to strike and gut the language, in the Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008. This language maintains firearm trace information within the law enforcement community and out of the hands of politicians, trial lawyers and special interest groups.


THE FACTS ABOUT OSHA'S AMMUNITION PROPOSAL: A recent proposal for new "explosives safety" regulations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has rightly caused a flurry of concern among gun owners and those in the firearm business. OSHA had set out to make legitimate updates to workplace safety regulations pertaining to explosives; unfortunately, the proposed rule goes far beyond regulating true explosives. The proposed rules include restrictions that very few gun stores, sporting goods stores, shippers, or ammunition dealers could comply with.

Labor Department Announces It Will Revise
Overreaching OSHA Explosives Rule

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it will significantly revise a recent proposal for new “explosives safety” regulations that caused serious concern among gun owners. OSHA had originally set out to update workplace safety regulations, but the proposed rules included restrictions that very few gun shops, sporting goods stores, shippers, or ammunition dealers could comply with.

Gun owners had filed a blizzard of negative comments urged by the NRA, and just a week ago, OSHA had already issued one extension for its public comment period at the request of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. After continued publicity through NRA alerts and the outdoor media, and after dozens of Members of Congress expressed concern about its impact, OSHA has wisely decided to go back to the drawing board.

Working with the NRA, Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-MT) planned to offer a floor amendment to the Labor-HHS appropriations bill this Wednesday when the House considers this legislation. His amendment would have prohibited federal funds from being used to enforce this OSHA regulation.

Such an amendment is no longer necessary since Kristine A. Iverson, the Labor Department’s Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, sent Rep. Rehberg a letter, dated July 16, stating that it “was never the intention of OSHA to block the sale, transportation, or storage of small arms ammunition, and OSHA is taking prompt action to revise” this proposed rule to clarify the purpose of the regulation.

Also, working with the NRA, Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO) gathered signatures from 25 House colleagues for a letter, dated July 11, expressing concerns about this proposed OSHA rule. The letter calling the proposal “an undue burden on a single industry where facts do not support the need outlined by this proposed rule” and “not feasible, making it realistically impossible for companies to comply with its tenets.”

The OSHA proposal would have defined “explosives” to include “black powder, … small arms ammunition, small arms ammunition primers, [and] smokeless propellant,” and treated these items the same as the most volatile high explosives.

Under the proposed rule, a workplace that contained even a handful of small arms cartridges, for any reason, would have been considered a “facility containing explosives” and therefore subject to many impractical restrictions. For example, no one could carry “firearms, ammunition, or similar articles in facilities containing explosives … except as required for work duties.” Obviously, this rule would make it impossible to operate any kind of gun store, firing range, or gunsmith shop.

The public comment website for the proposed rule is no longer accessible. The Labor Department will publish a notice in the July 17 Federal Register announcing that a new rule proposal will soon be drafted for public comment. Needless to say, the NRA monitors proposed federal regulations to head off this kind of overreach, and will be alert for OSHA’s next draft.

We will post the letter to Congressman Rehberg shortly.


CONTRIBUTE TO NRA-ILA AND RECEIVE DISCOUNTED THEME PARK TICKETS!

Thanks to the generosity of Anheuser-Busch, NRA-ILA has the opportunity to make available a limited number of single-day passes to one of the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks in the United States. These passes are valid through April 2008, and are good for a one-day adult or child admission into SeaWorld Orlando, San Antonio or San Diego; Busch Gardens or Adventure Island in Tampa Bay; or Busch Gardens or Water Country USA in Williamsburg.

To make a contribution and get your tickets, please visit https://secure.nraila.org/buschgardens.aspx.

(Contributions to NRA-ILA are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for Federal Income tax purposes.)

STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)

ALABAMA: City of Huntsville Violating Our Second Amendment Rights! It has been reported that the City of Huntsville has posted several signs stating it is unlawful to "possess firearms" on most of the major greenways including, the Aldridge Creek Greenway and the Big Cove Creek Greenway. This is in direct violation of state law as the regulation of firearms is entirely reserved for the Alabama State Legislature. Please contact the members of the Huntsville City Council at (256) 427-5011 or by
e-mail and urge them to remove the signs containing language relating to firearms possession from all of the major greenways throughout the city. For further contact information, please click here.


CALIFORNIA: Golden State Ammo Registration Bill Gutted! On Tuesday, July 10, the California Senate Public Safety Committee gutted Assembly Bill 362, and it will now be re-worked to require the California Department of Justice to only study the regulation of ammunition sales. AB362 would have required identification to be presented for all mail order and face-to-face ammunition sales. Sellers of ammunition would have been forced to keep detailed and accurate sales records. No retail seller of ammunition would have been able to sell, offer for sale, or display for sale any ammunition in a manner that allowed ammunition to be accessible to a purchaser without the assistance of the retailer or authorized employee.

Lead Ammunition Ban Still Pending in California Senate! A bill that would ban the use of lead ammunition for hunting in various hunting zones around the state that incorporate condor range could be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee as early as Monday, July 16. Please contact the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee today and respectfully urge them to protect California's rich hunting tradition by opposing AB821. Contact information for committee members can be found by clicking here.

California Microstamping Legislation Scheduled for Committee Hearing! Assembly Bill 1471 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, July 16. AB1471 would require that after a certain date, the make, model, and serial number be microstamped onto the interior surface or internal working parts of all handguns in such a manner that those identifiers are imprinted onto the cartridge case upon firing. Under AB1471, the manufacture, sale, and transfer of handguns that do not include their identifying information would be a crime. Please contact the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee today and respectfully urge them to oppose AB1471. Contact information for committee members can be found by clicking here.

