Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance

Idaho Range Protection Improvements in effect

Mike Brown — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:31:47 GMT

The enhanced range protection provisions that were enacted by the Idaho legislature this year go into effect today.

Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance worked very hard with NRA-ILA, our friends in the legislature, and YOU to push these improvements forward.

Please take a look at the improved range protection law at: http://www3.state.id.us/idstat/TOC/55026KTOC.html

The law now specifically allows your club to (among other things) add members, activities, or allow law enforcement use of your range without worrying about potentially having your protection from noise lawsuits stripped away because of a "substantial change in use". I think you will all agree that this is a HUGE improvement over the old range protection law.

In addition, those clubs that are non-conforming uses under local zoning codes will not lose that status because they, for instance, raise their berms or make other safety improvements.

These improvements are going to keep ranges open in the face of increasing encroachment by development.

Idaho Range Protection Improvements Become Law!

Mike Brown — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:23:22 GMT

Governor Otter signed House Bill 604 today, adding vital protections for Idaho's outdoor shooting ranges.

SB1441 signed into law

Mike Brown — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 02:13:51 GMT

Senate Bill 1441 (preemption) was signed by Governor Otter today. Because the bill contained an emergency clause it goes into effect immediately. Idaho now has one of the strongest preemption laws in the nation!

HB 604 passes Senate

Mike Brown — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:09:11 GMT

House bill 604 passed the Senate unanimously yesterday under a suspension of the rules. It now goes to the Governor for his signature.

SB 1441 passes the House!

Mike Brown — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:15:22 GMT

Thanks to the hard work of Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance supporters and the NRA, Senate Bill 1441 (preemption) has passed the House by a vote of 60-1-1. The bill now goes for the Governor's signature.

Shooting Range Protection Bill passes committee--on to the floor of the Senate!

Mike Brown — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:27:01 GMT

HB604 passed the Senate State Affairs committe today. Thanks to all who contacted the Senators on the committee and asked them to support the bill. We expect the bill to be voted on the floor of the Senate by the end of the week.

Shooters The Shooting Range Protection Bill HB604 Will Be Heard In The Senate State Affairs Committee This Wednesd

Mike Brown — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:26:53 GMT

Shooters:

The shooting range protection bill (HB604) will be heard in the Senate State Affairs committee this Wednesday at 0800. If you haven't already done so, please take this opportunity to contact your Senator (especially if they sit on the State Affairs committee) and ask them to support this bill!

State Senator Curt McKenzie (R-12), Chairman

State Senator Michael Jorgenson (R-3), Vice Chairman

State Senator Denton Darrington (R-27)

State Senator Bart M. Davis (R-33)

State Senator Robert L. Geddes (R-31)

State Senator Kate Kelly (D-18)

State Senator Brad Little (R-11)

State Senator Joe Stegner (R-7)

State Senator Clint Stennett (D-25)>>

HB604 passes House 67-1!

Mike Brown — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:19:57 GMT

Shooters:

House Bill 604 (shooting range protection) passed the House today 67-1 http://www3.state.id.us/oasis/H0604.html . We expect it to go to the Senate Resources and Environment committee next week. I have spoken to Senator Gary Schroeder, who chairs that committee, and he has told me if he gets the bill Monday he will schedule it for hearing next Wednesday.

Just to recap what this bill would accomplish: it would fix a huge "hole" in the current range protection law and allow existing ranges to add members or law enforcement use, add competitions or public shooting days, make safety improvements, and allow law enforcement to conduct vital low light training and qualification without losing their immunity from nuisance suits and local noise regulations. This bill also prevents local governments from imposing noise restrictions on NEW ranges any stricter than the State of Idaho has placed on it's own ranges. In short: this bill would keep existing ranges open and make it easier to open new ones.

Law enforcement is very interested in this bill--my own Sheriff, Wayne Rausch, "wholeheartedly" endorses this bill and has authorized us to use his name to get it passed.

Please contact your State Senator and ask them to support this bill. When we introduced this bill many said that there wasn't time left in the session to get it passed but thanks to some very good friends of the shooting sports in the House and Senate we have gotten it this far. It is going to be close to get this through before adjournment but with your help we can make this happen before we lose ranges in Idaho.

