Mark Mason of Edgewater will have an extra Merry Christmas this year, as he is the winner of the lastest CSSA raffle for a new Taurus Millenium Pro 9mm pistol. Thanks to all who supported this raffle, and look for new raffles after the first of the year.
Congratulations to Wes Redfield of Denver, winner of the CMP M1 drawing held Sept. 8. Tickets for the current CSSA raffle (drawing in December) for a Taurus Millennium Pro pistol are still on sale for $2 or 3 for $5.
Congratulations to Ryan Edwards of Brighton, winner of a CMP M1 Garand in CSSA’s raffle held December 29. Thanks to all who supported CSSA in this raffle and look for more raffles coming later in 2009!
Congratulations to David Sumner of Brighton, winner of an Olympic Arms AR-15 carbine in the CSSA Raffle drawing held September 26, 2008. Our thanks to all who supported CSSA in this important fundraiser. Look for more great raffles in the coming months, including our current raffle for a CMP M1 Garand.
Don Gilmore of Castle Rock was the winner of a CMP M1 Garand in the Jan 2008 raffle drawing. Thanks to all who supported CSSA in purchasing tickets. Watch your email and the CSSA website for upcoming raffles.
Congratulations to Kathy Stockert of Loma, CO, winner of the Olympic Arms Carbine Raffle April 2007. And a big THANKS! to all who supported CSSA in this important fundraiser.
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Colorado State Shooting Association - CSSA
Here are your latest news items . . .
Thursday 02 September 2010
OFFICIAL NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING AND ELECTIONS
The Annual Meeting and Election of Officers for Colorado State Shooting Association will be held on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at Gander Mountain Sporting Goods, 14000 E. Jewell Ave., Aurora, Colorado, commencing at 7 PM.
Members in good standing as of October 2, 2010 not in attendance at the annual meeting may still vote by marking and returning an absentee ballot available on the CSSA website (www.cssa.org) to the CSSA office at 609 W. Littleton Blvd., Suite 206, Littleton, CO 80120. Members who submit absentee ballots may still attend the Annual Meeting, but may NOT participate in live voting. In order to be valid, returned absentee ballot envelopes must bear the name and return address of the CSSA member voting and must be received by 5 PM October 1, 2010. All members are encouraged to participate in the selection of CSSA officers by casting their ballot in this election, regardless of whether they are able to attend the Annual Meeting. Click here for the CSSA 2010 Official Ballot(70 KB PDF)
If your computer is unable to open and print PDF files, click here to download and install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader Software.
The Environmental Protection Agency, bombarded with angry reaction to a proposed regulation banning any ammunition containing lead, has issued a statement denying that it sought such a ban. Here is the EPA’s statement:
August 27, 2010
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today denied a petition calling for a ban on the production and distribution of lead hunting ammunition. EPA sent a letter to the petitioners explaining the rejection - that letter can be found here:http://www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/pubs/sect21.html
Steve Owens, EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, issued the following statement on the agency's decision:
"EPA today denied a petition submitted by several outside groups for the agency to implement a ban on the production and distribution of lead hunting ammunition. EPA reached this decision because the agency does not have the legal authority to regulate this type of product under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) - nor is the agency seeking such authority.
"This petition, which was submitted to EPA at the beginning of this month, is one of hundreds of petitions submitted to EPA by outside groups each year. This petition was filed under TSCA, which requires the agency to review and respond within 90 days.
"EPA is taking action on many fronts to address major sources of lead in our society, such as eliminating childhood exposures to lead; however, EPA was not and is not considering taking action on whether the lead content in hunting ammunition poses an undue threat to wildlife.
"As there are no similar jurisdictional issues relating to the agency's authority over fishing sinkers, EPA - as required by law - will continue formally reviewing a second part the petition related to lead fishing sinkers.
"Those wishing to comment specifically on the fishing tackle issue can do so by visiting http://www.regulations.gov. EPA will consider comments that are submitted by September 15."
