June 28, 2010

Vol. 11 No. 26

This Week:

Legal & Legislative

Video

News of Note

Jobs

NSSF Hails Supreme Court Decision

Video: NSSF President Steve Sanetti on today's Supreme Court decision.

COURT RULES 5-4 THAT CHICAGO GUN BAN IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL . . . The National Shooting Sports Foundation hailed today's U.S. Supreme Court 5-4 decision written by Justice Alito that ruled the individual right to keep and bear arms protected by the Second Amendment applies to the states and local government. "Today's ruling is a victory for freedom and liberty," said NSSF President Steve Sanetti. "All law-abiding Americans, no matter whether they live in a big city like Chicago or in rural Wyoming, have the same Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Constitutional rights don't stop at state or city borders. Cities like Chicago and New York and states like California must now respect the Second Amendment." The case before the court, McDonald v. City of Chicago, was filed in 2008 a day after the Supreme Court's landmark decision in District of Columbia v. Heller -- in which the high court reaffirmed that the Second Amendment protects an "individual" right to keep and bear arms. The Heller decision, however, did not reach the question of whether the Second Amendment also applied to the states.

Full Story | Read the Supreme Court's Decision | Video

Legal & Legislative

  • HOUSE TO VOTE TUESDAY ON PRO-INDUSTRY LEGISLATION . . . The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Tuesday on legislation being sponsored by Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) called the Firearms Excise Tax Improvement Act of 2010 (H.R. 5552). The bill revises earlier legislation (H.R. 510) introduced by Rep. Kind so that the bill does not add to the budget deficit. H.R. 5552 would correct a longstanding inequity in the Internal Revenue Code by permitting firearm and ammunition manufacturers to pay the Pittman Robertson federal excise tax on a quarterly basis, like other industries that support conservation through the payment of a federal excise tax, instead of the current bi-weekly schedule. For more information, read the NSSF Blog. Please call your representatives at 202-224-3121 and urge them to vote "yes" on H.R. 5552.

  • SECOND AMENDMENT QUESTIONS EXPECTED AT KAGAN HEARING . . . As Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's confirmation got under way today, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee said he had "serious concerns" about her nomination, CQ Politics reports. Among the questions that Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) raised in his opening statements was one on Kagan's role in forging gun policy while in the Clinton White House in the '90s. "During her White House years, the nominee was the central figure in the Clinton-Gore effort to restrict gun rights -- and as the dramatic 5-4 decision today in McDonald shows, the personal right of every American to own a gun hangs in the balance," he said. Time magazine lists gun rights as No. 1 on a list of topics that Kagan is expected to be grilled on this week.

  • MICROSTAMPING REMAINS A THREAT IN NEW YORK . . . Without the support of the Republican Conference in Albany two weeks ago, microstamping would have already passed into law. Still, this fight continues and the legislation could be brought back for a vote at any time. In response to the collective efforts by NSSF and its allies in the Second Amendment community to defeat firearms microstamping, New York City politicians are trying to bully state senators into changing their votes and supporting this gun ban -- and make no mistake, microstamping is a gun ban. NSSF is asking New Yorkers to please take a few minutes and thank your Republican state senators for staying strong and continuing to oppose this dangerous legislation.

  • LEGISLATION BANNING AMMUNITION HEARD IN CALIF. COMMITTEE . . . Legislation (AB 2223) that would ban the use of traditional shot ammunition when hunting or shooting on all state wildlife management areas (110 areas) was heard in the California Natural Resources and Water Committee last week. NSSF testified in opposition to the bill. The vote failed by one, but was granted reconsideration, allowing it to be taken up again this week. The bill would be another major step toward banning the use of all traditional ammunition -- for any lawful purpose -- statewide. Also last week, the California Fish and Game Commission took up a petition by Audubon California, one of the primary supports of AB 2223, to force a ban regulatorily, despite no scientific evidence that the use of traditional shot for upland and small game hunting is impacting any species population.

  • CONNECTICUT AG CANDIDATES ARGUE ABOUT FIREARMS TRAINING IN SCHOOLS . . . Two Republican candidates for Connecticut attorney general argued about firearms training for students in schools. "We teach sex education, yet we omit the most basic skills needed to exercise our fundamental constitutional right," said candidate Martha Dean. Her opponent has a much different view. Read the full story from the New Haven Register.

