NYPD Lieutenant Charged In Off-Duty Shooting: An NYPD lieutenant,
assigned to Internal Affairs, has been charged with second-degree
manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a man with whom he struggled while
collecting rent at an apartment building that the lieutenant had
recently purchased. (This is a case that I had promised to follow.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/28/nyregion/28officer.html
---
Another Incident In Wilmette IL: The town of Wilmette gained prominence
when one of its residents was arrested for using a locally banned
handgun to defend his home. In this latest incident three unarmed
residents came to the defense of a young woman being mauled by a former
boyfriend.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=48099
---
Strange Incident: The former head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency was accidentally shot with a .45-caliber pistol, presumably
holstered "at his back," as he sat down to eat at a fruit stand. No
details as to type of holster are provided.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2005/05/28/ex.drug.cop.critical.after.accidental.firing.html
---
Pepper Spray Still Illegal In Britain: One German and one American woman
have been warned by police that it is illegal to carry pepper spray for
self-defense in Britain. One of the women was stopped and searched in
the street. The incidents will be recorded statistically as though they
had involved firearms.
http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/content/hamhigh/news/story.aspx?brand=NorthLondon24&category=Newshamhigh&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newshamhigh&itemid=WeED26%20May%202005%2017%3A34%3A48%3A067
---
From The NRA-ILA:
NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert Vol. 12, No. 21 5/27/05
H.R. 800 PASSES OUT OF HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
On Wednesday, May 25, the House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 800 (the
House version of the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act,") by a
vote of 22-12 and ALL proposed anti-gun amendments were defeated!
Commenting on the legislation, the bill's cosponsor, Representative
Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), reiterated one of the core tenets of this common
sense bill: "This measure provides protection only against lawsuits
based on the criminal or unlawful acts of third parties--not against
their own negligent or criminal conduct. Under this measure,
manufacturers or sellers must operate entirely within federal and state
law and are still liable for acts of negligence and for defective
products."
And Representative Rick Boucher (D-Va.), the Democratic cosponsor,
voiced the opinion that there is no reason to allow the lawsuits to
continue. "The effort of cities to sue gun manufacturers because someone
misuses a firearm is nothing but an attempt to impose gun control by
judicialmeans."
H.R. 800 enjoys strong bipartisan support and currently has 255
cosponsors. The legislation will now move to the House floor for a vote.
We will keep you posted as the vote is scheduled.
To help keep this momentum going, it is imperative that you continue to
contact your U.S. Representative and Senators and urge them to support
and cosponsor H.R. 800 and its Senate counterpart, S. 397--without any
anti-gun amendments.
To access the most up-to-date information on this issue, and to find out
if your lawmaker is a cosponsor, please go to the "Help Save America's
Firearms Industry" heading at www.NRAILA.org .
This function will allow you to easily send an e-mail or letter to your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators. Please forward this link to your
family, friends, and fellow firearm owners.
For additional information on effectively communicating with your
lawmakers, please go to:
http://www.nraila.org/CurrentLegislation/ActionAlerts/Read.aspx?ID=274
(Grassroots Alert, Vol. 12, No. 12).
MINNESOTA GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL RESTORING RIGHT-TO-CARRY
Last week, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill
re-enacting the "Personal Protection Act" that was struck down by the
courts last month. The bill then went to pro-Second Amendment Governor
Tim Pawlenty (R), who this week, signed the measure into law.
In doing so, Governor Pawlenty has restored the right of law abiding
residents of the Gopher State to carry concealed firearms. The new law,
which restores an identical 2003 measure that was struck down by the
courts, takes effect immediately.
"We signed it before, we signed it again," said Pawlenty's spokesman,
Brian McClung. Prior to the 2003 law, sheriffs and police chiefs had
discretion to grant or deny carry permits to any applicant within their
jurisdiction.
NRA members can be proud of their grassroots efforts. Thanks to your
phone calls, e-mails, and letters, the new law passed overwhelmingly in
the House (86-47) and Senate (44-21).
Please contact the bill's sponsor Senator Pat Parisea (R-36), Speaker of
the House Steve Sviggum (R-28B), and, of course, Governor Pawlenty, and
thank them for their hard work and support of this important measure.
CELEBRATING MEMORIAL DAY
This weekend, our country will celebrate Memorial Day. We'll cookout,
relax, and visit with friends and family. But this holiday weekend is
about more than barbeques, swimming pools, and family get-togethers. As
we celebrate the Memorial Day Weekend, let us keep in mind what we are
"celebrating"--those who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that
Americans, and people around the world, would be able to reap the
benefits of freedom. Sadly, too many in our own country seem to have
forgotten, or neglect, the one freedom that we as Americans enjoy that
protects all our other freedoms--the Second Amendment. Those who fought
and died on the battlefield did so to protect our country, our way of
life, and our freedom. It is now our calling, and our responsibility, to
pick up that mantle and ensure that future generations never fail to
realize how blessed we are to live in a country like the United States,
a country whose Constitution guarantees its citizens' freedom, including
the right to lawully own firearms.