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who has enjoyed longtime support from firearm groups including NRA because of his public and legislative support of gun ownership, will nonetheless not be endorsed by NRA-PVF in his bid for re-election in November because of his support for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. The following is a statement from NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox:
Friday, August 27, 2010
In the coming days and weeks, the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) will be announcing endorsements and candidate ratings in hundreds of federal races, as well as thousands of state legislative races. Unless these announcements are required by the timing of primary or special elections, the NRA-PVF generally does not issue endorsements while important legislative business is pending. The NRA-PVF also operates under a long-standing policy that gives preference to incumbent candidates who have voted with the NRA on key issues, which is explained in more detail here.
The U.S. Senate recently considered a number of issues important to NRA members, including the confirmation of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Out of respect for the confirmation process, the NRA did not announce its position on Ms. Kagan's confirmation until the conclusion of her testimony before the Senate Judiciary committee. Her evasive testimony exacerbated grave concerns we had about her long-standing hostility towards the Second Amendment. As a result, the NRA strongly opposed her confirmation and made it clear at the time that we would be scoring this important vote.
The vote on Elena Kagan's confirmation to the Court, along with the previous year's confirmation vote on Sonia Sotomayor, are critical for the future of the Second Amendment. After careful consideration, the NRA-PVF announced today that it will not be endorsing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for re-election in the 2010 U.S. Senate race in Nevada.
NRA members and other interested parties are encouraged to visit www.NRAPVF.org for more information as Election Day draws near.
EPA Considering Ban on Traditional Ammunition: ACT NOW!!
All Gun Owners, Hunters and Shooters:
With the fall hunting season fast approaching, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Lisa Jackson, who was responsible for banning bear hunting in New Jersey, is now considering a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) - a leading anti-hunting organization - to ban all traditional ammunition under the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976, a law in which Congress expressly exempted ammunition. If the EPA approves the petition, the result will be a total ban on all ammunition containing lead-core components, including hunting and target-shooting rounds. The EPA must decide to accept or reject this petition by November 1, 2010, the day before the midterm elections.
Today, the EPA has opened to public comment the CBD petition. The comment period ends on October 31, 2010.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) -- the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry -- urges you to submit comment to the EPA opposing any ban on traditional ammunition. Remember, your right to choose the ammunition you hunt and shoot with is at stake.
The EPA has published the petition and relevant supplemental information as Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-0681. If you would like to read the original petition and see the contents of this docket folder, please click here. In order to go directly to the 'submit a comment' page for this docket number, please click here.
NSSF urges you to stress the following in your opposition:
There is no scientific evidence that the use of traditional ammunition is having an adverse impact on wildlife populations. Wildlife management is the proper jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and the 50 state wildlife agencies. A 2008 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on blood lead levels of North Dakota hunters confirmed that consuming game harvested with traditional ammunition does not pose a human health risk. A ban on traditional ammunition would have a negative impact on wildlife conservation. The federal excise tax that manufacturers pay on the sale of the ammunition (11 percent) is a primary source of wildlife conservation funding. The bald eagle's recovery, considered to be a great conservation success story, was made possible and funded by hunters using traditional ammunition - the very ammunition organizations like the CBD are now demonizing. Recent statistics from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service show that from 1981 to 2006 the number of breeding pairs of bald eagles in the United States increased 724 percent. And much like the bald eagle, raptor populations throughout the United States are soaring. Steps to take:
2. Contact Lisa Jackson directly to voice your opposition to the ban:
Lisa P. Jackson Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20460 (202) 564-4700 Fax: (202) 501-1450 Email: jackson.lisa@epa.gov
3. Contact your congressman and senators and urge them to stop the EPA from banning ammunition. To view a sample letter, click here.
EL PASO COUNTY CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMIT FEES REDUCED
From the El Paso Co. Sheriff:
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce a reduction in the cost of obtaining a concealed handgun permit. The new fees associated with obtaining a concealed handgun permit are $60.00 for a new 5 year permit and $40.00 for a 5 year renewal. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s associated fee for fingerprint and background check is $52.50 for a new permit and 13.00 for a renewal.
Sheriff Terry Maketa and his staff regularly review the costs associated with this program. With the volume of active permits nearing 16,000; the Sheriff’s Office is able to take advantage of the economic impact of the program and provide concealed handgun permits to our citizens at an improved cost. “I am pleased to be at a point in these tough economic times to be able to make it more affordable for our law abiding citizens to obtain a concealed handgun permit,” Sheriff Maketa said. “In this economy, we are continually looking for ways to reduce costs.”
Additional information about the Concealed Handgun Program may be found on our website, http://shr.elpasoco.com.
The direct link for information on this program is: http://shr.elpasoco.com/Support+Services+Bureau/Concealed+Handgun+Permit.htm
If there are questions about this program and you would like additional information, you may also contact the CHP Office Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at 719-520-7249.
CSSA applauds this action by Sheriff Maketa and encourages his fellow sheriffs across the state to follow his example in reducing these administrative costs.
According to The Korea Times, the Obama administration has blocked efforts by the South Korean government to sell over a hundred thousand surplus M1 Garand and Carbine rifles into the United States market. These self-loading were rifles introduced in 1926 and 1941. As rifles, they are especially well-suited to community defense in an emergency, as in the cases of community defense following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Along with AR-15 type rifles, the M1 rifles are the quintessential firearms of responsible citizenship, precisely the type of firearms which civic responsibility organizations such as the Appleseed Project teach people how to use.
According to a South Korean official, “The U.S. insisted that imports of the aging rifles could cause problems such as firearm accidents. It was also worried the weapons could be smuggled to terrorists, gangs or other people with bad intentions.”
Regarding the second objection, any firearm lawfully imported into the United States would eventually be sold by a Federal Firearm Licensee who, pursuant to the background check system imposed by Congress (and endorsed by the NRA) would have to contact federal or state law enforcement to verify that the gun buyer is not prohibited from possessing firearms. Accordingly, the risk that the South Korean surplus guns might fall into the hands of gangsters or other bad people is exactly the same as with the sale of any other retail firearm in the United States. Notably, neither the M1 Garand nor the M1 carbine are concealable, and the M1 Garand is long, heavy, and bulky. Accordingly, the criminal utility of such guns is relatively low.
The second Obama administration objection is accidents. But in fact, increasing gun density in the United States has been associated with steeply declining rates of gun accidents. In 1948 there were .36 guns per person. (That is, about one gun for every three Americans.) By 2004, there was nearly one gun for every American. In 1948, there were 1.6 fatal gun accidents per 100,000 persons. By 2004, the rate had fallen by 86%, so that there were .22 fatal accidents per 100,000 persons. (For underlying data, see Appendix B of my amicus brief in Heller.)
Legally, it is indisputable that the guns are importable. Being over 50 years old, the rifles are automatically “Curios and Relics” according to federal law. 27 CFR section 478.11. Accordingly, they are by statutory definition importable. 18 USC section 925 (e)(1). Notwithstanding the law, the Obama administration has the ability to pressure the South Korean government to block the sale of the guns.
President Obama was elected on the promise that he supported individual Second Amendment rights. His administration’s thwarting of the import of these American-made rifles is not consistent with that promise.
CSSA note: Our thanks to Jon Caldara for permitting us to post his article. As Jon would no doubt agree, elections have consequences. Ask your fellow shooters, hunters and gun owners if they are happy with the consequences from the last election and if they are going to vote this fall. Be sure to mention this article and the one dealing with the proposed EPA ban on ammunition.
