HB 1048, introduced by state Representative Mark Waller (R-15), would eliminate the duplicative state-run Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) InstaCheck system for the purchase of firearms and solely utilize the existing National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).  By removing the CBI InstaCheck, HB 1048 could possibly save the state of Colorado millions of dollars and repeal an unnecessary and duplicative state program.

HB 1064, introduced by state Representative Amy Stephens (R-20), would protect your Second Amendment rights by prohibiting the state or any government agency, during a declared state of emergency, from prohibiting or restricting the otherwise lawful possession, use, carrying, transfer, transportation, storage, or display of a firearm or ammunition; seizing or confiscating a lawfully possessed firearm, or requiring registration of a firearm or ammunition for which registration is not otherwise required by law.

These critical bills need your support.  Please call AND e-mail members of the state House Judiciary Committee and respectfully urge them to SUPPORT HB 1048 and HB 1064 today!  Their contact information can be found below.

House Judiciary Committee:

Representative Bob Gardner (R-21), Chairman
bob.gardner.house@state.co.us
(303) 866-2191

Representative Mark Barker (R-17), Vice-Chairman
mark.barker.house@state.co.us
(303) 866-3069

Representative Brian DelGrosso (R-51)
brian@briandelgrosso.com
(303) 866-2947

Representative Crisanta Duran (D-5)
crisanta.duran.house@state.co.us
(303) 866-2925

Representative Daniel Kagan (D-3)
repkagan@gmail.com
(303) 866-2921

Representative Pete Lee (D-18)
pete.lee.house@state.co.us
(303) 866-2932

Representative Claire Levy (D-13)
claire.levy.house@state.co.us
(303) 866-2578

Representative B.J. Nikkel (R-49)
rep.nikkel@gmail.com
(303) 866-2907

Representative Su Ryden (D-36)
su.ryden.house@state.co.us
(303) 866-2942

Representative Jerry Sonnenberg (R-65)
jerry.sonnenberg.house@state.co.us
(303) 866-3706

Representative Mark Waller (R-15)
mark.waller.house@state.co.us
(303) 866-5525

H.R. 2834 passed the Committee with strong bipartisan support by a vote of 29-14. This vital piece of legislation would require fishing, hunting and recreational shooting to be included in all federal land planning documents and would fix numerous inconsistencies in federal law that are being exploited by litigious environmental groups to reduce hunting opportunities on federal land. This bill is strongly supported by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Safari Club International, the National Rifle Association, and millions of sportsmen across the country.

“This legislation is vital given the Administration’s recent actions toward hunters and recreational sport shooters,” said Melissa Simpson, Director of Government Affairs for Safari Club International. “Sportsmen have repeatedly sought to collaborate with the federal agencies and have been greeted with proposed closures in areas such as the Sonoran Desert National Monument, where the BLM intends to close the entire one-half million acre national monument to shooters.  There are some 63 shooting sites within the monument, closure of which will end access for sportsmen.   Passage of H.R. 2834 is necessary to protect against these anti-hunting policies.”

“Sportsmen are increasingly facing attacks aimed at stopping them from using public land,” said Bud Pidgeon, President and CEO of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance.  “This bill closes the loopholes that anti-hunters have used time and time again to try to deny access for hunting, fishing and shooting.  Now is the time to put a stop to it.  We are extremely pleased and appreciative that the House Natural Resources Committee recognized the importance of this bill.”

U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH  43229
Ph.             614/888-4868       • Fax 614/888-0326
Website: www.ussportsmen.org • E-mail: info@ussportsmen.org ]]> http://www.skinnymoose.com/annevinnola/2011/11/17/house-natural-resources-committee-passes-legislation-protecting-sportsmen%e2%80%99s-access/feed/ 0 http://www.skinnymoose.com/annevinnola/2011/10/28/new-data-shows-americans-value-gun-rights/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-data-shows-americans-value-gun-rights http://www.skinnymoose.com/annevinnola/2011/10/28/new-data-shows-americans-value-gun-rights/#comments Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:44:50 +0000 Anne Vinnola http://www.skinnymoose.com/annevinnola/?p=930

Gallup Data Shows Americans Value Gun Rights

During Senate consideration of the FY 2012 Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill, Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) plans to offer an amendment that would prohibit use of funds for a new and unauthorized multiple sales reporting plan proposed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The Heller amendment would prevent ATF from circumventing the will of Congress by centralizing records of thousands of Americans’ firearm purchases, without any legal authority. Identical language passed the U.S. House of Representatives with an overwhelming bipartisan majority on Feb. 18 by a vote of 277 to 149.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation is encouraging all sportsmen, gun owners and firearms enthusiasts to contact both of their U.S. senators and urge them to support the Heller amendment.