Video

  • R&R WEBINARS FOR STATE AGENCIES . . . Looking for ideas on how to improve your state's recruitment and retention efforts? Over the coming months, NSSF will be releasing a series of free webinars to help state agencies implement effective programs and ensure that existing efforts are as effective as they can be. The webinars are based on the "Best Practices in Hunting and Shooting Sports Recruitment & Retention" project of NSSF and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. A new webinar will be released each month at nssf.org/bestpractices. Watch the introductory webinar now.

  • GUNSMITHING TIP: MODEL 1911 MAINTENANCE . . . In the most recent NSSF Shooting Sportscast video, veteran gunsmith Mitch Schultz shows how a little TLC today will ensure that your favorite .45 ACP will work flawlessly the next time you shoot it. Schultz notes that many Model 1911s that come into his shop for "repair" really just need a good cleaning and proper lubrication. To get the job done right, watch him show you how to field strip, clean and lubricate your favorite 1911 the right way. Play Video

News of Note

  • O.F. MOSSBERG & SONS' SVP AND GC ELECTED SAAMI VICE CHAIRMAN . . . The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) board of directors on Thursday unanimously elected Joe Bartozzi, O.F. Mosssberg & Sons senior vice president and general counsel, to serve as vice chairman of SAAMI. The position was previously held by Alliant Techsystems (ATK) CEO Mark DeYoung.

  • USA SHOOTING ANNOUNCES 2010 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM . . . USA Shooting has announced its 2010 ISSF World Shooting Championship team. Members were selected through a variety of qualifying matches and will be traveling to Munich, Germany, from July 29 to Aug. 11 to compete against 2,500-plus shooters for not only glory, but also for the first Olympic quota slots awarded for the 2012 Games. Shooters will participate in a variety of events of both Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines. See who will be competing in Munich.

  • JUNIOR SHOOTERS TO COMPETE WITH HELP FROM DALLAS SAFARI CLUB . . . A grant to help underwrite the cost of sending 35 U.S. junior athletes to the World Shooting Championships in Munich, Germany, has been given to USA Shooting by the Dallas Safari Club. Approximately 80 U.S. athletes, including the 35 juniors (under age 20), will be traveling to Munich for the event.

  • ARMY DOMINATES 2010 INTERSERVICE PISTOL CHAMPIONSHIP . . . The Army prevailed once again as soldiers with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit dominated the competition at the 51st Interservice Pistol Championship matches held at Ft. Benning, Ga., June 14-18. Staff Sgt. Robert Park II, USAMU, won the overall individual championship for the first time in one of the closest competitions in the history of the 51-year-old event.

  • DELTA WATERFOWL Q&A ON GULF COAST . . . Delta Waterfowl Scientific Director Dr. Frank Rohwer has hunted ducks in the coastal marshes of Louisiana for more than 20 years. Like other Gulf Coast waterfowlers, Rohwer is worried about the ongoing oil spill and what its impact will ultimately be on coastal wetland habitat and its fish and wildlife. In a Q&A, Rohwer discusses how the spill could impact the region’s coastal marshes, wintering ducks and passionate waterfowling culture.

  • FIRST DAY OF SALE FOR 2010-11 DUCK STAMP . . . The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hosted the First Day of Sale for the 2010-11 Federal Duck Stamp on Friday at the Bass Pro Shops store in Hanover, Md. The 2010-11 stamp features an American wigeon painted by wildlife artist Robert Bealle, of Waldorf, Md. Last fall, a panel of five judges chose Bealle's art to grace the new duck stamp from among 224 paintings at the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest.

  • WINGSHOOTING USA WINS TELLY . . . "Wingshooting USA" has captured an international "Telly" creative award in its first broadcast season. Sponsored by NSSF, the upland hunting series' "Full Circle" episode captured a bronze award. The 31st annual Telly Awards attracted more than 13,000 entries. "Wingshooting USA" was the only upland hunting series honored in the TV Sports category, which included entries from Nike, Golf Channel, Warren Miller Entertainment and Bank of America.

Jobs


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