This weekend, think about our great country and the freedom we enjoy.
Think about our men and women in uniform, and the sacrifices they are
making for all of us. Remember those who paid the ultimate price in
defense of that freedom. As we celebrate their countless contributions
and selfless sacrifice, let us pledge to one another that we will
continue to carry that torch of freedom in defense of the Second Amendment.
SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR 2004 NRA-ILA VOLUNTEER AWARDS
The "NRA-ILA Jay M. Littlefield Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award" is
an annual honor that recognizes an individual NRA member who
demonstrates exceptionally meritorious activism in defense of our Second
Amendment rights. Similarly, the "NRA-ILA Volunteer Organization of the
Year Award" is bestowed upon a group that has gone above and beyond the
call of duty in defending our freedom over the past year.
All nominations must be submitted by NRA members in good standing and be
accompanied by a one page description of why the nominee is deserving.
Winners will be selected by NRA-ILA staff, and will be acknowledged at
this Fall's NRA Board of Directors Meeting.
Nominations for these honors for last year (2004) should be submitted
to: NRA-ILA Volunteer Awards, c/o Jennifer Bradey, NRA-ILA Grassroots
Division, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030. Nominations may
also be faxed to Jennifer at (703) 267-3918, or e-mailed to
jbradey@nrahq.org . he deadline for
submissions is July 1, 2005.
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
. As always, thank you for your support****)
CALIFORNIA
The California Assembly will consider Assembly Bill 352 at any time. AB
352 expands the definition of "unsafe handguns" to include
semi-automatic pistols that are not designed and equipped with an array
of microscopic characters which identify the make, model, and serial
number of the pistol by imprinting the characters on each cartridge case
when the firearm is discharged. This legislation could essentially ban
all semi-automatic pistols commonly used by California gun owners.
Please continue to contact members of the Assembly through Friday, June
3, and ask them to oppose AB 352. Assembly Members can be reached at
(916) 319-20 (plus your 2-digit district number for the last two
numbers). As expected, anti-gun legislation, Senate Bill 357, passed out
of the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday, May 26. Next it will be
considered in the full Senate. This bill would establish a program
requiring serialization of handgun ammunition to be enforced by the
Dpartment of Justice. The manufacture, transfer, and possession of
non-serialized handgun ammunition after July 1, 2007, would be
considered a crime. SB 357 would also require ammunition vendors and
manufacturers to register with the Department of Justice. Please contact
members of the Senate and ask them to oppose SB 357. Senators can be
reached at (916) 651-40 (plus your 2-digit district number for the last
two numbers). The deadline for voting on both AB 352 and SB 357 is
Friday, June 3. Assembly Bill 996 moved to the Senate on Monday, May 23.
AB 996 would require all retailers to display and sell ammunition in a
manner that is only accessible by an employee, not the purchaser. Any
violation of this measure would result in a misdemeanor. This bill has
been voted down twice during the 2005 Legislative Session because
existing law already makes it a crime to sell ammunition to a minor or
ammunition designed for a handgun to anyone less than 21 years of age. A
hearing has yet to be scheduled on thism easure.
CONNECTICUT
Proponents of the now dead HB 6657 prevailed in getting the "Gun
Traffickers Protection Act" language amended to SB 1195 in the Senate on
a vote of 24 to 11. While the anti-gunners claim the measure, which
would make the failure to report a lost or stolen firearm within 72
hours a crime, would help law enforcement, it will do just the opposite.
It will actually make life easier for criminals by allowing them to
cover up a "straw purchase" by filing a false police report. The only
people who have anything to lose are law-abiding citizens, who could
face prosecution if they fail to make the report because they did not
know of the loss or theft and are not able to prove it. This is not
about public safety, it's about the anti-gun crowd's need to score
another victory at the expense of gun owners. Please call your state
representatives TODAY and urge him/her to oppose SB 1195, the "Gun
Traffickers Protection Act."
ILLINOIS
Anti-gun extremists continue their assault on our Right to Keep and Bear
Arms in Springfield! This week saw the House take up an amendment to HB
2414, which seeks to ban certain semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, as
well as .50 cal. rifles, and the amendment narrowly failed. This was a
victory for the pro-gun community, and a clear sign that your calls in
opposition to banning firearms from the law-abiding citizens of Illinois
are working. In addition, the Senate sent to Governor Blagojevich (D) SB
57, the gun show bill that requires the destruction of the database on
lawful firearm purchases maintained by the Illinois State Police.