NRA Statement on Elena Kagan’s Confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Elena Kagan to the highest Court in the land. To NRA members and gun owners nationwide, Ms. Kagan presents a clear and present danger to the right to keep and bear arms. Her political record reveals that she does not believe the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right and, in her recent testimony, she refused to acknowledge respect for the God-given right of self-defense. That is why, more than a month ago, the NRA announced its strong opposition to Elena Kagan’s confirmation to the Court. In that announcement, it was made very clear that this vote matters and will be considered in the NRA's candidate evaluations.
The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental, individual right that applies to all law-abiding Americans. Nonetheless, during the hearings Ms. Kagan refused to state her support for the Second Amendment, saying only that the matter was "settled law." When asked about the Heller decision, Justice Sonia Sotomayor used the phrase "settled law" repeatedly during her confirmation hearings to win support. Justice Sotomayor then worked to destroy the Second Amendment in the McDonald case. We have no doubt that Ms. Kagan shares the same view of the Second Amendment.
Since she has no judicial record, we have only her political record to examine. And that political record demonstrates a clear hostility to our right to keep and bear arms. As a clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall, Ms. Kagan said she was "not sympathetic" to a challenge to Washington, D.C.’s ban on firearms. As a domestic policy advisor in the Clinton White House, a colleague described her as "immersed" in Clinton’s aggressive assaults on the Second Amendment. As U.S. Solicitor General, Ms. Kagan chose not to file a brief last year in the landmark McDonald case, thus taking the position that incorporating the Second Amendment and applying it to the states was of no interest to the Obama Administration or the federal government.
The expansive support that self-defense laws, the decisions in the historic Heller and McDonald cases, and the Second Amendment enjoy from the American public is a clear indication that Elena Kagan’s radical views are out of the mainstream. Any nominee, that far out-of-step with the American people, should not be on the Supreme Court.
The nomination and confirmation of two justices with an inherent bias against the Second Amendment is a direct assault on our treasured freedom. The fate of our Second Amendment hangs perilously - by one vote. The need for eternal vigilance on the part of every American has never been greater.
NRA ATTACKS AND FALSE INTERNET RUMORS ONLY SERVE TO AID GUN CONTROL FORCES
Those who support and defend our First Freedom are cautioned to be wary of spreading false internet rumors and attacks on NRA. It is important to remember that the NRA is the oldest civil rights and firearms rights organization in the world and has always been the chief driving force in protecting the Second Amendment. Assertions to the contrary are simply false and can usually be traced back to organizations of questionable commitment to, and with no track record of advancing, the cause of firearms rights, including those directly hostile to the right to keep and bear arms.The following is a statement from NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox regarding false allegations about NRA-ILA and the Kagan Supreme Court nomination:Wednesday, June 30, 2010The NRA has received a number of questions about blog posts that claim I issued a “gag order” to NRA board members on the nomination of Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is absurd and wrong. This claim shows complete ignorance of how the NRA operates. NRA staff, including everyone (myself included) at the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, work for the NRA Executive Vice President, who in turn works for the NRA board, which in turn is elected by NRA’s voting members.
Under the NRA by-laws, NRA-ILA has "sole responsibility to administer the legislative, legal, informational and fund raising activities of the Association relating to the defense or furtherance of the right to keep and bear arms, in accordance with the objectives and policies established by the Board of Directors.” To carry out that mission, NRA-ILA strives to ensure that the NRA’s positions are clear and based on the most accurate information possible.
