Topic: Legislation
Last Friday, anglers and hunters were notified that the National Park Service planned to make all lands under their control totally lead-free by 2010. No lead in ammo or fishing tackle. So, carry your now-legal CCW, but don't load it!
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The Department of Defense last Tuesday issued a directive that bans the sale of fired military brass to ammunition re-manufacturers. It would instead be destroyed and sold (to China) as scrap at 1/5 the price of useable cases sold to U.S. companies. If we let this happen, look for the already ridiculous prices of all ammo to triple.
Here are the letters:
Re: Event 7084-6200:
Dear Larry Haynie,
Effective immediately DOD Surplus, LLC, will be implementing new requirements for mutilation of fired shell casings. The new DRMS requirement calls for DOD Surplus personnel to witness the mutilation of the property and sign the Certificate of Destruction. Mutilation of the property can be done at the DRMO, if permitted by the Government, or it may be mutilated at a site chosen by the buyer. Mutilation means that the property will be destroyed to the extent prevents its reuse or reconstruction. DOD Surplus personnel will determine when property has been sufficiently mutilated to meet the requirements of the Government.
If you do not agree with the new conditions of your spot sale, please sign the appropriate box provided below stating that you do not agree to the new terms and would like to cancel your purchase effective immediately. If you do agree to the new terms please sign in the appropriate box provided below to acknowledge your understanding and agreement with the new requirements relating to your purchase. Fax the signed document back to (480) 367-1450, emailed responses are not acceptable.
Please respond to this request no later than close of business Monday, March 16th, 2009.
Sincerely,
Government Liquidation
Here is the other letter sent to Georgia Arms informing the company their contract to purchase expended military ammunition had been cancelled:
Dear Valued Customer:
Please take a moment to note important changes set forth by the Defense Logistics Agency:
Recently it has been determined that fired munitions of all calibers, shapes and sizes have been designated to be Demil code B. As a result and in conjunction with DLA's current Demil code B policy, this notice will serve as official notification which requires Scrap Venture (SV) to implement mutilation as a condition of sale for all sales of fired munitions effective immediately. This notice also requires SV to immediately cease delivery of any fired munitions that have been recently sold or on active term contracts, unless the material has been mutilated prior to sale or SV personnel can attest to the mutilation after delivery. A certificate of destruction is required in either case.
Thank you,
DOD Surplus
15051 N Kierland Blvd # 300
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
The recipient of the above letters, the fifth largest centerfire rifle and pistol ammunition manufacturer in the U.S., also a remanufacturer (over a million rounds a month in .223 alone), cancelled ammunition orders from law enforcement agencies nationwide.
At approximately 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Democrat Senators Tester and Baucus of Montana faxed a cosigned letter to the Department of Defense asking DOD to reverse their new brass policy.
Due to quick action by the industry and these two elected officials, Georgia Arms now reports that DOD has rescinded the order to mutilate all spent cases as of 4:30 p.m. Eastern on 3/17/09.
At approximately 5:30 p.m., Senator Tester's office received a fax back from the Defense Department saying the brass destruction policy is reversed.
Websites that coordinate the sale of DOD surplus are already removing the "Mutilation" requirement from their listings, mere hours after they began adding the mutilation stipulation.
The fax from the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and another Senator had considerable powers of persuasion. The Department of Defense has been introduced to the idea that unilateral decisions of this magnitude don't come without consequences.
The thanks of our nation is due to these two Democrat senators, proving Washington is not irrevocably divided down party lines.
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In related news, Attorney General Holder and the Justice Department claim that Mexican drug smuggling and the related violence is due to the ease with which American arms are being purchased here and smuggled into Mexico.
Last week, three Democrat lawmakers advised Attorney General Holder of their "vigorous opposition" to any new gun restrictions the Obama administration might be considering. The three lawmakers were Alaska Senator Mark Begich and Montana Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester.
Thank you again, Senators!
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President Barack Obama is also trying to quietly end the armed pilot program, making air travel more vulnerable to terrorist attack, according to an article in the Washington Times. The newspaper reported in its Tuesday edition that President Obama is "quietly ending the federal firearms program" by diverting some $2 million from the training program to hire "supervisory" staff, whose job, it appears, will be to harass armed pilots through unnecessary field inspections.
Call the White House at (202) 456-1111, or send a comment by visiting www.whitehouse.gov/contact.
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MISSISSIPPI
Following are the gun bills that were alive in the MS Legislature as of my last report, along with their current status:
By: Representative Bailey To Jud B
By: Senator Powell To Jud B
(By: Senator Flowers)
HOUSE BILL NO. 311 Passed House, amended to include provisions of SB 2036 and 2306 below by Senator Flowers. Passed Senate, returned to House for concurrence; House presently not concurring – to go to House/Senate conference committee
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 45-9-101, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE RENEWAL OF GUN PERMITS BY MAIL WITH THE CONDITION THAT ALTERNATING RENEWALS BE MADE BY PERSONAL APPEARANCE IN ORDER TO OBTAIN NEW PHOTOGRAPHS EVERY TEN YEARS; TO REVISE THE TIME FOR RESPONDING TO APPLICATIONS (45 days).
By: Senator Flowers To Jud B
By: Representative Dedeaux To Jud B
SENATE BILL NO. 2036 Passed Senate, Died in House – Language inserted into HB 311, above
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 33-7-303, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXPLICITLY RESTRICT THE POWER TO CONFISCATE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION IN AN EMERGENCY; TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS; TO ENACT DEFINITIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 45-9-53, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM.
By: Senator Flowers To Jud B
SENATE BILL NO. 2306 Passed Senate, Died in House, Language inserted into HB 311, above
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 45-9-101, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DELETE THE PROHIBITION AGAINST CARRYING A CONCEALED WEAPON INTO A PUBLIC PARK BY A PERSON HOLDING A CONCEALED WEAPON PERMIT; TO AMEND SECTION 45-9-53, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM.
By: Representative Bailey To Jud A
By: Senators Tollison & Blount To Jud B
SENATE BILL NO. 2967 Passed Senate, Amended & passed House, referred back to Senate for concurrence
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 93-21-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY THE DEFINITIONS UNDER THE DOMESTIC ABUSE PROTECTION ACT ("Abuse" does not include any act of self-defense.)
By: Senator Gollott To WF&P
SENATE BILL NO. 3148 Passed Senate, Died in House WF&P
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 49-7-61, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROHIBIT HUNTING WITH A FIREARM NEAR (within 200 yds.) A DWELLING WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE OWNER OR LESSEE.
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