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April 6, 2015	Vol. 16 No. 14

NSSF Promotes Don't Lie for the
Other Guy Program on Both Coasts

NSSF’s national initiative to help deter illegal "straw" purchases of firearms is reminding the public in campaigns launched on both coasts that stiff penalties are in place for individuals convicted of such purchases. Billboard and transit shelter advertisements for the Don't Lie for the Other Guy program have been purchased by NSSF in the East San Francisco Bay region from Oakland to Richmond, joining the previously announced campaign in the Philadelphia-adjacent markets of Camden, New Jersey, and Wilmington, Delaware. In California, more than 11.3 million weekly media impressions will be delivered via outdoor advertising through the industry-funded, public-education program. In addition more than 900 30-second radio spots will air. The Philadelphia regional effort will generate approximately 4.8 million weekly media impressions through billboards joined by more than 600 radio spots. Developed over a decade ago, "Don't Lie" is a cooperative program between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and NSSF. The program also helps ATF educate firearms dealers so they can be better prepared to deter potential straw purchases. See the California campaign press release.

RICHMOND MAYOR CUES UP DISCUSSION . . . At least a small number of Richmond, California, city residents don’t like the Don’t Lie campaign because they claim it, "casts the city in a bad light." After receiving a citizen’s complaint, the mayor decided to use the opportunity to ask what Richmond residents thought about the prominent billboards in their midst. We welcome the public discussion and would note both that the local awareness effort is about half over and that ATF suggested Richmond be included with Oakland in the outreach effort.
BOSTON ANTI-GUN BILLBOARDS HAVE SHORT RUN . . . Gun rights writer Dave Workman dubbed it "A tale of two billboards" to contrast NSSF’s Don’t Lie for the Other Guy campaign with that of a gun control group’s efforts in the Boston, Mass. area. But it was a short-lived run for the Beantown boards as the two largest outdoor advertising companies providing space pulled them following a request from the Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League that the misleading messages be removed or equal space be provided for pro-gun messaging. Wrote Workman," ... it seems rather ironic that there should be such an effort to restrict gun rights in the place where the Revolutionary War saw its first shots fired. One might ponder whether there would even be a United States if the colonists had been disarmed and gun control as Stop Handgun Violence advocates had been in vogue at the time."

Government Relations

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NSSF'S SANETTI JOINS BLUE RIBBON PANEL . . . NSSF President Steve Sanetti has been named to a special Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America's Diverse Fish & Wildlife Resources. The appointment was made in conjunction with the recent Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Meeting. Over the next year, the panel will explore opportunities to tackle some of the nation's most pressing conservation challenges and develop policy options intended to increase the nation's capacity to conserve its abundant fish and wildlife species, both game and non-game. Other members of the panel include Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation President Jeff Crane; Bruce Culpepper, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Shell Oil Company; John Doerr, President and CEO, Pure Fishing, Inc.; and Richard Childress, CEO, Richard Childress Racing.
TEXAS SENATE APPROVES RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT . . . The Texas State Senate gave its approval last week to a measure that would forever protect hunting and fishing in the Lone Star State. SJR 22 now goes to the House for consideration, where House companion bill HJR 61 was reported out of a committee. SJR 22 and HJR 61 are strongly supported by NSSF, as these measures would protect the use of traditional methods and promote wildlife management and conservation. Constitutionally protecting the American heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping for future generations is critically important as radical anti-hunting organizations are pursuing an agenda intended to destroy this heritage and the decades-old, successful model of wildlife conservation in America.
TEXAS HOUSE COMMITTEE WILL CONSIDER TAX-FREE HOLIDAYS FOR SPORTSMEN . . . This week a Texas House committee will consider a number of bills that would create tax-free holidays for gun owners and sportsmen. Three states have implemented similar laws: Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. NSSF strongly supports Second Amendment and sportsmen-related sales tax holidays as a way to encourage more law-abiding Americans to exercise their rights to keep and bear arms and to participate in hunting and the shooting sports.
CALIF. FISH & GAME COMMISSION SET TO ADOPT TRADITIONAL AMMO BAN REGULATIONS . . . The California Fish and Game Commission is scheduled to meet Thursday to adopt regulations that will ban the use of traditional ammunition for hunting in that state. Once again, NSSF has submitted comments on the issue stating concerns that the implementation of the ban will create severe shortages of ammunition available for California hunters, which will lead to fewer hunters and ultimately a decrease in conservation funding California receives from ammunition excise taxes and hunting license sales to manage wildlife resources. The phasing-in of non-lead ammunition will begin July 1 with the final phase of the process concluding by July 2019, meaning the use of traditional ammunition for hunting purposes in California will be banned by mid-2019.
IOWA SENATE PASSES LEGISLATION TO LEGALIZE SUPPRESSORS . . . Last week the Iowa Senate passed a bill that would legalize the use of suppressors in the state. However, the bill that was passed, SF 427, was an extremely scaled-back measure compared to the omnibus pro-gun bill, SF 425, which would have reformed a number of the state's gun laws. Later in the week, SF 427 was transmitted to the Iowa House of Representatives and taken up in the House Judiciary Committee, where an amendment was added to have it mirror to language of SF 425.
NSSF CONGRESSIONAL FLY-IN IS APRIL 22-23 . . . Registration is open for the annual NSSF Congressional Fly-in, April 22-23 in Washington, D.C. This is a great opportunity for leaders from NSSF Voting Member companies and supporting distributor and manufacturing member companies, as well as leading retailers, to meet with members of Congress. At stake is passage of the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act, the industry's top priority, as well as defeating President Obama's regulatory gun control agenda. To learn more about the importance of claiming a seat at the table, watch this short video. For security purposes, a full agenda including locations and information on how to book a room in the NSSF hotel block will be sent to you via email after you register. Register today to attend this crucial Fly-In.

For more Government Relations news, visit nssf.org/GovRel.

Legal

WASHINGTON, D.C. DROPS APPEAL TO FOCUS ON DEFENDING CCW PERMIT SYSTEM . . . In the face of mounting Congressional attention, the District of Columbia's new attorney general announced last week that the city would voluntarily drop its pending appeal in the Palmer v. District of Columbia case that successfully forced the issuance of concealed firearm carry permits to focus on defending its extremely strict regulatory regime. Briefing in the case was to have begun later this month regarding a finding by the district court last July that the city's complete ban on carrying of firearms outside of the home was a clear violation of the Second Amendment. The city has since enacted new regulations under the guise of facilitating concealed carry in the district, but the requirement that an applicant provide "good reason" to obtain a carry permit is already being challenged in court. Defending the new burdensome regulations from further challenge will now be the attorney general's focus. We are sure to see more movement on this issue in the coming months.
COURT TOSSES OUT HSUS-BACKED SUIT . . . The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and its grassroots front group, Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting, suffered a major blow late last week when a Maine Superior Court judge dismissed their lawsuit filed late last year against state wildlife regulators. In its suit, the HSUS-funded anti-hunting group sought to silence the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife from educating voters on the impact of a referendum that if passed would have banned bear baiting, hounding, and trapping in the state and would have had national repercussions. Maine voters for a second time rejected the referendum in November. The court found Maine citizens unquestionably deserved to hear from the state’s wildlife experts when it comes to regulating hunting via the ballot box. Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting may appeal this defeat, but even if they do not, we are likely to hear more from the group and HSUS soon as they have vowed to place the same issue on the ballot for a third time in 2016.

Research

NSSF-ADJUSTED NICS BACKGROUND CHECKS . . . The March 2015 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,187,823 is the fourth highest March on record for the 16-year-old system, with a decrease of 3.0 percent compared to the March 2014 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,224,705. For comparison, the unadjusted March 2015 NICS figure of 2,001,245 reflects a 19.2 percent decrease from the unadjusted NICS figure of 2,476,610 in March 2014. The 1st Quarter 2015 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 3,521,089 is the second highest first quarter on record — a 1.8 percent increase over first quarter 2014 and surpassed only by first quarter 2013. To learn more about last month's NICS report, log in to the member side of nssf.org.

