Bullet Points

[NSSF]

Vol. 4 No. 23
June 9, 2003
PROTECT OUR INDUSTRY, PROTECT YOUR JOB -- ACT NOW!
The Senate will next vote on S.659 to prohibit junk lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition for damages resulting from the misuse of their products by others. See whether your Senator is a co-sponsor of this important legislation by clicking here.
Contact your Senators and urge them to support the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
Call Both Your U.S. Senators
(202) 224-3121
Enter Your ZIP Code and Write Your Senators by Clicking Here
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GOT STORIES? . . . The National Shooting Sports Foundation will be attending the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) conference in Columbia, Missouri, June 14-18. NSSF, which will be hosting a luncheon and managing the range during the shooting day, will be promoting key story opportunities to the nation's outdoor media professionals. Among the stories of interest to outdoor readers are S. 659 The Protection in Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, STEP OUTSIDE's new partnership with Big Brother Big Sisters, the Hunting Heritage Partnership, the Scholastic Clay Target Program and the ESPN Great Outdoor Games. NSSF will also announce the winners of the Good Shots Great Stories contest.
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NASR BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES EFFORTS GAIN GROUND . . . The latest environmental management effort of the National Association of Shooting Ranges (NASR) is reaching beyond just recreational facilities. U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny announced that the Burlington County Shooting Range for law enforcement personnel in Pemberton Township, New Jersey, has formally adopted EPA-recommended best management practices for lead at outdoor ranges. The practices were developed in conjunction with NASR, which played an important role in identifying the potential risks posed by lead at ranges and how best to prevent them. "By following EPA best management practices, shooting ranges can manage the lead on their properties quite effectively and with less environmental risk," said Kenny. Since the EPA's Best Management Practices manual was published in 2001, shooting ranges nationwide have expressed a strong interest in adopting these practices.
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A DOSE OF POLITICAL REALITY . . . The gun control gang that some call The Brady Bunch has been trying to downplay the dwindling appeal of gun control measures among politicians wary of walking their next election in Al Gore's shoes. Following numerous articles about the vice-president's defeat in 2000 being attributed to positions that irritated lawful firearms owners who vote, last week's Bullet Points called your attention to The Washington Times article "Democrats Shunning Gun Control." In response to it, a spokesman for "Stop Gun Violence" claimed, "There isn't a shred of evidence that says gun control is a political loser. It hasn't cost a candidate a political race anywhere." Well, the NRA's Charles Cunningham, who wryly wrote, "Those who do not study history are often destined to become part of it." supplied an extensive list of 50 recent gun control losers in a follow-up item that appeared in the Times.
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ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP . . . The U.S. Supreme Court Justices have altered their summer schedule to make room for lengthy and complicated arguments against the campaign finance reform law enacted by Congress last year. It is being challenged in 12 related cases by the National Rifle Association and others arguing that preventing involvement in political campaigns is a violation of the First Amendment's freedom of speech protection. Oral arguments are scheduled for September 8th, at a time when the Court usually is standing down in preparation for a new session that starts the first Monday in October.
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HEARING ON FEDERAL BEAR BAITING BILL . . On Thursday, June 12, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans will hear testimony on HR 1472, legislation that would prohibit the practice of bear baiting on federal public lands. Regulated hunting of bears over bait is currently allowed in 10 states, and passage of this legislation would not only take away this management option, but would in effect be an attempt by the federal government to preempt the rights of states to manage their wildlife. The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF) is working with key Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus members to oppose the bill.
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THAT'S WHY THEY CALL 'EM VARMINTS . . . Health officials worried that they were dealing with an outbreak of smal pox are relieved to learn that four people in Wisconsin have a similar, but less fatal, disease, and it looks like prairie dogs are to blame. The four contracted monkey pox, the first time the disease has been discovered in the Western Hemisphere, after close encounters with pet prairie dogs purchased from a Chicago supplier. In the Chicago pet store, they were exposed to a Gambian rat, an African rodent that appears to be the link of the viral infection to the continent where it is usually seen. Fourteen people in Wisconsin, three in Illinois and 11 in Indiana have been diagnosed with the disease, according to the Associated Press. Wisconsin has issued an emergency order prohibiting trafficking in prairie dogs.
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WAL-MART SETTLES IN NY . . . The nation's largest retailer has agreed to pay $200,000 in a court settlement and abide by New York laws after being charged with selling toy guns that look too much like the real items. An orange end piece is required on toy gun barrels by Federal statute, and New York additionally requires a non-removable orange stripe along the end of the barrel. Wal-Mart agreed to include the stripe for any toy guns sold in New York, and to follow a state law prohibiting the sale of toy guns in realistic colors of black, blue, silver or aluminum.

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