Friday, March 07, 2008
Shooters SPAN Cl
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.
Range Protection
Mike Brown  3/7/2008 1:09 PM Mountain Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 
 Wednesday, March 05, 2008
SB1441 Will Be Heard In The House Judiciary Committee Soon Stay Tuned Nbsp Nbsp

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

 

 

Preemption
Mike Brown  3/5/2008 6:16 PM Mountain Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 
 Monday, March 03, 2008
SB1441 passes Senate!

SB1441, the preemption bill passed the Senate on a 31-1-1 vote this morning. Thanks again to all the supporters of firearms freedom in Idaho who contacted their Senators! On to the House. We'll keep you updated.

Preemption
Mike Brown  3/3/2008 5:06 PM Mountain Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 
 Saturday, March 01, 2008
SB1441 on the Senate Floor

SB1441 (the preemption bill) will be debated on the Senate floor Monday. Please contact your Senator and urge them to vote for this bill.

Idaho Shooting Sports Alliance has drafted a much needed range protection bill that has been introduced in the House. More details on that as they become available.

Update: See the text of the preemption bill and follow it's progress here. The Idaho Statesman has an article here.

Preemption | Range Protection
Mike Brown  3/1/2008 5:18 PM Mountain Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 
 Monday, February 25, 2008
Idaho premption bill hearing Wednesday!

Idaho Preemption Bill Needs Your Help Now!
 
Monday, February 25, 2008
 

Please Attend the Wednesday, February 27 Hearing or
Contact the Senate State Affairs Committee Today!

Legislation that will vastly improve Idaho’s preemption statutes has been re-introduced under a new bill number: Senate Bill 1441.

SB1441 has been scheduled by the Senate State Affairs Committee for a hearing on Wednesday, February 27 at 8:00 a.m. on the second floor of the temporary capitol building (directly across the street to the East from the original building).  

SB1441 will make numerous improvements to Idaho’s preemption statutes by preventing municipalities from enacting local ordinances regulating firearms and ammunition.

Under current preemption statutes, uniform firearm regulations only exist within the realm of ownership, possession, and transportation.  SB1381 will codify into law that no county, city, or local government body can regulate the sale, acquisition, transfer, carry, and storage of firearms, adding them to the existing points of preemption.  The bill will also make clear that ammunition and firearm components are only to be regulated by the State of Idaho, not by local entities.

Uniform laws regulating firearms and ammunition are necessary to protect the constitutional rights of Idaho’s law-abiding gun owners and to prevent anti-gun municipalities from passing their own laws, which may conflict with state law.  

Please attend the hearing or contact the members of the Senate State Affairs Committee today by phone at (208) 332-1000 or toll-free at (800) 626-0471 and respectfully urge them to support SB1381.  Also, please let these Senators know that you are an NRA member and that SB1441 is of the highest priority to you.

State Senator Curt McKenzie (R-12), Chairman
cmckenzie@senate.idaho.gov

State Senator Michael Jorgenson (R-3), Vice Chairman
mnjorgenson@senate.idaho.gov

State Senator Denton Darrington (R-27)
ddarrington@senate.idaho.gov

State Senator Bart M. Davis (R-33)
bmdavis@senate.idaho.gov

State Senator Robert L. Geddes (R-31)
rlgeddes@senate.idaho.gov

State Senator Kate Kelly (D-18)
kkelly@senate.idaho.gov

State Senator Brad Little (R-11)
blittle@senate.idaho.gov

State Senator Joe Stegner (R-7)
jstegner@senate.idaho.gov

State Senator Clint Stennett (D-25)
stennett@senate.idaho.gov

Preemption
Mike Brown  2/25/2008 6:00 PM Mountain Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 
 Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Discussion panel at the U of I on SB 1381

From the University of Idaho:

From: asui@uidaho.edu
To: students-list@uidaho.edu
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:24:23 -0800
Subject: Senate Bill 1381 Allowing students with concealed weapons permits to campus

Dear Vandal,

In case you have not heard, the Idaho State Senate is considering Senate
Bill 1381.  If this bill passes, it will allow individuals with concealed
weapons permits to carry their firearms on campus after notifying proper
university authorities.  Because this bill has the potential to affect every
student at the university the ASUI has decided to put together a discussion
panel where students can learn more, ask questions, and state their stance
on this piece of legislation.  This is a great opportunity to engage in the
political process.  After the panel, you will have an opportunity to write
letters to state legislators supporting or opposing SB 1381.

Here is a link to the actual bill text:
http://www3.state.id.us/oasis/S1381.html

What: Senate Bill 1381 Allowing students with concealed weapons permits to
carry firearms on campus
Where: Renfrew Hall Room 111
When: Wed. Feb 13th, 2008 from 4:00-5:30 PM

 

 

ASUI and the ASUI Center for Volunteerism and Social Action

Please attend if you can. Dress appropriately and be civil.