BACKGROUND

ATF is requiring the 8,500 federally licensed firearms retailers in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas to report multiple sales of modern sporting rifles. Specifically, the ATF requirement calls for firearm retailers to report multiple sales, or other dispositions, of two or more semi-automatic rifles that are larger than .22 caliber, capable of accepting a detachable magazine and are purchased by the same individual within five consecutive business days.

ATF has no legal authority to demand these reports. Furthermore, these reporting requirements actually make it more difficult for licensed retailers to help law enforcement as traffickers modify their illegal schemes to circumvent the reporting requirement. Traffickers simply go further underground, hiring more people to buy their firearms. This makes it much harder for retailers to identify and report suspicious behavior to law enforcement.

ACTION

Please take a few minutes to contact your U.S. Senators today 202-224-3121 and urge them to support the Heller amendment.

Anne Vinnola, Herman Cain and Joe Wurzelbacher at the SHOT Show 2011

As Herman Cain’s presidential campaign heats up the GOP polls I thought I would run my interview with him again.

One of the highlights for my 2011 SHOT Show  was my interview with presidential hopeful Herman Cain. I was not even sure before January who Herman Cain really was for sure. He was some conservative talk show host from Atlanta. I did some quick research before the show and I found some really interesting things about  Herman Cain. What a fascinating man!

As an outdoor writer it is not everyday that I am given the opportunity to interview political powerhouses or presidential contenders, but Douglas Warren of Alaska’s Healing Hearts is a friend of Mr. Cain and  noticed on my Facebook page how I seem to be a political junky and well…he is correct. I feel it  is so important for each American to get involved in the process and I love the whole political game. My best friend hates politics and I in turn am not a fan of football like she is, so I call elections my Super Bowl and that way we tolerate each others habits. Doug had invited Mr. Cain and his friend Joe Wurzelbacher (Joe the Plumber) to visit the show with him and I was excited to be granted an interview.

I met Mr. Cain and Mr. Wurzelbacher  in the Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT) booth and sat down for a very enjoyable visit. Mr Cain is  lighthearted, warm and friendly with a great sense of humor, but once you get him speaking his heart in matters of this great land, he gets very serious and  determined . Chit-Chat is replaced with well thought out plans and ideas to put the United States back on track from where many feel is certain disaster.

I asked Mr. Cain to tell me a little about himself and what makes him think he will be the best candidate to be our next president. I was soon absorbed in a pleasant but intense discussion with a passionate American describing specific ideas to fix the mess we are in.  Mr. Cain has a life story straight out of the “American Dream textbook.”  Growing up “poor but happy” is the way he describes his childhood.

When Mr. Cain spoke, one of the most refreshing things I found about him was the way he did not mince words. If something seems like a stupid  idea for the U.S. well, he says it is stupid! I love the way he thinks problems through in a thoughtful and methodical way, giving clear thought to both the pros and cons with his eye on the big picture. He speaks an “Everyday American” language not “Pie in the Sky Politician” and is not in the least bit afraid to challenge those people making the choices for us these days. He is extremely intelligent though without sounding condescending.

The strength he possesses is that he can identify issues this country faces and systematically and effectively with confidence fix them. He knows who to put into place to do the job and then he gets out of the way and doesn’t micro-manage them. He has confidence in the people he puts in place.

Herman Cain has been at the helm of some of the most successful companies in the United States and completely understands how to turn around a failing company to turn a huge profit as he did with Godfather’s Pizza. Teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, Herman Cain took the reins and within 14 very short months turned the company around to profitability and solvency, thus garnering the notice of the  Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association who later elected him as Chairman.

