From the Radio Free Michigan archives ftp://141.209.3.26/pub/patriot If you have any other files you'd like to contribute, e-mail them to bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu. ------------------------------------------------ NRA-ILA FAX NETWORK 11250 Waples Mill Road * Fairfax, VA 22030 Vol. 2, No. 9Phone: 1-800-392-8683 * Fax: 703-267-3918 3/3/95 AFTER ONE YEAR, BRADY ACT PROVES TO BE A FLOP! New Law Yields Only Four Prosecutions February 28 marked the first anniversary of the much- ballyhooed Brady Act, which supporters claimed would prevent criminals from obtaining handguns. However, according to a report issued by Attorney General Janet Reno, in its first year the five-day national waiting period has netted only four federal prosecutions of prohibited persons attempting to purchase a gun! This revelation shouldn't surprise anyone, however, as under the Clinton Administration, federal prosecutions of armed criminals have plummeted 23%! This goes to show that while Bill Clinton is long on political rhetoric, he's missed the boat when it comes to crime-fighting. What the news reports haven't told you, however, is that the vast majority of individuals initially identified as being prohibited from buying a gun under Brady, are later found to be qualified. In fact, many persons are being denied their right to purchase a firearm because they've been misidentified or have unpaid parking tickets -- so much for preventing violent criminals from obtaining guns! A LOOK AT THE STATES: Florida: The state legislature will convene on Tuesday, March 7. Florida members need to be aware of three major anti-Second Amendment bills that have been pre-filed. SB 838 and HB 639 are attempts to ban gun shows by gutting the state's firearms preemption statute and allowing local governments to regulate the purchase, sale and transfer of firearms or ammunition on government-owned property. SB 110 would prohibit the possession of a firearm in any vehicle on school property -- with no exceptions for sportsmen or recreational shooters returning from hunting or from the range, or for persons carrying firearms in their vehicles for self- defense. We'll keep you posted on the status of these and other firearm-related bills during the session. Illinois: On Tuesday, March 7, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 114 of the State Capitol, the House Agriculture & Conservation Committee will consider HB 568, the NRA-supported state firearms preemption bill. Following committee action, a House floor vote could occur later next week. Illinois members are encouraged to attend the committee hearing and call their State Representatives to urge them to support HB 568. Kansas: On Monday, March 6, the House Federal & State Affairs Committee will vote on HB 2541, NRA-supported statewide firearms preemption legislation. For a list of key committee members and their phone numbers, contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Office. Members should also call their State Representatives and urge them to support HB 2541 in anticipation of a floor vote. Minnesota: A special election will be held on Tuesday, March 7, to fill the open seat in State House District 33B. Members in that district are encouraged to go to the polls and vote for the NRA-endorsed candidate, Richard Stanek. Voter turnout is low in special elections, so your vote will make a difference! Oklahoma: The State Senate passed SB 3, the NRA-supported right to carry bill, and it has been referred to the House Rules Committee. Members should begin contacting their State Representatives urging them to support SB 3 in anticipation of a floor vote. Texas: SB 60, right to carry legislation, passed the Senate Criminal Justice Committee and a Senate floor vote is expected the week of March 13. NRA-ILA will work with legislators to make technical changes to the bill, as well as address other serious problems with its language, so that it best benefits all law- abiding Texans who wish to exercise their fundamental right to self-protection. Utah: The March issue of NRA Grassfire incorrectly reported that Governor Leavitt had signed the state firearms preemption and right to carry reform bills into law. Although early reports from the Governor's office indicated that he would sign them, he has not yet done so -- however, the bills could become law without his signature. Utah members should call the Governor's office at (801) 538-1000 and urge him to sign these much-needed reforms into law. Washington: The House has passed HB 1115, an NRA-supported shooting range protection bill, and HB 1151, legislation repealing the $125 license fee for dealers to sell ammunition. These bills now move to the Senate for consideration. Members should contact their State Senators and urge them to support these critical reforms. West Virginia: HJR 2, a state constitutional amendment protecting DNR funds from being raided to fund social programs, has passed the legislature and is awaiting the Governor's signature to place it on the 1996 ballot. NRA HITS THE GROUND RUNNING IN CAMPAIGN vs. BATF: This past week, NRA ran ads in the Washington Post and USA Today, calling on President Clinton to pull in the reins on BATF because of its long history of engaging in campaigns of intimidation & harassment, confiscation of property, fabrication of criminal charges and even deadly force. NRA is calling for these three things the Clinton Administration to (1) regain control of the ATF, (2) expose and prosecute those guilty of civil rights abuses, and (3) institute strict policies that honor the bill of rights. 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. ------------------------------------------------ (This file was found elsewhere on the Internet and uploaded to the Radio Free Michigan archives by the archive maintainer. All files are ZIP archives for fast download. E-mail bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu)