CSSA.org - Colorado State Shooting Association: News

Welcome to the Official Website of the

Colorado State Shooting Association - CSSA

Here are your latest news items . . .

Tuesday 26 January 2010

RONALD J. TUCKER MEMORIAL JUNIOR AIR RIFLE POSTAL MATCH OPEN TO ALL JUNIORS!

The Fountain Fort Carson High School JROTC Marksmanship Team invites all Colorado juniors (shooters under age 18) to participate in their First Annual Specialist Ronald J. Tucker Memorial Air Rifle Open Postal Match. Entries must be postmarked no later than Feb. 28. For details, contact Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Herbert Maison, (719) 382-1660 or HMaison@FFC8.org

Friday 22 January 2010

DEM GUN TAX MEETS STIFF OPPOSITION

The Denver Post reports that a Democrat proposal led by Gov. Ritter to charge gun purchasers a $10.50 fee to pay for state-mandated background checks has met with opposition from Republican members of the Joint Budget Committee. Both Sen. Al White (R-Hayden) and Rep. Kent Lambert (R-Colo. Springs) have stated they oppose the measure as an unfair burden on gun owners. Lambert likened the proposal to a poll tax, i.e. making people pay to exercise a Constitutional right. The Post’s report went on to relate that the measure was meeting with little support from General Assembly members of both parties. The state checks, conducted by CBI, were mandated in 1998; gun owners were promised by legislators that the state would fund the additional cost of these checks. Last year, Gov. Ritter vetoed a bill that would have greatly reduced the number of background checks by exempting concealed carry permit holders, who undergo a much more stringent check before obtaining their permits. Furthermore, ninety percent of states exclusively use the National Instant Check System, which costs nothing. Gun owners are urged to contact their State Senator and Representative, as well as Gov. Ritter (303-866-2471), and voice their opposition to this proposed tax on your basic Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Please also thank Sen. White (303-866-2586) and Rep. Lambert (303-866-2937) for standing strong for your rights.

Thursday 21 January 2010

DRAFT CSU WEAPONS BAN WOULD PROHIBIT ALL PERSONAL FIREARMS FROM CAMPUS

The draft policy prohibiting firearms from all Colorado State University campuses has been released for public inspection. In short, it prohibits all personal firearms on CSU campuses, excluding law enforcement, military and ROTC weapons. A pdf copy may be reviewed by holding down your shift key while clicking here.

As previously stated when the CSU Board of Governors directed this policy last year, this policy specifically violates the Colorado Uniform Shall-Issue Concealed Carry Law, which permits lawful concealed carry in public property subject to specific exclusions, none of which currently apply to CSU.

All Colorado firearms owners, especially CSU alumni, are urged to contact the CSU president at presofc@colostate.edu and insist that the policy comply with Colorado law and permit lawful concealed carry. Gun owners should also contact their state representative, state senator and the governor and ask them why their tax dollars are funding a state university that is seeking to violate Colorado law.

SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN BAN ON ORGANIZATIONAL SPEECH SUPPORTING POLITICAL CANDIDATES

Fairfax, Va. - The National Rifle Association praised the U.S. Supreme Court's decision today in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, removing unconstitutional restrictions on the ability of organizations such as the NRA to speak freely at election time.

The late Sen. Paul Wellstone had said during the original debate over this legislation that it was his intention to silence groups like the NRA. While the author of this measure had singled out the NRA, this law delivered a clear message to all American citizens: “Keep your mouths shut and stay out of our political debates.”

Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive vice president, said, “This ruling is a victory for anyone who believes that the First Amendment applies to each and every one of us. The majesty of free speech is that any American can roll out of bed and speak as freely as The New York Times, NBC or politicians. This is a defeat for arrogant elitists who wanted to carve out free speech as a privilege for themselves and deny it to the rest of us; and for those who believed that speech had a dollar value and should be treated and regulated like currency, and not a freedom. Today’s decision reaffirms that the Bill of Rights was written for every American and it will amplify the voice of average citizens who want their voices heard.”