Thank You,

Mike

SB1441 passes House Committee

Mike Brown — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:41:50 GMT

After 2 hours (!) of debate SB1441 (the preemption bill) passed the House Judiciary and Rules committee on a party line vote. All of the concerns raised were red herrings (for instance: the police department won't be able to tell the cops which guns they can carry) planted to give cover to closeted anti-gunners who want to vote against freedom! Many states, including Oregon, Washington, and Utah have complete preemption statutes such as this and, last I checked, the world had not ended in those states. This will go to the House floor soon and we expect a fight. Alert to follow.

Range Protection passes House committee

Mike Brown — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:26:04 GMT

The range protection bill (HB604) passed the House Resources and Conservation committe unanimously today. Good work by Idaho SSA director Jim Jatkevicius, who testified in favor of the bill.

Shooters SPAN Cl

Mike Brown — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:09:48 GMT

Shooters:

Last Sunday, I shot a match at my local club's range. No, I didn't win, but I did enjoy a beautiful day on the range testing my skills and enjoying the camaraderie of my fellow club members. I know that you all feel the same way that I do about Idaho's shooting ranges: not only are the opportunities for practice and competition they afford a key part of my life but the rights guaranteed to us by the Second Amendment and Article I Section 11 of the Idaho Constitution are practically meaningless without places to exercise them.

As the population grows and development spreads further and further into what was once rural country shooting ranges are under attack across the United States. As one of the fastest growing states, shooting ranges in Idaho are not immune from encroachment by new neighbors who, even though they knowingly moved near a range, would like to see that range shut down. This is despite all the good things that shooting ranges do for local communities: like conducting hunter safety and junior programs and giving local law enforcement a place to conduct essential training and qualification. If your club is like mine it is a small non-profit run by volunteers which does not have the resources to fight nuisance lawsuits and onerous local regulations.

While we currently have range protection laws on the books, a couple of recent developments have pointed out that they actually offer little protection for existing ranges. The problem is that our range protection laws do not cover a range that has had a "substantial increase in use" and that term is not defined. Which means that a judge could find that a range which has added a few new members or allowed the local police department to do low light training on their facility may be sued or regulated out of existence.

I think everyone active in the shooting sports knows what happened at Farragut State Park. Fish and Game tried to develop the rifle range there into a multiple use shooting facility to host everything from high power to mounted cowboy shooting. Since a judge found that this was a "substantial increase in use" of the range, a group of neighbors were able to sue and eventually obtain an injunction that keeps use of the range capped at a very low level.

Fish and Game has responded to this injunction by writing House Bill 515, which would impose mandatory noise restrictions on all state-owned ranges. The problem is that now there will be "State Standards" on the books which will most likely be applied by local authorities when permitting new ranges and ranges that have had a "substantial change in use". I was told personally by the person in the Attorney Generals office who was responsible for drafting HB515 that they recognized that this could be a problem for private ranges. The Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance and NRA did not oppose or try to amend HB515 because we feel that it is important to try to get Farragut back up and running with the maximum level of use possible.

What we have done with the help of NRA is to draft a bill, HB604 http://www3.state.id.us/oasis/H0604.html, which was introduced in the legislature on Thursday . This bill will fix the problems with the current range protection law by,among other things, providing a definition for "substantial change in use" and specifically allowing ranges to do things like add members, allow law enforcement to use their facility, and make safety improvements while still keeping their protection from lawsuits and local regulation.

I am sending you this because I know you as fellow sport shooters who are vitally interested in keeping our shooting ranges open in Idaho. This is not about IPSC or IDPA, High-power or Silhouette, Cowboys or Trap Shooters, this is about ALL SHOOTERS in Idaho. Please forward this to your fellow range users, especially those who participate in other disciplines. I realize I am taking advantage of your personal contact email to send this out and while I appreciate you taking the time to read and forward this I don't want to impose on your generosity any more than necessary. Please sign up for email alerts and encourage your fellow shooters to do the same so we can keep you up to date on this issue.

SB1441 Will Be Heard In The House Judiciary Committee Soon Stay Tuned Nbsp Nbsp

Mike Brown — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:16:42 GMT

SB1441 will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee soon. Stay tuned!