Nevada State Senator John Lee Named
NSSF 2007 Legislator of the Year

LAS VEGAS -- The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association of the firearms industry, earlier today named Nevada State Senator John Lee (D-Clark 1) its Legislator of the Year. The award stems from Senator Lee's sponsorship of SB 92, legislation that removed the requirement that firearms had to be pre-registered with the Clark County Sheriff's Office before they could be brought into Clark County. The award was presented to Senator Lee at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show and Conference (SHOT Show), the largest and most comprehensive trade show for all professionals involved with the firearms, ammunition, shooting sports and hunting industry.

"Senator Lee has been a stalwart supporter of the firearms industry," said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. "We are pleased to honor him for helping to ensure that the lawful trade of firearms, in all jurisdictions of Nevada, runs safely and smoothly."

Prior to passage of SB 92, state law grandfathered Clark County's local gun laws. Clark County had an ordinance on its books that made it a crime to possess a handgun in the county without having first pre-registered it with the Clark County sheriff. This had to be done before bringing the firearm into the county. Enforcement of the ordinance would make it impractical to hold the NSSF-owned SHOT Show in Las Vegas, as the 2,000 plus exhibitors who display tens of thousands of firearms would be forced to pre-register their products. This would also place an undue burden on the Sheriff's Office and drain resources that would be better spent fighting crime.

The ordinance also would have hindered the growth and success of the Clark County Shooting Park as out-of-town sports shooters who come to shoot or participate in competitions would have been committing a crime by not pre-registering their firearms.

With the passage of SB 92, the NSSF can continue to bring the SHOT Show to Las Vegas, where the entire city benefits economically.

"My legislation, which Governor Gibbons signed into law, will allow the firearms industry to keep the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, bring tax revenues to our community and the state treasury, create jobs, protect our investment in the Clark County Shooting Park -- which will be a premier shooting facility -- and, as importantly, protect and strengthen the Second Amendment and hunting and shooting sports heritage, which is an important part of our culture here in Nevada," said Senator Lee. "I am honored to receive this award today."

Senator Lee has served in the Nevada Senate since 2004 and was a member of the Nevada Assembly from 1997 to 2001. On a national level, Senator Lee served as a member of the High Level Waste Committee of the National Conference of State Legislators. Senator Lee is also chairman of the Clark County Regional Shooting Range.

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