Herman Cain understands how to handle employees,insurance, unemployent, manage payrolls, challenge poor thinking executives  ahem…and really does know how it feels to work at the lowest level jobs in order to work your way up the ladder; he did it several times.

Mr Cain, once challenged President Clinton’s health care ideas in a nationally televised town hall meeting as being bad for small business and gee, looky there; in hindsight several years and squillions of dollars later he was right!  No wonder Herman Cain and Joe Wurzelbaugher hit if off! They are not in the least bit afraid to speak up, ask the hard questions  and tell the truth!

I asked him how he feels about gun control and he said,”I f a bill comes across my desk  as president, that hinders American’s right to bear arms, I would veto it in a second.” Hmmm I liked that! He didn’t even look nervously around and start to sweat. He was straight forward and  looked me unwaveringly t in the eye when he said it.

Herman Cain defines several key points that he would address as the President in his booklet Common Sense Solutions.

The first point is  strengthening our national security. He sees as the primary duty of the President of the United States as protecting it’s citizens. He is also dedicated to the support of our brave military through the best training, technology and equipment necessary while also providing the veterans and their families with the benefits they deserve for their sacrifice.

Next he wants to unleash economic growth with across-the-board tax cuts to provide long- term  relief including reducing the capital gains ta, permanently eliminating the death tax and he wants to cut government spending by modernizing and and eliminating some of our entitlement programs.

Mr. Cain had many more solid ideas and as I have continued to follow his campaign, I have liked even more of what he has had to say.

Find more info on him at www.HermanCain.com

If you find this article interesting, Please subscribe to this blog.

Urge Your Representative to Cosponsor H.R. 822,
The National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act Of 2011

Earlier this year, Congressmen Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) introduced vital legislation that will enable millions of permit holders to exercise their right to self-defense while traveling outside their home states.

There is now only one state (Illinois) that has no clear legal way for individuals to carry concealed firearms for self-defense.  Forty states have permit systems that make it possible for any law-abiding person to obtain a permit, while most of the others have discretionary permit systems. (Vermont has never required a permit.)

H.R. 822 would make a major step forward for gun owners’ rights by significantly expanding where those permits are recognized.

For nearly 20 years, the NRA has worked tirelessly to oppose any United Nations effort to undermine the constitutional rights of law-abiding American gun owners.  The latest attempt by the U.N. and global gun banners to eliminate our Second Amendment freedoms is to include civilian arms in the current Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which will be finalized next year.

In order for any treaty to take effect, however, it must be ratified by two-thirds of the U.S. Senate.   To ensure that any ATT that includes civilian arms is dead on arrival in the Senate, the NRA has been working to get as many U.S. Senators as possible to publicly oppose any ATT that includes restrictions on civilian arms.

As of this morning, 50 members of the U.S. Senate have signed letters to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton saying they will oppose any ATT that includes civilian firearms ownership.  These strongly worded letters caution the President and Secretary of State to uphold the Constitution of the United States.  As Senator Jerry Moran’s letter warns, “(A)s the treaty process continues, we strongly encourage your administration to uphold our constitutional protections of civilian firearms ownership.  These freedoms are non-negotiable, and we will oppose ratification of an Arms Trade Treaty presented to the Senate that in any way restricts the rights of law-abiding U.S. citizens to manufacture, assemble, possess, transfer or purchase firearms, ammunition and related items.”

Thanking the NRA for our long-standing work on this issue, Senator Moran remarked, “I appreciate the NRA’s partnership on this important effort to defend the rights of American gun owners. I want to thank them for their active support in sending a strong message to the Obama Administration that our firearm freedoms are not negotiable.”

As we have for nearly two decades, the NRA will continue to fight against any U.N. treaty that undermines the constitutional rights of American gun owners.  These letters send a clear message to the international bureaucrats who want to eliminate our fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms.   Clearly, a U.N. ATT that includes civilian arms within its scope is not supported by the American people or their elected U.S. Senators.  We are grateful to Senator Moran, Senator Jon Tester, and all members of the Senate who have chosen to stand on the side of America’s 80 million gun owners in opposition to those who want to eliminate our freedoms.  And thank you as well to those NRA members who contacted their Senators and encouraged them to support this critical effort.

http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=7004