2015 Industry Summit

NASCAR PRESIDENT MIKE HELTON TO SPEAK AT SUMMIT . . . NSSF's 2015 Industry Summit, set for June 1-3 in Savannah, Georgia, will feature a keynote presentation by Mike Helton, NASCAR President and brand innovator who knows a thing or two about expanding the horizons of one of America's best-loved sports without losing those loyal to it. With Helton at the wheel, NASCAR has seen an era of growth and competitive innovation. At the Summit, attendees will have a chance to hear his strategies on maintaining and growing a fanbase, both in number and in the diversity of their backgrounds. Learn more about the Summit and register today.

Ranges

OPENRANGE INC. BECOMES NEWEST NSSF FIVE-STAR RANGE . . . Located in Crestwood, Kentucky, Openrange Inc. is a cutting-edge indoor range and training facility offering a wide array of shooting activities and training classes that cater to everyone within their local community. Some of the amenities unique to Openrange include five 100-yard rifle lanes and an 11,000 square-foot paintball arena. The level of customer service, in particular, presented at Openrange is just what NSSF counts on from our Five Star range members. When looking at this all-important aspect of overall range performance, we want to see a business creating a customer experience that both encourages new shooter participation and engages established shooters to work toward new goals as they advance their skillset and explore other shooting sports - this is just one of the aspects Openrange Inc. excels at and which earns them a much-deserved Five Star range rating.

Retailers

IMPORTANT CREDIT CARD PROCESSING CHANGES COMING . . . In order to provide additional and enhanced credit card protection for consumers, credit card companies will soon implement new rules that will change the way credit and debit card transactions will be processed. All major credit card companies are issuing new EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa) cards that contain embedded microchips that provide transaction security features and other capabilities not possible with current, traditional, magnetic stripe cards. (Note: Such cards are not new. They have been around a long time and most of the world has already migrated to EMV technology. The United States is one of the last countries to do so.) Read more.
ATF Q&A . . . Every week many great questions come in on our NSSF member compliance hotline. This hotline is free to our members and available 24/7. Log into your account to get the details. The first question relates to consigned firearms and whether a person different than the original owner may retrieve it from the retailer. The second questions is similar but relates to a family member retrieving a pawned firearm and whether that constitutes a straw purchase. Click on the links to find answers to these and many more great questions from our members.
SEMINARS SLATED IN TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA THIS MONTH . . . Two NSSF Retailer Education Seminars are scheduled this month: April 14 in Corpus Christi, Texas, and April 21 in Anaheim, California. All firearms retailers in these regions are encouraged to register to attend one of these extended, eight-hour seminars designed to not only help FFL holders stay in compliance but to also learn to adapt quickly and proactively to changes in the marketplace. These seminars are free to NSSF members and $100 per person for non-members. Register to attend or find out more about NSSF Membership.

Members

NSSF MEDIA MEMBERSHIP PROVIDES VALUABLE BENEFITS . . . Media individuals can become NSSF media members for only $25 and receive a variety of benefits that include discounted literature and research, property casualty insurance, office supplier discount and more. Interested in becoming an NSSF Media Member? Visit nssf.org/join.
DID YOU KNOW? . . . NSSF Retailer Members receive free admission to NSSF's ATF and FFL compliance seminars across the country ($100 per person for non-members). Learn more.

News of Note

HELP NSSF WIN A PEOPLE'S TELLY . . . Nominated for a 2015 People's Telly Award is NSSF's popular, fact-based video entitled " Gun Crimes Plummet Even as Gun Sales Rise." But it needs your vote to win. A majority of Americans say they think gun crime has increased over the past 20 years, even though it has actually fallen dramatically. Your vote can help win the Telly and spread this message beyond the gun owner community. Watch the video now and give it a 5-star rating, then share on social media and with your friends and family.

COMPLIANCE CONFERENCE MAY 11-13 IN ORLANDO . . . NSSF and Orchid Advisors are sponsoring the annual Firearms Industry Compliance Conference, May 11-13, at the Marriott's Orlando World Center Resort. Discounted registration is available to all NSSF members. The 2015 conference brings together firearm manufacturers, importers, exporters, distributors, dealers and regulators such as the DOJ and ATF to answer the question, "How can I optimize compliance?" Larry Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel, explains, "NSSF is pleased to join with Orchid Advisors to co-sponsor this important and timely conference because it will offer the practical, operations-oriented solutions to our member base that we strive to provide." Register to attend. Highlights from last year's event can be found on the Orchid Advisors website.
SEEKING GROWTH, SCHOLASTIC PISTOL PROGRAM SURVEYS SHOOTING RANGES . . . The Scholastic Pistol Program is a team-based program designed to introduce youth to action pistol shooting in a safe manner. Adult volunteers organize and manage SPP target shooting programs in a manner similar to other popular youth sports. To raise awareness about the benefits of the program to potential sponsor ranges, SPP is inviting shooting ranges and clubs to complete a short survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SPPClub. SPP will use the feedback to gauge interest in the program and provide follow-up information, if requested. Completing the survey enters you into a drawing to win one of several limited-edition Smith and Wesson/SPP water bottles. For more information on SPP, visit www.sssfonline.org, check the program handbook or see it in action on SPP’s YouTube channel.
NRA CONVENES IN NASHVILLE . . . The 144th NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits will take place this Friday to Sunday, April 10-12, at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee. About 70,000 firearm enthusiasts from across the country are expected to attend the event, which boasts 550 exhibitors, including firearms companies and outfitters, along with educational seminars and many celebrities. To learn more about what the NRA has in store for Nashville, plus registration information and exhibit hall hours, visit http://www.nraam.org/.
JADE MOLDÉ BECOMES EDITOR OF SHOOTING INDUSTRY . . . FMG Publications last week announced that Jade Moldé has been promoted to the position of editor at Shooting Industry magazine. He’s been the managing editor of the magazine since April 2013. "Jade brings a significant level of knowledge and skill to Shooting Industry magazine. He has a keen awareness of the business side of the industry and a passion to produce a magazine our readers and advertisers find invaluable," said Russ Thurman, who has been the magazine's editor for 21 years. "This is a sound move for our company. It's an opportunity for a younger editor to build on the solid reputation Shooting Industry enjoys." Thurman will continue as Shooting Industry's publisher, a position he has held since 2008.

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ATF COMPLIANCE INSPECTIONS: WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW? . . . Each year, ATF releases its fiscal year inspection results. The findings are the result of industry operations investigators field work. This week’s Orchid Advisory answers five key questions related to the inspection process: 1) What is an ATF Inspection? 2) What Happens During an ATF Dealer Inspection or ATF Manufacturer Inspection? 3) What are the Top ATF Compliance Inspection Violations? 4) What Happens After an ATF Inspection? and 5) How Do I Pass an ATF Dealer Inspection or ATF Manufacturing Inspection? Orchid Advisors is an endorsed compliance information provider for NSSF members.

NSSF PAC

THANK YOU TO OUR LATEST NSSF PAC CONTRIBUTORS

Capitol Club ($1,000 or more): Christopher Hodgdon

Caucus Club ($500 or more): Steve Sanetti

Congressional Club ($250 or more): Joseph Bartozzi, Peter Pi, Michael Shovel, Roy Wickham

Jobs

FIREARMS INDUSTRY JOBS . . . Visit nssf.org/jobs for current employment opportunities in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry. Employers: Log in to post a job opening.

NSSF's Mission

"To promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. "

Click here to visit the NSSF website and see how we accomplish this mission.

COPYRIGHT © 2015 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted for broadcast, publication, retransmission to email lists, Websites or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged. "Bullet Points®," "National Shooting Sports Foundation®," "NSSF®," and all other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation's prior express written permission. All other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images appearing in this publication are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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