http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/St...fic.aspx?st=PA


PENNSYLVANIA:. Your Help is Needed Today! House Bill 1845, introduced by State Representative John Sabatina (D-174), is scheduled for a possible vote on Monday, March 17 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. HB1845 would provide further penalties for possession of a firearm with altered manufacturer's (serial) number. This legislation would also increase penalties for altering or obliterating marks of identification on firearms. There will be a number of amendments offered to the bill, two of which are pro-gun, offered by State Representatives Steven Cappelli (R- 83) and Richard Stevenson (R-8). These pro-gun amendments, if accepted, would add "Castle Doctrine" and license to carry, as an exception to the PICS check, to HB1845. Other amendments have been filed which could be problematic for gun owners in Pennsylvania. One, sponsored by State Representative David Levdansky (D-39), would create criminal penalties for failure to report a lost or stolen firearm. Please contact your State Representative today and respectfully urge them to support the Stevenson and Cappelli amendments, while opposing the Levdansky amendment and any other amendments that threaten the rights of Pennsylvania's law-abiding gun owners. For contact information for your State Representative, please click here.

Pigeon Shooting Ban Scheduled for Committee Vote! The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled Senate Bill 1150 for a possible vote on Tuesday, March 18 at 11:30 a.m. in Room 8E-B, East Wing of the Main Capitol Building. This legislation would criminalize organized pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania by amending Title 18 ("Crimes and Offenses") of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. Pigeon shooting is an historic and legitimate activity steeped in tradition. It has many participants throughout the Commonwealth and around the world. Shoots have been held in Pennsylvania for more than a hundred years. The participants are law-abiding, ethical shooting enthusiasts, hunters, and sportsmen who would not tolerate an activity that would constitute cruelty to animals. Of course, opposition to pigeon shooting does not come from within the Commonwealth but from the outside. National "animal rights" groups, led by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), have organized and funded efforts in Pennsylvania and around the country to ban this longstanding traditional shooting sport. Make no mistake, this isn't just about banning pigeon shooting, but banning all hunting species by species. Today, its pigeon shooting, tomorrow deer hunting. Remember, Wayne Pacelle, the CEO of HSUS has said, "If we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would." He has even admitted, "We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States... We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped..." Please call the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and respectfully urge them to OPPOSE SB1150. Contact information can be found here.

Second Amendment Rally Scheduled! Several Pennsylvania sportsmen's organizations have scheduled a Second Amendment rally at the State Capitol for Monday, April 7 starting at 10 A.M. (plan on being there at 9 A.M.) in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg. This event will give Pennsylvania gun owners the opportunity to speak out against recently introduced anti-gun bills which include a "one-gun-a-month" gun rationing scheme and abolishing state preemption.

Hunting Under Discussion in the Management Plan for Erie National Wildlife Refuge: Staff of the Erie NWR, an 8,800-acre refuge 35 miles south of Lake Erie in northwestern PA, is launching the first stage in the process of developing a 15-year management plan for the refuge. The first stage is to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider. The public is invited to comment until April 30, 2008. It is important for the refuge staff to hear from hunters because the refuge is open to waterfowl, big game, small game, and turkey hunting. We want to ensure that those hunting opportunities are included and enhanced in the new management plan. Comments can be sent to northeast/planning@fws.gov. Include "Erie NWR CCP/EA" in the subject line. Information about public meetings to be held can be found at http://www.fws.gov/northeast/erie. You may also call Thomas Roster, Project Leader, at (585) 948-5445.