Suetterlein represents a state Senate district that runs from Bedford County to Wythe County. He is a Republican. On April 17, 2007, then-Governor Tim Kaine emphatically expressed his disdain for those who would attempt to use the horrific murders at Virginia Tech for political advantage. "I think for people who want to take this after just twenty-four hours and make it into their political hobby horse to ride, I’ve got nothing but loathing for them,” Governor Kaine declared. “They can take that elsewhere."

In a July 3, 1776 letter to his wife Abigail, founding father John Adams wrote about how Independence Day should be celebrated. Adams explained, I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

CRPA, with the support of NRA, challenged the ammunition background check law in court months ago with the filing of the Rhode v. Becerra case. The lead plaintiff in the case is Olympic gold medalist shooter Kim Rhode. 

On June 30th, the Oregon Legislature adjourned Sine Die from the 2019 Legislative Session, resulting in omnibus gun control Senate Bill 978 being officially defeated.  

Yesterday, July 1, AB 711 (2013), which NRA opposed, is now fully implemented, meaning that the taking of any wildlife with a firearm requires California hunters to use certified "non-lead ammunition".

Today, South Dakota’s Constitutional Carry law goes into effect.

The two Democratic presidential debates last week in Miami were marked by calls to remember Florida’s Parkland High School shooting, which occurred only 50 miles away from where the debate took place. The Democrats agreed on two solutions to stop these attacks: impose background checks on private transfers of guns, and ban “military-style” “weapons of war.” Even when the questions weren’t about gun control, candidates still found ways to bring up the topic.

On July 1st, the remaining provisions of Initiative 1639 will go into effect.  Previously, on January 1st, a provision from I-1639 went into effect to prohibit young adults under the age of 21 from receiving semi-automatic rifles, along with a provision that bans sales to out of state residents.  NRA and the Second Amendment Foundation filed a lawsuit challenging I-1639 in November 2018 not long after it passed.  The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington rejected a motion by the Washington state government defendants to dismiss this lawsuit back in May, clearing it to proceed.

Today, the Oregon Senate Minority Caucus will return to the Capitol to finish the 2019 legislative session and adjourn Sine Die by June 30th to officially defeat omnibus gun control Senate Bill 978.  Returning to the Capitol to finish essential tasks prior to the session ending helps prevent the convening of a special session, where anti-gun legislators have threatened to bring SB 978 back into consideration.  By returning and avoiding a special session, SB 978 will be dead for the year upon adjournment.

With the new restrictions on sales and transfers of ammunition taking effect July 1, 2019, NRA and CRPA fully expect California licensed ammunition retailers will be inundated with angry and frustrated customers who are unable to purchase ammunition as a result.

As reported last week, federal district court judge Cathy Bencivengo dealt a severe blow to anti-gun forces by issuing an order in the CRPA and NRA supported lawsuit titled B&L Productions v. 22nd District Agricultural Association prohibiting the Del Mar Fair Board from enforcing a recently enacted ban on gun shows.

The state of Illinois holds a B+ rating from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (the highest rating given is an A). Gun control advocates would have you believe this means it should be a relatively safe place. 

Anti-gun bills continued to move this week and more are on the calendar for next week. Below find an update on this week's committee actions and the bills scheduled for hearings next week.  

Last Sunday, the “news” program 60 Minutes ran a story it called “What makes the AR-15 style rifle the weapon of choice for mass shooters?”  The producer of the piece, Ashley Velie, claimed the intent was to present a story that was “completely apolitical.”  From the very outset, however, starting with the inflammatory and inaccurate title, it was clear the real intent was to vilify the most popular centerfire rifle in America.

Virginia’s 400,000 concealed handgun permit holders would not be able to exercise their Right-to-Carry in large portions of their capital city if Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney had his way. On Monday, Stoney proposed a local ordinance that would prohibit law-abiding gun owners from carrying a firearm in any “[c]ity-owned building, park, or recreation or community facility.

Anti-gun folks typically characterize their gun control restrictions as “common sense” and “responsible,” regardless of how poorly grounded in reality these “solutions” tend to be, or how little their proponents understand what these measures will do (like the gun control supporters at one event who, when asked, were unable to explain what an AR-15 or a bumpstock is).

A recent paper published by a group of people ostensibly involved in the wildlife sciences highlights the clear threat animal rights thinking represents to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation—a threat that extends to hunting’s very important place within that model. The paper, published in Conservation Letters and prepared by researchers at Oregon State University, attacks what the authors term “trophy hunting.”

On Monday, July 1, California’s Ammunition Background Check Requirement law takes effect. Originally enacted in 2016 as part of Proposition 63 and Senate Bill 1235, the new ammunition background check requirements will generally require anyone purchasing or receiving ammunition at a firearms dealer or ammunition vendor to first undergo a background check prior to receiving any ammunition.

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries Division of Occupational Safety & Health (DOSH) has released an updated draft of the lead rules they originally released last year following stakeholder meetings.  These proposed regulations will impose complicated and expensive burdens on shooting ranges and retailers, potentially making it difficult for some to continue operations.  DOSH will be holding additional stakeholder meetings to discuss these proposed regulations.

On June 26th, the Pennsylvania state Senate voted 36-14 to pass Senate Bill 147.  Your NRA would like to thank all of the Senators who voted in favor of this important pro-hunting reform bill.  It will now go to the House of Representatives for further consideration.