Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 23:14:05 -0400 From: NRA Alerts To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: FAXALERT: Third Time the Charm? NRA-ILA FAX ALERT 11250 Waples Mill Road * Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: 1-800-392-8683 * Fax: 703-267-3918 Vol. 2, No. 47 10/27/95 THIRD TIME THE CHARM? For nearly three years, NRA and a host of other groups have asked President Clinton to establish a national commission to ensure accountability and top-notch leadership in federal law enforcement. Except for a no-results meeting with a Justice Department staffer, the Clinton Administration never responded. On Tuesday, October 24, NRA-ILA Executive Director Tanya Metaksa joined with leaders from other organizations concerned with civil rights in once again calling on the President and Congress to establish a national commission to improve federal law enforcement. The coalition gathered again to issue the same call for progress, for accountability, for leadership. This time, the Coalition is asking Congress to do what the Clinton Administration has refused to do: take action! Here are a few of the coalition's recommendations: improve warrants and limit "dynamic entries"; ensure the Executive Branch honors the Fourth Amendment; restore lethal force policy to traditional, legal self-defense standards -- the same policy NRA has taught law enforcement since 1916, and ensure the U.S. Military is not misused in a domestic law enforcement role. As Mrs. Metaksa stated, "federal laws must be enforced. So must the U.S. Constitution. The tragedies of Waco and Ruby Ridge were failures of leadership -- and failures of policy" by federal law enforcement agencies. We'll keep you posted! SENATOR SPECTER CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF BATF: On October 23, Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) publicly stated that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) has "outlived its usefulness" and should be dissolved. According to a report in the October 24th issue of The Washington Post, Sen. Specter stated that BATF "went overboard, they went to extremes," both at Waco and Ruby Ridge. Sen. Specter said that BATF's functions in enforcing firearms laws and other criminal statutes should be transferred to the FBI, while other duties could be assigned to other departments within the Department of Treasury. And speaking of the FBI and Ruby Ridge, a sixth FBI agent was suspended as a result of his actions related to Ruby Ridge. The agent, who worked as an inspector's aide during the internal investigation that followed the siege, produced the Bureau's final report, which defends the actions of FBI executives who amended the standard rules of engagement. Stay tuned! REP. HASTINGS CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE VOTE ON H.R. 1488: Rep. Richard "Doc" Hastings (R-Wa.) has drafted a letter to House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Tex.) that calls for a vote on H.R. 1488 this fall. Rep. Hastings states that the House leadership indicated that there would be a vote on the measure to repeal the Clinton gun and magazine ban earlier this year, but due to extenuating circumstances, the vote was pushed back. Rep. Hastings urges Rep. Armey and the Republican Leadership to take up a repeal vote this fall. Rep. Hastings and 40 of his fellow lawmakers have signed the letter, which will be delivered to Rep. Armey next week, however, they're looking for more legislators to sign on. Members: please call your U.S. Representative & urge him to sign Rep. Hastings' letter to Rep. Armey! You can reach your Representatives by calling (202) 224-3121. ISTOOK AMENDMENT ON THE ROPES: Backroom bickering in the U.S. Senate has stalled the NRA-supported Istook/McIntosh Amendment. The amendment, which would end the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying activities, was to be voted on as an amendment to the Senate Treasury/Postal Appropriations bill, but it now appears it may not be added to the bill at all! This Istook/McIntosh Amendment is critical if we're going to level the playing field for groups like NRA-ILA, which do not receive government dollars to operate. Members: please contact your U.S. Senators today and urge them to include the Istook/McIntosh language in the Treasury/Postal Appropriations bill! You can reach your Senators by calling (202) 224-3121. STATE & LOCAL UPDATE: Louisiana: Many thanks to those who made it to the polls last Saturday and helped NRA-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Mike Foster become the top vote-getter and now front- runner in the special run-off election. Foster will face anti-gun U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields in the run-off, scheduled for November 18th. Ohio: NRA-ILA is working with House Judiciary Committee members on amendments to SB 68, right to carry legislation. The bill could be voted on by the full committee as early as next Tuesday, October 31. Members: please contact your State Representatives and urge them to support right to carry. And continue to call Governor Voinovich at (614) 644-0813 and urge him to sign the bill into law when it reaches his desk. Pennsylvania: NRA-ILA has hired an attorney to challenge the efforts of the City of Pittsburgh to obtain federal funding to advance a back-door firearms registration system. Not only is the City's effort in direct violation of the state's firearms preemption law, but it's in violation of a settlement reached in a prior lawsuit brought by the Allegheny County Sportsman's League. Stay tuned! Wisconsin: On Wednesday, November 1, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to pass SJR 7, a proposed right to keep and bear arms amendment to the state constitution. And on Thursday, November 2, the Senate State Government Operations & Corrections Committee will hold a hearing to consider AB 69, NRA-backed state firearms preemption legislation. Members are encouraged to attend Thursday's hearing, scheduled for 9:00 a.m. in Room 421 (south) of the State Capitol Building in Madison. If AB 69 passes out of Committee, it could quickly come up for Senate floor action. Members: please contact your State Senators and urge them to support both SJR 7 and AB 69 in anticipation of floor votes. =+=+=+=+ This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, Fairfax, VA. This and other information on the Second Amendment and the NRA is available at any of the following URL's: http://WWW.NRA.Org, gopher://GOPHER.NRA.Org, wais://WAIS.NRA.Org, ftp://FTP.NRA.Org, mailto:LISTPROC@NRA.Org (Send the word help as the body of a message) Information may also be obtained by connecting directly to the NRA-ILA GUN-TALK Bulletin Board System at (703) 934-2121.