The confirmation of a Supreme Court justice is not to be taken lightly. That’s why, when Justice John Paul Stevens announced his retirement in April, I sent an e-mail to NRA board members and staff stating that with the critical case of McDonald v. Chicago still pending before the Court, “it is very important that NRA not comment on Justice Stevens nor engage in speculation on potential successors.” Similarly, when the President nominated Solicitor General Kagan to the Court in May, I sent a message to the NRA Board pointing out her lack of a judicial record; noting that NRA-ILA was reviewing all available information; and stating that “it is important that we all refrain from commenting until we know more about Kagan’s views regarding the Second Amendment.” Again, I referenced the fact that NRA has a case pending before the Court.When Ms. Kagan was nominated, little information on her record was available. More recently, the William J. Clinton Presidential Library has released an enormous volume of documents from her time in the White House. NRA-ILA staff has reviewed these carefully and they raise serious concerns. As we said last week:What we've seen to date shows a hostility towards our Right to Keep and Bear Arms, such as her role in developing the Clinton Administration's 1998 ban on importation of many models of semi-automatic rifles; her note mentioning the NRA and the Ku Klux Klan as “bad guy” organizations; and her comment to Justice Marshall that she was “not sympathetic” to a challenge to Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban.Respect for the Senate confirmation process requires that a nominee be given the opportunity to explain his or her position on critical issues affecting gun owners. That’s why the NRA has been working with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to make sure she is thoroughly questioned on these issues. Once the hearings are complete, the NRA will announce its position on her confirmation.This is exactly the approach the NRA took last year when we opposed the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. Early in the process, we expressed our serious concerns about her record. We announced our opposition after her confirmation hearings ended without evidence that she would properly respect our fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms and apply it to the states. Her dissenting vote in McDonald v. Chicago confirmed that our position was correct.Unfortunately, false Internet rumors are far too often repeated as fact. Rest assured, however, that the NRA is fully committed to representing the interests of our members and all gun owners in this process and defending the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, as we do in all legislative, legal and political arenas.
Last week, the University of Colorado Board of Regents voted 5-4 to appeal the Colorado Court of Appeals April ruling in Students for Concealed Carry on Campus v. CU Regents which declared the CU concealed carry ban illegal. The COA held that the 2003 Colorado Concealed Carry Act did not provide an exemption for CU or any other public college/university, and thus CUs ban on licensed concealed carry was contrary to state law. Colorado State University rescinded a planned gun ban on its campuses in wake of the COA decision.
CU will now prepare a petition for writ of certiorari to the Colorado Supreme Court, asking it to review and reverse the COA. If three of the seven justices on the Supreme Court vote to grant the writ, the matter will be briefed and argued before the Court, likely sometime next year.
This is a good opportunity to remind Colorado gun owners and those who believe in the inalienable right of self-defense that CU Regents are elected officials—DID YOU FIND OUT YOUR REGENT’S POSITION ON FIREARMS RIGHTS AND SELF-DEFENSE BEFORE YOU VOTED FOR HIM/HER? Remember that when you vote this November. And remember that the winner of the Governor’s race will likely select several new Colorado Supreme Court Justices during his term. DO YOU KNOW THE CANDIDATES’ POSITIONS ON YOUR FIRST FREEDOM? Remember to vote…and Vote Freedom First!
BILL IMPROVING “DENY-ON-ARREST” SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
HB10-1411, sponsored by Rep. Mark Waller (R-15), was signed by the Governor last week. This bill will improve the decade-long policy of indefinitely denying firearms purchases merely because a person’s record shows a past criminal charge or arrest with no record of adjudication. Under the new law, if CBI denies a purchase based only on an arrest/charge in a case that is no longer pending before the courts, the buyer has thirty days to appeal the denial to CBI, which must then determine within thirty days whether or not a disqualifying adjudication has in fact occurred. Absent confirmation of a disqualifying adjudication, CBI would be required to rescind its denial of the purchase. This bill improves the current scheme by placing the burden on the state, not the purchaser, to confirm ineligibility and puts a specific time limit on how long the state can prevent the completion of a firearms purchase. Before Rep. Waller introduced and obtained bi-partisan support for his bill, the former “deny-on-arrest” policy was in danger of becoming permanent with the passage of HB10-1391.
Please call Rep. Waller (303-866-5525) and express your thanks for his efforts in improving the firearms purchasing process for Colorado gun owners.
Support the future of the shooting sports and have a great time doing it — attend a Friends of NRA Banquet near you! For a schedule of Colorado banquets: SHIFT-CLICK HERE
CU REGENTS VOTE TO APPEAL REVERSAL OF HANDGUN BAN
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