Preemption
Joe Huffman  2/12/2008 10:40 AM Mountain Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [1]  | 
 Friday, February 08, 2008
SB 1381

Fellow shooters,

I am writing to you about an important firearms related bill that is currently pending in the Idaho Senate State Affairs Committee. You will probably be getting an alert from NRA/ILA about this bill in the next few days but I wanted to contact you directly to ask for your support in helping to get this legislation passed.

You may have seen reports in the news about cities and other government entities in Idaho trying to put restrictions on concealed carry. Senate Bill 1381 would clarify that only the state legislature has the authority to regulate firearms in the state. Not the cities, not the counties, not any state agency or commission. The legislature has enacted sensible firearms laws and we do not need any local government authority adding to them or restricting where or what you can own or carry. Please take a minute to read the bill: http://www3.state.id.us/oasis/S1381.html

This bill is especially important to our sport shooting community because it protects the discharge of firearms on a shooting range from regulation by local authorities.

If you live in one of the Senate districts represented on the State Affairs Committee, please contact your State Senator and ask them to support this bill. There are some Senators who may be trying to get some "cover" for voting against this bill by saying that it would discourage shooting range development. I wrote this bill and I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth! I encourage you to take a look at the language of the bill and see for yourself what it would do to protect our firearms' freedoms in Idaho. When you contact your State Senator please mention that you are a competition shooter so that they know that they can't hide behind "pro-gun" rhetoric while casting a vote against your rights!

At the bottom of this message I am including a list of the members of the State Affairs Committee with contact information. If your Senator is on this committee please contact them and express your support for the bill ASAP. Senator McKenzie, the chair of this committee, is one of the sponsors of this bill but he needs your help to get it passed.

It is especially important that people in Sen. Little's (Emmett) and Sen. Stegner's (Lewiston) districts contact them and let them know that you expect them to support this bill.

I can promise that I will keep you updated about this as the session goes forward until the bill has been passed and signed by the governor. I don't like being hassled by political action messages any more than you do but THIS IS IMPORTANT!

Please pass this on to all the Idaho shooters that you know so that they can let the legislature know that they want local governments to keep their hands off our firearms' freedoms!

Please contact me if you have any questions.

DVC,

Mike Brown, CRO
Executive Director, Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance
http://www.idahossa.org/

 

State Affairs Committee

Senator Curt McKenzie - Chair, Republican

District 12, Boise
Augustine and McKenzie Law Offices, PLLC, 1004 W Fort St, Boise, 83702
Home (208) 468-1027
Bus (208)367-9400
FAX (208) 947-0014
Attorney

Senator Michael Jorgenson - Vice Chair, Republican

District 3, Hayden Lake
2953 Point Hayden Dr, Hayden Lake, 83835
Home (208) 762-5514
Bus (208) 762-7784
FAX (208) 762-1485
Consultant

Senator Denton Darrington, Republican

District 27, Declo
302 S. Hwy. 77, Declo, 83323
Home (208) 654-2712
Farmer/Teacher

Senator Robert L. Geddes, Republican

District 31, Soda Springs
370 Mountain View Ave., Soda Springs, 83276
Home (208) 547-2423
FAX (208) 334-2320
Environmental Engineer

Senator Bart M. Davis, Republican

District 33, Idaho Falls
2638 S Bellin Circle, Idaho Falls, 83402
Home (208) 529-4993
Bus (208) 522-8100
FAX (208) 522-1334
Attorney

Senator Joe Stegner, Republican

District 7, Lewiston
216 Prospect Blvd., Lewiston, 83501
Home (208) 743-3032
FAX (208) 743-3032
Retired Grain Dealer

Senator Brad Little, Republican

District 11, Emmett
P.O. Box 488, Emmett, 83617-0488
Home (208) 365-6566
Bus (208) 365-4611
FAX (208) 365-4615
Rancher

Senator Clint Stennett, Democrat

District 25, Ketchum
P.O. Box 475, Ketchum, 83340
Home (208) 726-8106
Bus (208) 726-0738
FAX (208) 726-8106
Entrepreneur

Senator Kate Kelly, Democrat

District 18, Boise
PO Box 654, Boise, 83701
Home (208) 850-7217
Attorney
Preemption
Mike Brown  2/8/2008 10:34 PM Mountain Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [1]  | 
 Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Moscow City Council tables gun ban

On Monday the City Council in Moscow decided not to take up Mayor Chaney's resolutionl to ask the legislature for the authority to ban guns on city property. http://www.klewtv.com/news/12607756.html 

 

Preemption
Mike Brown  12/19/2007 4:28 PM Mountain Standard Time  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |