Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 12:51:26 -0500 From: alerts@gatekeeper.nra.org (NRA Alerts) To: firearms-alert@shell.portal.com Subject: INFO: ILA Bulletin 95-2-3 NRA-ILA FAX NETWORK 11250 Waples Mill Road * Fairfax, VA 22030 Vol. 2, No. 5Phone: 1-800-392-8683 * Fax: 703-267-3918 2/3/95 A "NEWT" DAY DAWNS FOR GUN OWNERS IN CONGRESS! In a personal letter to NRA-ILA Executive Director Tanya Metaksa, House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) affirmed that as long as he is Speaker, "no gun control legislation is going to move in committee or on the floor of the House." Speaker Gingrich's letter marks an historic occasion for this nation's 65 million gun owners -- never in our nation's history has the Speaker of the House, a position only two heartbeats removed from the presidency, given gun owners such a rock-solid commitment to protect Second Amendment rights and free them from government harassment! And unlike his predecessor, Tom Foley -- who first opposed gun control, but in 1994 supported banning guns in the Clinton Crime bill -- Speaker Gingrich emphasized to Mrs. Metaksa that his purpose was also to "remove ill-conceived and unnecessary government interference in those rights." With support from Speaker Gingrich and others, we should be able to defeat all gun control proposals which anti- gunners like Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Pat Schroeder (D-CO) throw our way, and instead, concentrate on advancing our pro-firearms rights agenda! Of course at the top of our agenda is a repeal of President Clinton's gun ban, and we know a bill calling for repeal will begin making its way through the House in early May, after extensive hearings on federal law enforcement abuses (BATF and other agencies) and the Second Amendment. This should give us plenty of time to contact our Representatives and urge them to support these efforts. A LOOK AT THE STATES: COLORADO: On Monday, February 6, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin consideration of two NRA- supported right to carry bills -- SB 104 and SB 60. Both bills recognize law-abiding citizens' right to carry firearms for self- defense. The Committee will also consider SB 67, sponsored by anti-gun Senator Wham, which would actually make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to carry for personal safety. As the Judiciary Committee could vote at any time, Colorado members are urged to contact their State Senators and ask them to request that Judiciary Committee members support SB 104 and SB 60 and oppose SB 67. ILLINOIS: On Tuesday, February, 7, the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee will consider HB 568, the NRA-supported firearms preemption bill. HB 568, sponsored by Rep. Larry Wennlund, would prohibit local governments from enacting their own gun control laws. Members are encouraged to attend the hearing scheduled for 3:30 p.m., in Room 114 of the State Capitol Building, to show their support for HB 568. OHIO: On Thursday, February 2, the Public Safety Committee of the Cleveland City Council heard Ordinance No. 52-94 -- a laundry list of gun control proposals which includes gun bans and "arsenal" licensing schemes. The Committee will either hear these proposals again or vote on them on February 15. Area members should call their City Council member and urge opposition to Ordinance No. 52- 94. SOUTH CAROLINA: This Tuesday, February 7, is special election day for the open seat on the Charleston County Council, and NRA has endorsed Timothy Scott. Voter turnout is expected to be low so this is a golden opportunity for members in the area to go to the polls on Tuesday, and elect a pro-Second Amendment Councilman! UTAH: On Monday, January 30th, the Senate Transportation and Public Safety Committee passed SB 59, a bill requiring mandatory training for any new purchasers of firearms. SB 59 now moves to the Senate floor where a vote could take place at any time. Utah members should contact their State Senators and urge them to oppose SB 59. To leave a message for your Senator, call 1-800-662-3367. Meanwhile in the State House, HB 54, the NRA-supported firearms preemption bill, and HB 70, an NRA-supported right to carry bill, have passed out of Committee and could be voted on by the full House at any time. Utah members should contact their State Representatives at 1-800-662-3367, and urge them to support HB 54 and HB 70! VIRGINIA: SB 744 & SB 793, the NRA-supported right to carry reform bills, have passed out of both the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and Senate Finance Committee. Another good right to carry bill, HB 1712, may also be voted on by the House Courts of Justice Committee as early as this weekend! Virginia members are urged to call their state lawmakers in Richmond over the weekend in support of these right to carry bills. WEST VIRGINIA: On Monday, February 6, primary elections will be held for seats on the Charleston City Council. A list of pro-gun candidates was mailed to all area members. If you did not receive your voting recommendations, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division for this critical election information. CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (CPB) STILL MARCHING TO ANTI-GUN DRUM: CPB, which is notorious for using taxpayer monies to fund its anti-gun agenda, is at it again. This time the Minnesota Monthly, which is owned by Minnesota Public Radio, has called for regulating guns like cars, which means licensing and registration of firearms and firearms owners. -- This information is presented as a service to the Internet community by the NRA/ILA. Many files are available via anonymous ftp from ftp.nra.org, via WWW at http://www.nra.org, via gopher at gopher.nra.org, and via WAIS at wais.nra.org Be sure to subscribe to the NRA mailing lists. Send the word help as the body of a message to listproc@NRA.org Information can also be obtained by connecting to the NRA-ILA GUN-TALK BBS at (703) 934-2121.