Update from The Shooting Wire

Some welcome news once in a while is a good thing.

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Before The Convention, Some Good News

Phoenix, Arizona---Less than 24 hours before the National Rifle Association's Annual Meetings kickoff here, there are some good pieces of news that are worthy of mention before new products and NRA issues take center stage in the shooting industry.

First, it seems the push for more gun laws may actually be losing steam. From California to New York, bad legislation continues to fall by the wayside as liberal politicians are seeing their constituents shy away from legislation that is not only silly, but unenforceable. And recent polls say that a majority of Americans no longer believe that stricter gun laws actually accomplish anything to diminish crime. Daily newspapers across the country are polling readership and finding, in the words of editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, Frank Newport "every piece of data is showing us Americans are getting more conservative about gun control." If you doubt the overwhelming amount of data, you should visit the National Shooting Sports Foundation's blog, "Aiming for Accuracy" to see five examples.

And Monday brought another legal victory in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Court. The ruling says that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Firearms Act "requires the dismissal" of the long-running Ileto v. Glock, RSR case. Originally filed in August, 2008, the case is "exactly the kind of case that Congress had in mind when it passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act," says NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. "We applaud the court of appeals decision. The PLCAA was passed and signed into law in 2005 with strong bi-partisan support. The purpose of the act is to prevent firearms manufacturers and retailers from being held liable for the criminal actions of others with their products."

And in Washington, hope that some of the problems with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) may finally be addressed by legislators. A bill mirroring a Senate measure introduced to give both the ATF expanded regulatory powers and it's licensees more due process has been introduced. It might sound like legal gobbledygook, but the measures would give the AFT expanded options when looking at disciplinary actions against firearms licensees. Today, ATF's only viable option is the revocation of a FFL. Under the new legislation from Representative Steve King (R-Iowa) and Zack Space (D-Ohio), ATF would have the options of issuing fines and/or suspending licenses. It would also clarify a longstanding debate point: what constitutes a "willful violation" of ATF regulations.

Another change proposed in the legislation would have revocation hearings before an administrative law judge. Today, those hearings are held with an ATF official.

It's not perfect legislation, but it's needed -and we'll keep you posted.

The most disturbing news from Congress this week concerns a former Representative turned Senator who appears to have done a complete 180 when it comes to guns. We're hearing disturbing reports that junior New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, once a holder of the NRA's top rating for her pro-gun stance in the House, is preparing to introduce an assault weapons ban, possibly as early as this week. Long Island's "Newsday" is reporting that in the past three months, Gillibrand has "undergone a transformation" and has become an ally of Representative Carolyn McCarthy, the author and sponsor of HR 6676, which would use the NICS system for background checks on gun store employees and dealers - among other things.

Also on the burners in Congress, HR 2159 "The Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009". That's especially disturbing because Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano has made it pretty clear that she includes just about anyone who doesn't favor a complete disarmament of the general public to be potentially dangerous terrorists. This bill would "increase public safety by permitting the Attorney General to deny the transfer of a firearm or the issuance of firearms or explosives licenses to a known or suspected dangerous terrorist."

Later this week, we're hoping to have big news regarding the Scholastic Steel shooting program we've talked about before. As the NRA gets into gear, meetings are being held to look at how to move the already-burgeoning program forward. At this point, major manufacturers of polymer, striker-fired pistols are already lined up to help launch the pistol equivalent of the highly successful Scholastic Clay Target Program, along with ammo, target and other manufacturers of accessory equipment.

Plenty working on that front, and we're excited at the prospects.

And as the NRA gets underway, we're hearing there are some new names emerging as potential candidates for the NRA Board of Directors. If we're cleared to tell you, you'll be among the first to know which industry leaders are hoping to take a more active role in the NRA's governance.

As always, we're here, and we'll keep you posted.

--Jim Shepherd