*********** NOTICE: THIS IS A FORWARDED MESSAGE *********** 
============================================================================
			    GENERAL-RKBA Digest 362
Topics covered in this issue include:
  1) FAXALERT: Free Speech Fight Continues by NRA Alerts 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Topic No. 1
Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 22:58:37 -0400 (EDT)
From: NRA Alerts 
To: general-rkba-real.nra
Subject: FAXALERT: Free Speech Fight Continues
Message-ID: 
                        NRA-ILA FAX ALERT
           11250 Waples Mill Road * Fairfax, VA  22030
    Phone: 1-800-392-8683 * Fax: 703-267-3918 * GROOTS@NRA.org   
Vol. 5, No. 19                                            5/15/98
                   FREE SPEECH FIGHT CONTINUES
Campaign finance "reform" continues to pose a threat to your
First Amendment rights and your NRA, which relies on the ability
to communicate with its members during election cycles.  NRA's
ability to inform you of lawmakers' and candidates' views on the
Second Amendment could be seriously jeopardized should the
"reforms" that are still being proposed actually become law.  In
several previous FAX Alerts (Vol. 5, Nos. 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, and
13), we have mentioned these legislative proposals.  While it
appeared that attempts to silence the political voice of NRA
members had been effectively defused, once again, the specter of
"reform" has been resurrected.  Rep. Asa Hutchinson's (R-Ark.)
campaign finance "reform" bill, H.R. 2183, is fairly innocuous,
but the real danger is that anti-free-speech amendments may be
offered, including Rep. Christopher Shays' (R-Conn.) H.R. 3526. 
H.R. 3526 is very similar to  H.R. 493, which was Shays' original
companion bill to S. 25, the McCain-Feingold campaign finance
"reform" bill.  Shays' bill would prohibit or severely restrict
NRA's ability to send you our Political Preference Charts (PPC)
that appear in NRA magazines prior to the elections and contain
our rating and endorsement information on candidates. 
Furthermore, NRA could be required to submit any mailings that we
send to our members for review by the Federal Election Commission
(FEC), to ensure that we are complying with the regulations
contained in H.R. 3526.  In other words, censorship!  There could
be a vote on "reform" legislation as early as next week.  Please
call your federal lawmakers at 202/225-3121 immediately to urge
them to oppose such efforts.  In addition, Congress will be going
on its Memorial Day recess on May 22, so during the week of May
25, try to schedule an appointment with your Representative if
he/she is in the District office.  You can contact your
Representative's office in Washington, D.C. by calling 202-225-
3121 and asking for that office.  The District office should be
listed in your local phone book.
                     1998 NRA ANNUAL MEETINGS
The June 5-9 NRA Annual Meetings in Philadelphia are right around
the corner, and we look forward to seeing the thousands of
members who plan to attend.  Don't forget to schedule some time
to attend some important workshops and meetings which will take
place.  On Friday, June 5, at 9:00 a.m., there will be an NRA-ILA
Grassroots/Clubs & Associations Workshop, where we will discuss
strategies for getting individuals and clubs involved with NRA
and NRA-ILA activities.  The workshop will be held at the
Philadelphia Marriott, which is the official Headquarters Hotel,
in Ballroom Salons A and B on the fifth floor.  If you would like
to reserve a spot for this workshop, please call the Grassroots
Division at 1-800-392-8683, and ask for Susan Dugger.  If you are
not sure if you will be able to attend at this time, we will also
be registering people on the morning of the workshop.  Also on
June 5, and open to all members, will be the ILA Opening Session,
which will start at 2:30 p.m.  Please plan on attending (no
registration required), so that you may hear from NRA-ILA leaders
like NRA-ILA Executive Director Tanya K. Metaksa, as well as
special guest legislators.  The ILA Opening Session will be held
in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, which is adjacent to the
Philadelphia Marriott, in the Ballroom.  Upcoming legislative and
political strategies, as well as past efforts, will be discussed. 
Also, the Annual Meeting of Members will officially start at
10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 6.  This will also be held in the
Pennsylvania Convention Center Ballroom.  Please plan on
attending this important event (again, no reservation required).
-=Continued in next post=-
...          ******** NOTE: THIS IS A FORWARDED MESSAGE ********
--- FMail 1.22
---------------