The case originally centered on the FEC’s denial of Citizens United’s attempt to broadcast a film about Hillary Clinton through on-demand cable services in January 2008, but had broader implications in protecting the First Amendment rights of organizations like the NRA during election time. The ruling does not change restrictions on direct monetary contributions corporations or organizations can make to candidates, but does remove restrictions on organizations publishing support of individual candidates, e.g. commercials or ads.

Chris W. Cox, NRA-ILA chief lobbyist, said, “This decision today returns sanity to our political system. The First Amendment does not allow Congress to make laws denying Americans the right to speak out on issues, the right to assemble or organize on public policy issues, or the right to petition our government for redress of grievances.”

Monday 11 January 2010

Update: McDonald v. City of Chicago

For several months, we have been reporting on the landmark McDonald v. City of Chicago court case. The McDonald case is one of several that were filed immediately after last year's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, in which the Court upheld the Second Amendment as protecting an individual right and invalidated Washington, D.C.'s ban on handgun possession, as well as the capital city's ban on keeping loaded, operable firearms for self-defense in the home.

On November 16, the NRA filed its brief with the U.S. Supreme Court as Respondent in Support of Petitioner in McDonald v. City of Chicago. The NRA brief asks the Court to hold that the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments through the 14th Amendment, and makes a clear and strong case in favor of incorporation of the Second Amendment. A “friend of the court” brief on behalf of most NRA state associations, including CSSA, was also filed with the Court.

The Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the McDonald v. City of Chicago case on Tuesday, March 2, 2010.

There are two provisions in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution through which the Supreme Court should apply the Second Amendment to the states. One is the Due Process Clause, which the Court has used to incorporate a majority of the provisions of the Bill of Rights, and the other is the Privileges or Immunities Clause. The Supreme Court has asked the parties in McDonald v. Chicago to address both issues. Counsel for the petitioner, Otis McDonald, focused overwhelmingly in his brief on the Privileges or Immunities Clause. NRA, as a party to the case, focused its brief largely on the Due Process Clause (although the NRA brief also discusses the Privileges or Immunities Clause).

NRA/CSSA believe that the Court should reach the same conclusion that the Framers of the 14th Amendment clearly intended to apply the Second Amendment to the states under either provision of the 14th Amendment. NRA has asked for the opportunity to participate in the oral argument to ensure that all arguments for applying the Second Amendment to the states are fully considered. Gun owners will have the best chance of ultimate victory on this critical issue if all options are fully explained to the Court. As always, NRA's goal in McDonald is to see that our fundamental, individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms applies to all law-abiding Americans, regardless of the state in which they live.

Tuesday 05 January 2010

FEB. 20 EFFECTIVE DATE FOR CARRY IN NATIONAL PARKS

Firearms owners should be aware that the change in federal law permitting firearms in national parks as long as state/local laws are observed begins February 20, not January 1. Until Feb. 20, firearms are not permitted in national parks pursuant to park rules/regulations.

Tuesday 29 December 2009

COURT OF APPEALS RULES SHERIFFS OWE CCW APPLICANTS DUE PROCESS

The Colorado Court of Appeals has reversed an Arapahoe County District Court’s affirmation of a sheriff’s refusal to reinstate a suspended concealed handgun permit. In Copley v. Robinson, case no. 09CA469, the COA ruled that the Arapahoe County Sheriff did not provide the appellant, Robert Copley, sufficient procedural due process in denying his application for reinstatement after his concealed carry permit was suspended due to a criminal charge that was later dismissed. The COA ruled that the Arapahoe County District Court erred by affirming the sheriff’s denial even after remanding the case to the sheriff for him to make specific findings of fact upon which he based his decision. The COA ruled that, when persons request an administrative review/hearing with a sheriff after initial denial of a concealed carry permit, the sheriff must provide the applicant with an opportunity to review adverse evidence/witnesses and to confront such evidence/witnesses at hearing. It is insufficient to provide only a generalized basis for denial of the application; an applicant must be given specific information about witnesses and evidence upon which the sheriff is basing his decision and the applicant must be given an opportunity to confront and challenge said witnesses and evidence.