Governor Blagojevich has threatened to use his amendatory veto power to
strip the database destruction language from the bill and send it back
to the General Assembly. Meanwhile, to support Governor Blagojevich, the
editorial pages of the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times have
launched a full-scale assault on SB 57, NRA, law-abiing gun owners, and
their supporters in the General Assembly. It is imperative that the
pro-gun community redouble its efforts to counter this coordinated
assault by the gun-banners in the legislature and the Governor's
Mansion, and their collaborators in the media. Be sure to contact your
State Representative and ask him/her to oppose HB 2414, the semi-auto
and .50 cal. rifle ban, as well as HB 1098, which also seeks to ban .50
cal. rifles. Also ask your Representative to oppose SB 1333, a bill that
goes after gun shows, should it be brought up for consideration. You can
call your Representative at (217) 782-2000 (your District number is
required). It is important to remind lawmakers that they represent you,
and not the anti-gun extremists on the editorial boards of Chicago's
major media outlets that are spearheading this anti-Second Amendment
campaign. Finally, please take the time to write a letter to the editor
of the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, stating your
opposition to the anti-u n crusade of these newspapers. For contact
information for the Tribune and Sun-Times, as well as tips on writing
effective Letters to the Editor, please click on the "Write the Media"
link at www.NRAILA.org
.
NEW YORK
As anticipated, several anti-gun bills were approved by the Assembly
this week. They include A 673, which creates the crimes of failure to
store a weapon "safely" and criminally negligent storage of a firearm, A
2302, which would prohibit the retail sale of a handgun that does not
contain a "child proofing" or integrated safety device, A 4471, which
would ban the sale, use and possession of .50 caliber firearms, and A
2345, which would impose new restrictions on firearm dealers, and A
2466, an expansion of the state's ban on so-called assault weapons.
These measures now move to the Senate. Please contact your State Senator
TODAY and urge him/her to oppose A 673, A 2302, A 4471/S 2590, A 2345,
and A 2466! You can reach your Senator by calling (518) 455-2800.
OKLAHOMA
HB 1243 has passed the House and is now waiting to be brought to the
Senate floor. HB 1243 provides employers and employees legal protection
if a gun is taken from an employee's vehicle and used to commit a crime.
NRA-ILA would like to give a special thanks to Representative Greg Piatt
(R-48) for his dedication and persistence on HB1243. We would also like
to thank Speaker Todd Hiett (R-29) for bringing the bill to the floor
for its final vote in the House.
SOUTH CAROLINA
The South Carolina House of Representatives did not concur with the
Senate version of H 3110, leaving the fate of the bill in the hands of a
conference committee. H 3110, as originally introduced, would have
established a true reciprocity system for South Carolina Right-to-Carry
permits. Unfortunately, the version that the Senate passed was amended
to make the reciprocity standards even more restrictive than they are
currently. In fact, if the Senate's version of H 3110 were to become
law, permits issued by several other states that South Carolina
currently recognizes may no longer meet the new reciprocity standards,
and could be dropped from the reciprocity list. NRA will continue to
work with the South Carolina General Assembly to ensure the passage of a
clean Right-to-Carry reciprocity bill.
TEXAS
This week, the Senate approved HB 823 by Representative Terry Keel
(R-Austin) and Senator Juan Hinojosa (D-McAllen), an NRA-backed bill
which takes important steps toward clarifying that law-abiding Texans
can carry a handgun for protection in their vehicles without a Concealed
Handgun License (CHL). The bill now goes back to the House for
concurrence with Senate amendments. Also this week, the House voted to
concur with Senate amendments to two more NRA-backed bills, sending them
both to Governor Rick Perry (R) for his signature. HB 322 by
Representative Suzanna Hupp (R-Lampasas) and Senator Craig Estes
(R-Wichita Falls), which lowers CHL fees and the minimum age requirement
for a CHL from 21 to 18 for active-duty military personnel, and HB 1038
by Representative Carl Isett (R-Lubbock) and Senator Kim Brimer (R-Fort
Worth), which reduces CHL renewal fees for senior citizens by 50% (down
to $35 for anyone 60 years or older). Lastly, Governor Rick Perry (R)
signed HB 85 by Representative Patrick Rose (D-Dripping Springs) and
Senator Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio), which exempts military
personnel with recent handgun training from the range instruction
portion of the CHL course. Note: The Legislature will be in session over
Memorial Day weekend for final work on concurrence and conference report
votes, and will adjourn sine die on May 30. Several other NRA-supported
measures were expected to be given final consideration during this time.
We'll report back to you with a full wrap-up in next week's Grassroots
Alert.
VERMONT
The Vermont Senate has adopted a resolution for a "Hunter Appreciation
Day!" The House of Representatives is expected to concur any day.
According to this new resolution, "Hunter Appreciation Day" will be
celebrated by all Vermont citizens on Friday, September 23, 2005.
Currently, plans are being made to have a ceremony at the State Capitol
to commemorate this day with a USPS special cancellation followed by a
legislative shooting event.
<> Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend, and please remember those
who have paid the ultimate price to protect our freedom!
--
Stephen P. Wenger
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
.