Mandatory Spay or Neuter Bill Held in Committee! Thanks to substantial opposition by NRA members and other sportsmen's groups, Assembly Bill 1364 failed to garner enough support to pass the Senate Local Government Committee and was pulled from committee. The bill will not be reconsidered again before January 2008. While this is a great win for sportsmen throughout the Golden State, the debate will continue in the future. Please continue to convey your opposition to this legislation to your legislators at every opportunity.

COLORADO: Hunting and Recreational Shooting Restrictions Proposed on BLM Land! Hunting and recreational shooting is being targeted by the Bureau of Land Management in south central Colorado near Salida. If you hunt, target shoot, use motorized vehicles, hike and/or camp on these public lands, the proposal will affect you. It is important that BLM hear from you. The management plan and information on how to submit comments can be found at: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/rgfo/travel_mgmt/arkansas_river_travel0.html


ILLINOIS: Illinois Lawmakers Finally Turn Attention Away from Gun Control Governor Rod Blagokevich (D) tried to breath life into Senate Bill 1007 during a special session to resolve budget issues. SB 1007 would ban the manufacture, possession, delivery, sale, and purchase of standard capacity ammunition magazines capable of holding more than ten (10) cartridges. Refusing to be bullied by the governor, the bill's sponsor in the House, Representative Harry Osterman (D-Chicago) made it known that they did not have the supermajority of 71 votes needed to see the bill passed, so there was no need to delay a budget resolution with an off topic vote that would be overwhelmingly defeated.

KENTUCKY: New Kentucky Hunter Permit Available July 1! On Sunday, July 1, a new permit became available for people who are interested in trying hunting in Kentucky. This temporary "try before you buy" permit would allow a person to hunt for one year without first completing a hunter education course. The licensee must be accompanied by a person who is at least 18 years and who has met the hunter education requirement. The permit will be available online at http://www.fw.ky.gov/ for a $5 fee and is available to both Kentucky residents and nonresidents.

MICHIGAN: "No-Net-Loss" Legislation Heading to Senate Floor! House Bill 4597, "No-Net-Loss" legislation, is heading to the Senate floor for consideration. This bill will protect Michigan's valuable hunting tradition by ensuring that today's total acreage of public hunting lands is not reduced. Please contact your State Senator at (517) 373-2400 and respectfully urge him or her to pass HB4597 to protect Michigan's hunting heritage.

NEW JERSEY: Bill to Reorganize Fish & Game Council Heads to Assembly Floor! A3275, a bill that seeks to drastically change the membership of the Fish & Game Council from six sportsmen and three farmers who represent various geographical regions of the state to seven political appointees recommended by the Governor, is now heading to the full Assembly. The bill passed the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee by a 5-2 vote on Thursday, June 14. Animal "rights" extremists testifying in support of A3275 derided hunting as a "15th century" means to wildlife management and touted this legislation as a "21st century" tool for wildlife management. They also expressed their desire to rid the Fish & Game Council of anyone with a "hunter driven background." Please contact your State Assembly member at (800) 792-8630 and respectfully urge him or her to vigorously oppose this anti-hunting legislation. To identify your Assembly member, please click here.

New Jersey Attacking Imitation Firearms Senate Bill 2810 would make it a crime to sell or give an imitation firearm (toy gun) to anyone under the age of 18, defining an imitation firearm as an "object or device that is reasonably capable of being mistaken for a firearm." Please contact the members of the Senate Committee on Law and Public Safety and Veterans' Affairs and ask them to defeat this ridiculous bill that attacks legitimate retailers instead of focusing on the criminals that use firearms, real and imitation, to commit crimes in New Jersey. Please click here for contact information.

OHIO: "Castle Doctrine" Bill Needs Your Help! As previously reported, on June 13, legislation was introduced in Ohio that would restore the most basic of fundamental rights: self-defense. State Senator Steve Buehrer (R-1) and State Representative Lynn Wachtmann (R- 75) have introduced Senate Bill 184 and House Bill 264, a package that restores the right of individuals to respond in force in defense of their lives and family without fear of civil lawsuits by criminals injured or killed while attacking law-abiding victims. Please contact your State Senator at (614) 466-4900 and your State Representative at (614) 466-3357 and respectfully urge him or her to support SB 184 and HB 264.

OREGON: Oregon Emergency Powers Provision on Governor's Desk! House Bill 2370, a Homeland Security-related bill containing an amendment prohibiting any government agency from confiscating or regulating the lawful sale, possession, transfer, transport and carry of firearms during a state of emergency, passed the Oregon Legislature and is on the desk of Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) for his consideration.

PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania Governor Still on Anti-Gun Rampage While speaking before the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, Governor Ed Rendell (D) tried to rally support for his anti-gun proposals for the next legislative session. He is urging law enforcement officials to sign-on to efforts limiting firearms purchases to one-gun-a-month as well as changing state preemption laws to allow local municipalities to pass their own laws. Please contact the Governor at (717) 787-2500, your State Senator at (717) 787-5920, and your State Representative at (717) 787-2372 and respectfully urge them to oppose any gun control measures.



Anti-Gun Philadelphia City Council Members Sue State Legislature to Implement Anti-Gun Ordinances! Philadelphia City Council Members Darrell L. Clarke and Donna Reed Miller have filed a suit against the Pennsylvania Legislature seeking to allow seven city gun-control measures to be implemented without approval from the legislature. Such implementation would be a clear violation of the preemption statutes currently in effect in Pennsylvania. Please contact your State Senator at (717) 787-5920 and your State Representative at (717) 787-2372 and respectfully urge them to continue to oppose any gun control measures that would make Philadelphia gun owners second-class citizens.


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