This ruling is important because it affirms the intent of the concealed carry law that any denial of a concealed carry permit must be based on specific evidence/information and not be a subjective or arbitrary conclusion based on speculation or supposition, and that any such denial must be so reasonably based as to withstand the fair and unbiased review of a court of law.

Sunday 20 December 2009

AP CREDITS NRA WITH EXPANSION OF STATE GUN RIGHTS

An article by Erik Schelzig of the Associated Press credits NRA for a broad expansion of firearms rights, particularly relating to concealed carry, at the state level. Many states in the west and south have either added concealed carry, or expanded its scope, in recent years. In Tennessee, a slate of pro-gun legislation this year expanded the areas in which licensed concealed carry was permitted, including bars.

A nationwide review by the AP found that over the last two years 24 states have passed 47 new laws loosening gun restrictions.

Several state legislatures have allowed firearms to be carried in cars, made it illegal to ask job candidates whether they own a gun, and expanded agreements that make permits to carry handguns in one state valid in another.

And this trend in firearms rights expansion is attributed largely to a push by the National Rifle Association. The NRA, which for years has blocked attempts in Washington to tighten firearms laws, has in recent years ramped up its efforts at the state level to chip away at gun restrictions.

"This is all a coordinated approach to respect that human, God-given right of self defense by law-abiding Americans," says Chris W. Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist. "We'll rest when all 50 states allow and respect the right of law-abiding people to defend themselves from criminal attack."

Among the recent gun-friendly laws:

- Arizona, Florida, Louisiana and Utah have made it illegal for businesses to bar their employees from storing guns in cars parked on company lots.

- Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina and Virginia have made some or all handgun permit information confidential.

- Montana, Arizona and Kansas have allowed handgun permits to be issued to people who have had their felony convictions expunged or their full civil rights restored.

- Tennessee and Montana have passed laws that exempt weapons made and owned in-state from federal restrictions. Tennessee is the home to Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, the maker of a .50-caliber shoulder-fired rifle that the company says can shoot bullets up to five miles and is banned in California.

AP reports that public attitudes toward gun control have shifted strongly over the past 50 years. Gallup polling in 1959 showed 60 percent of respondents favoring a ban on handguns except for "police and other authorized persons." By last year, Gallup's most recent crime survey found 69 percent opposed such a ban.

Since NRA’s campaign to establish “shall-issue” concealed carry, almost all states now grant handgun permits to people with clean criminal and psychological records, as opposed to only 10 states in 1987. Only Wisconsin, Illinois and the District of Columbia still prohibit carrying concealed handguns entirely.

American gun owners should keep this record in mind when deciding which gun rights groups deserve their financial support—ones that merely talk about firearms rights, or ones like NRA with a proven track record of positive advances for American gun owners on all fronts.

Monday 14 December 2009

ACTION NEEDED TO RE-OPEN RAMPART SHOOTING RANGE! WRITE YOUR OFFICIALS TODAY!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Following an accidental shooting last July, the Forest Service closed the very popular and heavily used Rampart Shooting Range on the Pike National Forest. In its nearly 20 year history, Rampart had never before experienced a shooting-related injury or fatality. Rampart is the only free public range in El Paso County and receives 40,000 visitors a year. The Service called the closure a "time-out" in order to assess whether the design of the range was a factor. An investigation determined that the range was not a factor in the accident. Safety experts have said that the accident could have happened at any range. But after it closed Rampart, the Forest Service devised a scheme to keep the range closed permanently.

The Forest Service has listed requirements that must be met before it will reopen Rampart. There is no timetable for meeting these requirements and likely no money to cover costs. The most significant issue is the requirement of requiring full time supervision. Most ranges on federal lands operate without supervision and this requirement could place all such ranges in jeopardy. Rampart Range is in need of improvements which were identified more than two years ago. Such improvements can be addressed and implemented with the range reopened. The Forest Service has said that it could take up to five years before Rampart is reopened, but there is no guarantee that it would reopen Rampart in that timeframe or at any time in the future.

