NRA-ILA

NRA-ILA Texas State Director Tara Mica presented State Rep. Ryan Guillen (R-Rio Grande City) with NRA’s coveted Defender of Freedom Award this week. 

More than three years have passed since Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a ban and mandatory confiscation (“buyback”) of what he called “military grade assault weapons,” which was followed by a national handgun “freeze” and other gun control measures.

After almost ten years of utter failure, the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) has shifted its focus.  Once touted as the United Nation’s (UN) crown jewel in preventing and eradicating the illicit trade and diversion of conventional arms, last week’s Ninth Conference of States Parties (CSP9) served as an almost singularly focused attack on the global firearms industry.

Last Thursday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) announced a new proposed rule on the “Definition of ‘Engaged in the Business’ as a Dealer in Firearms.” ­­--the definition that controls when individuals engage in sufficient commerce in firearms so as to need to be licensed under federal law as a Federal Firearms Licensee (“FFL”). Under the proposed rule, Biden’s ATF would go well beyond statutory authority to fabricate presumptions of when an individual needs be an FFL, and the rule itself acknowledges its unlawfulness. 

On Sunday, August 27th, Kansas State Rifle Association (KSRA) President and NRA-ILA state director, Travis Couture-Lovelady, was joined by leaders of KSRA and the Stoneking family to present former KSRA President Patricia Stoneking with the NRA-ILA Distinguished Advocate Award, the highest honor that the NRA-ILA can bestow.

Today, the Tennessee General Assembly convened for a Special Session at the request of Governor Bill Lee.  While the announced purpose of the session is to address public safety, there is an attempt to force through several ineffective gun control measures that were rejected by the General Assembly earlier this year.

Political observers expect the Washington Post and the New York Times to carry water for Joe Biden’s Department of Justice gun control agenda. It’s surprising when the conservative National Review seemingly bends over backwards to defend the weaponized agency in a poorly researched and written piece.

There are some significant changes due to take effect early next month in the Empire State.

Last month, the NRA had the privilege of attending and sponsoring the 12th Annual Legally Armed in Detroit’s Ladies Shoot. This event is the largest, free, women’s shoot of its kind. Most of those in attendance had never fired a gun before. Thousands of ladies partook in this one-of-a-kind, judgment-free event, with the assistance of NRA and USCCA volunteer instructors. This made for the perfect introduction to firearms and firearms safety. Following the event, many showed a deep interest in seeking further firearms training. NRA-ILA has long-supported new NRA Board Member, Rick Ector’s, Legally Armed in Detroit event. Last month, as we set-up at Midwest Shooting Center (formally Top Gun), we were once again reminded of where it all began.

Governor Bill Lee called for the General Assembly to convene a special session beginning on August 21, 2023. 

Back in March, NRA-ILA alerted members that under the 2022 omnibus federal gun control bill (dubbed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act or BSCA) that the U.S. taxpayer is funding state Red Flag gun confiscation orders. On July 25, a group of federal lawmakers led by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kans.) and Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.V.) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice demanding answers on how federal resources are being used to advance state Red Flag schemes.

Last week, anti-gun representatives introduced Assembly Bill 350, to create “red flag” gun confiscation orders in Wisconsin. It has been referred to the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

After a two-year process following a petition from October, 2021, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has instated a rule that prohibits the use of traditional lead-based ammunition in all state Scientific and Natural Areas (SNA’s) that allow regular hunting, as well as several state parks and other SNA’s that hold special hunting events.

Late last month, Massachusetts politicians put forth HD 4420, “an act modernizing firearm laws.” This massive piece of legislation re-writes gun laws in the Commonwealth and imposes unprecedented gun-control.

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Here we go again. Four years after then-Vice President Joe Biden said, “Our enemy is the gun manufacturers,” gun control advocates are still trying to convince Americans that violent crime results from law-abiding businesses providing a constitutionally-protected product under exacting government scrutiny. Amidst the gun prohibition lobby’s never-ending – and usually illegal – campaign of harassing lawsuits, Everytown has now upped the ante with its new “research” effort, “Inside the Gun Shop.” The point is not to shed understanding on America’s regulated firearm industry, however, but to impugn and dox the businesses that make the Second Amendment possible.

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot made history this year, becoming the first mayor in that city to lose a re-election bid in 40 years. Lightfoot, a progressive who swept into office in 2019 on a landslide vote, was ousted in an election where public safety – specifically, runaway crime – was the dominant issue.

With Virginia’s state elections underway, NRA-ILA has deployed Campaign Field Staff to the Virginia Beach area, and we could think of no better way to kick off our efforts than an NRA 2A Day with a strong Second Amendment Activist Center and community partner.

This Tuesday, July 18, the New Mexico Interim Joint Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee will meet in Ruidoso to discuss the landscape of firearms litigation in the post-Bruen era and gun control proposals for the 30-day session in 2024, including: semi-automatic firearm bans and magazine limits, age restrictions on firearm purchases, waiting periods, and legislation paving the way for lawsuits to bankrupt the firearms industry. 

Yesterday, Governor Tina Kotek signed House Bill 2005, Oregon’s latest anti-gun law. It goes above and beyond federal law in prohibiting possession of existing home-built firearms and the raw materials for making them, unless they are serialized and recorded by Federal Firearms Licensees.