NRA has been working to get Rampart Range reopened since the day it was closed, but we need the help of Colorado hunters and shooters to show the Forest Service and your elected officials that the federal government cannot continue to close public lands to recreational shooting, and certainly not without replacing those areas lost with other areas of the same or great value. Rampart Shooting Range is an important resource for the shooting community along the Front Range. There is no incentive for the Forest Service to reopen Rampart unless the shooting sports community demands it!

Please send a letter of support for the immediate reopening of Rampart to: Tom Tidwell, Chief of the Forest Service, at ttidwell@fs.fed.us, and copy your letter to Senator Mark Udall at senator_mark_udall@markudall.senate.gov, Senator Michael Bennet at http://bennet.senate.gov/contact/, Congressman Doug Lamborn at CO05ima@mail.house.gov, and Governor Bill Ritter by clicking here. Please stress that keeping the range closed is not supportable by the investigative report; that the closure has robbed the shooting community of a valuable resource; and that needed improvements to the range can be planned and implemented without closure.

Tuesday 08 December 2009

CSSA statement regarding CSU Board of Governors’ vote to prohibit firearms on campus

Last week, the appointed Board of Governors for Colorado State University voted 7-0 to prohibit firearms on both of its campuses—Ft. Collins and Pueblo. The decision by the President of CSU to make this request of the Board was only made public three days prior to the Board’s vote and provided virtually no opportunity for public comment. The day before the Board’s vote, the CSU Student Senate, comprised of elected representatives from all academic fields of study at CSU, voted by a 21-3 margin a resolution urging the Board to permit lawful concealed carry on CSU campuses. Of course, this resolution was ignored by the Board, which cited no incident(s) that necessitated such action. It should be noted that, over the past several years, there have been several incidents of students, particularly women, being attacked and assaulted on campus.

At no time during the public coverage of the Board’s action was any official legal authority cited justifying the Board’s action, nor was any justification or explanation made by any person with legal credentials. It is clear from this that the CSU Board of Governors either failed to consult competent legal counsel or ignored any that it may have received. The Uniform Concealed Carry law enacted in 2003, codified at sec. 18-12-201 et seq. C.R.S., clearly establishes that lawful concealed carry is permitted throughout the state, with the only exceptions being 1) federal property where firearms are prohibited; 2) public schools K-12; 3) public buildings that prohibit all weapons and screen all entrances with metal detectors manned by security personnel; and 4) private property that prohibits conduct otherwise authorized by the concealed carry law. Sec. 18-12-214 C.R.S. It is unlawful under Colorado law to bring a firearm onto college or university grounds (see sec. 18-12-105.5 C.R.S.), but lawful concealed carry is specifically exempted under this law (see id., subsections (1)(d) and (1)(d.5)). Therefore, it is unlawful for a public institution such as CSU to ban concealed carry.

It is true that the University of Colorado bans concealed carry on its campuses. However, CU is a very narrow exception to the law. Shortly after Uniform Concealed Carry was passed in 2003, the elected CU Board of Regents requested then-Attorney General Ken Salazar to provide them with a legal opinion regarding the Board’s authority to continue to ban concealed carry. Salazar’s opinion stated that, because of the unique status of CU’s charter granting autonomous authority to the Board of Regents due to its elected, rather than appointed, status, the Board could supersede state law in regulating activity on CU campuses. CU is the only college or university in Colorado with such a charter and a popularly-elected Board of Regents. The Salazar opinion applied only to the University of Colorado, and is finally being challenged in the Colorado appellate courts this year.

The CSU Board of Governors has engaged in an ill-advised and illegal action in banning firearms from CSU campuses. CSSA urges the General Assembly and all CSU alumni who value the security of the CSU campus and the safety of its students to contact the CSU Board of Governors and demand that this dangerous course of action be immediately rescinded.

Go to page: >>

Main Menu

Raffle Winners!