Anti-gun Legislators have flooded the State House and Senate with bills that will violate your Second Amendment Rights.

THERE ARE TWO STEPS TO PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS!

STEP ONE
Call these Legislators Today and Tell them:

“SUPPORT GUN RIGHTS. VOTE NO ON ALL GUN CONTROL BILLS.”

Sherman Mack, Chairman (R, Albany)
(225) 567-3677

Steve Pylant (R, Winnsoboro)
(318) 435-7313

Tony Bacala (R, Prairieville)
(225) 677-8020

Raymond Crews (R, Bossier City)
(318) 716-7532

Stephen Dwight (R, Lake Charles)
(337) 491-2315

Lowell “Chris” Hazel (R, Pineville)
(318) 767-6082

Valarie Hodges (R, Denham Springs)
(225) 791-2199

Frank Howard (R, Many)
(318) 256-4135

Joseph Marino (I, Gretna)
(504) 361-6013

John Stefanski (R, Crowley)
(337) 384-8999

We cannot afford to lose even one Republican vote on this committee. We MUST flood them with requests to SUPPORT GUN RIGHTS. VOTE NO ON ALL GUN CONTROL BILLS!

STEP TWO
Several of these Bills will be heard in the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday, April 4, 2018. We want to flood the committee hearing room with people who are opposed to additional gun control laws. Please plan to attend the hearing if possible.

The committee meets in House Committee Room 6. Ask any security guard for directions to House Committee Room 6.

The hearings will start at 9:30 AM. Please plan to attend for most of the day if you can.

When you arrive in the hearing room, ask the clerk for a RED card to oppose a bill. If you are unsure what to do, find LSA President Dan Zelenka or any of the LSA Directors. They will help you! You do not have to speak to voice your opposition to these bills. Your card will speak for you! Simply showing up at the hearing means a lot to the committee members.

Parking can be difficult and you may have to walk some distance to the House hearing room. Please wear business clothes if you can.

Concealed or open carry of a firearm is prohibited in the House. You will have to pass through metal detectors to enter the Capitol.

As the Louisiana Legislature begins its 2018 Session, several overreaching gun control bills have been filed that infringe on your Second Amendment rights and your right to self-defense. The anti-gun legislation includes:

House Bill 277/Senate Bill 274, sponsored by Rep. Denise Marcelle (D-61) and Sen. Troy Carter (D-7), respectively, prohibits the sale of commonly owned semi-automatic rifles to any person under 21 years of age. This legislation punishes law-abiding citizens for the evil acts of criminals, does nothing to increase public safety and will prohibit law-abiding 18-20 year old adults from purchasing the most popular and effective self-defense rifle on the market.

House Bill 400, sponsored by Rep. John Bagneris (D-100), establishes a 10-day waiting period for the purchase of a firearm and makes violation of the waiting period punishable by as much as five years in prison.

House Bill 473, sponsored by Rep. Patricia Smith (D-67), bans the importation, manufacture, sale, purchase, possession, or transfer of bump stocks and other “rapid-fire” devices. The broad and overreaching language could potentially criminalize firearm modifications such as competition triggers, and ergonomic changes that are commonly done by law-abiding gun owners to make their firearms more suitable for self-defense, competition, hunting, or even overcoming disability.

House Bill 603, sponsored by Rep. Helena Moreno (D-93), bans commonly owned semi-automatic rifles and forces law-abiding citizens to either surrender their firearms, or register and apply for a license annually in order to possess their firearm. This broad legislation does little to improve public safety, adds to the burden of state police, and further attacks the rights of law-abiding citizens.

Senate Bill 185, sponsored by Sen. Wesley Bishop (D-4), eliminates the authority of state laws over local ordinances and regulations. Firearm preemption laws ensure that fundamental rights are not diluted or distorted through local ordinances and prevents a confusing patchwork of regulations which make it difficult for otherwise law-abiding citizens to follow the law. Further, citizens in one city deserve the same rights and powers as citizens in the neighboring town.

Senate Bill 155, sponsored by Sen. Troy Carter (D-7), prohibits the sale of any weapon to any person under the age of 21 years old. Again, this type of legislation does little to increase public safety and only impacts the rights of law-abiding adults.

Senate Bill 231, sponsored by Sen. J.P Morrell (D-3), allows for the surrender of firearms and arrest of individuals, not based on a criminal conviction or mental adjudication, but based on false positive background checks or third party allegations and evidentiary standards below those normally required for removing constitutional rights.

Senate Bill 383, sponsored by Sen. Troy Carter (D-7), establishes a system to track all ammunition in the state for use in a firearm. This invasive legislation will allow for the state police to track who is legally purchasing ammunition, along with how much and what kind of ammunition is purchased. This database will only divert valuable state police resources by having to maintain this database and taking away from actually improving public safety.

Your LSA will keep you updated on further developments affecting your Second Amendment rights in Louisiana.

We have temporarily disabled the ability of people to join or renew online while we do maintenance to our Membership Database.  This will take approximately one week to complete.  We expect to be back on-line by March 30, 2018.  We appreciate your patience!

The LSA Annual Meeting and Elections were held on Sunday, February 18, 2018. The members selected the following individuals for their 2018 Board of Directors.

Officers
President Dan Zelenka (term expires 2019)
Vice-President Paul Angrisano (term expires 2019)
Secretary Paul Prokop (term expires 2021)
Treasurer Jay Hunt (term expires 2021)
Member-at-Large John Laws (term expires 2019)

Directors
Clifford Grout (term expires 2020)
Ron Duplessis (term expires 2021)
Gordon Hutchinson (term expires 2020)
Barret Kendrick (term expires 2019)
Buck Kliebert (term expires 2021)
Jerry Liuzza (term expires 2020)
Jay Meynier (term expires 2019)
George Petras (term expires 2020)
Daniel Plunket (term expires 2020)
Ted Torres (term expires 2021)

Alternate Directors
First Alternate Dwayne Vidrine (term expires 2019)
Second Alternate John Grout (term expires 2019)

žThe LSA, in recognition of the state legislator who by action has demonstrated the highest commitment to the protection of Second Amendment rights, established the Louisiana Shooting Association Legislative Excellence Award in 2010.  The 2017 winner of the Legislative Excellence award is Blake Miguez (R, Dist 49).

The CMP has been authorized to receive 8,000 model 1911 pistols from the United States Army.

The models 1911 have been received by the CMP. A complete inventory will be conducted over the course of this week. The pistols will then be securely stored until the Army-approved 1911 building and armory infrastructure is completed. That completion is anticipated to be approximately 60 days from now. Once the 1911 armory is completed, inspection, grading, repair, and ultimately test firing of the pistols will begin. (Please be aware that the CMP was led to believe that they were ready to move forward, but three weeks ago facility requirements were changed, and they are now fulfilling those requirements.)

The CMP 1911 order packet will be posted 90 days prior to the order acceptance date and opening sales date. No orders will be accepted prior to that date. CMP customer service has been inundated with calls and emails concerning the 1911s and no further information is available at this time.

Sad news reached us here at the LSA on January 22, 2018 with the passing of former LSA Director and LSA Life Member Raymond (Ray) M. Asprion, Jr.  Ray was a long time competitor in the discipline of High Power Rifle and was responsible for bringing many new shooters into the sport.  He was an enormous presence in the Louisiana shooting world and was a tireless supporter of Louisianians’ Right to Keep and Bear Arms.  In addition to his work for the LSA and shooting in the state, Ray was one of the original volunteers at the WWII Museum. In particular, he was one of the boat builders instrumental in the building/restoration of the Higgins LCVP, LCP (L), and the PT-305.

Ray’s complete obituary can be read here.

Ray will be very much missed and we offer his family and friends our heartfelt condolences.

The recent announcement by the Civilian Marksmanship Program that they MAY obtain surplus Model of 1911 pistols for sale to the public has sparked a tremendous amount of interest by collectors and shooters alike.  If you have ordered rifles from the CMP in the past, you may think you’re an “old hat” at this sort of thing, but think again.  The CMP plans to sell the M1911 pistols through a very different mechanism than their rifle sales.  So, if you’re an old hat or brand new to purchasing firearms from the CMP, read on.

But first let me answer one of the most common questions.  Yes, being a member of the LSA satisfies the requirement to be a member of a CMP-affiliated club.

The CMP now has a dedicated page on their website for information on M1911 sales.  Here is a synopsis of some decisions that have already been made if the CMP were to ever receive them from the United States Army.

1. It’s not a done deal! Although it appears to be highly likely, the US Government has NOT finalized the approval through congress, so the CMP does not currently have the M1911 pistols in their warehouses and definitely does not have permission to sale surplus M1911 pistols to the public.
2. There will be a whole new system. The CMP plays by different rules than a standard Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder.  A standard FFL dealer could not directly send a rifle to your home mailing address, but the CMP can mail that M1 Garand directly to you.  However, the CMP will not be able to send a M1911 to your home address, because it is a pistol.
   • The CMP will have an all-new M1911 order form, M1911 purchasing instructions, a M1911 page on their web site, a dedicated M1911 FFL fax number and email address for the FFL holder to send their FFL with customer’s name attached.
   • The customer will have to send in a complete new order packet with all new qualifying criteria included. Everyone will be a new customer, everyone starts with no advantage or disadvantage. “CMP 1911” is an FFL-governed operation and is a separate entity from CMP and has to have its own record keeping operation with no ties to the old CMP records. So, if you’ve order from the CMP in the past, your CMP Customer Number will do you no good.  You’ll soon have both a CMP Customer Number and a CMP 1911 Customer Number.
3. You will have to re-qualify (or qualify if new to this) to purchase firearms. Potential purchasers will have to provide to the CMP a new set of documents exhibiting: 1) proof of U.S. Citizenship, 2) proof of membership in a CMP-affiliated club, 3) proof of participation in a marksmanship activity, 4) a new form 2A with notary, 5) a signed copy of the 01, or 02, or 07 Federal Firearms License through which the M1911 will be transferred to you. From the volume of phone calls and emails I’ve received since this announcement, “proof of participation in a marksmanship activity” has many people baffled.  Here are some things that might help you understand this requirement.
   • You must provide proof of participation in a marksmanship related activity or otherwise show familiarity with the safe handling of firearms and range procedures.
   • Your marksmanship related activity does not have to be with a M1911 pistol; it can be with small bore rifles, high power rifles, Custom Close Quarter Tactical Pistols, air guns or shotguns.
   • Proof of marksmanship participation can be provided by documenting any of the following:
     • Current or past military or law enforcement service.
     • Participation in a rifle, pistol, air gun or shotgun competition (provide copy of results bulletin).
     • Completion of a marksmanship clinic that included live fire training (provide a copy of the certificate of completion or a statement from the instructor).
     • Distinguished, Instructor, or Coach status.
     • Concealed Carry License.
     • Firearms Owner Identification Card that includes live fire training.
     • FFL or C&R license.
     • Completion of a Hunter Safety Course that included live fire training.
     • Certification from range or club official or law enforcement officer witnessing shooting activity. A form for use in completing and certifying your r ange firing can be downloaded from the CMP web site here.
     • No proof of marksmanship required if over age 60.
4. They don’t know what they’ll be selling! Since the US Army has not transferred the M1911 pistols to the CMP, they have not graded them yet.  Decisions concerning the grade and pricing of the M1911 pistols will not be made until inspection has occurred of a substantial quantity that will take an estimated 150 days post receipt. The CMP will price at fair market value in accordance with CMP’s enabling legislation.
5. If you want every variant of the M1911, it will take a while. Qualified CMP customers will only be allowed to purchase one 1911 per calendar year.
6. Your Curio and Relics FFL (Type 03 FFL) is no stinking good here. M1911 pistols purchased from the CMP cannot be transferred to 03 FFL license. The BATFE and the United States Army prefer that TWO NICS checks be performed on each customer: one by the CMP, and one by an FFL dealer during the final transfer.
7. Why two NICS checks? First Reason:  The first NICS check makes sure the customer can legally possess the M1911 pistol prior to shipping it to the local 01, or 02, or 07 FFL dealer.  The CMP, Congress, and the United States Army do not want the M1911 to have to be shipped back to CMP 1911 if the purchaser is not legal to possess.  The more in transit the pistol is, the more likely it could be lost or stolen.  The second NICS check is performed by the local 01, or 02, or 07 FFL in accordance with their standard transfer procedures. Second Reason:  CMP’s enabling legislation mandated by Congress specifies that the purchaser “successfully pass a thorough and complete background check,” i.e. NICS.  CMP cannot turn any firearm over to the purchaser until it receives a “proceed” from NICS. The local FFL can turn the pistol over after 72 business hours have elapsed if they have not heard back from NICS.  Turning the pistol over after 72 hours and not getting a “proceed” does not satisfy CMP’s enabling legislation mandated by Congress.  This leaves CMP no choice but to have a NICS check done and get a “proceed” to satisfy its enabling legislation, before shipping to the local 01, or 02, or 07 FFL.

Once the CMP gets permission from Congress to sale the surplus M1911 pistols, they will post this information on their web site.  As soon as the LSA learns this date, we’ll let our members know.  Until that time, keep your fingers crossed!

LSA President Dan Zelenka recently addressed a letter to Members of the Louisiana House of Representatives.

The Annual Meeting of Members and Elections of the Louisiana Shooting Association took place on February 21, 2016.

Each year, the Members of the LSA elect a Board of Directors consisting of 15 members and two Alternate Directors. Each Director is elected to a 3-year term and each Alternate Director is elected to a 1-year term. Once the Board of Directors is chosen, the Directors then elect Officers of the Corporation from among the 15 Directors. The 2016 Officers and Directors of the LSA are:

President: Daniel E. Zelenka, II (term expires 2019)
Vice President: Daniel Plunkett (term expires 2017)
Secretary: Paul Prokop (term expires 2018)
Treasurer: Jay D. Hunt, III (term expires 2018)

Directors
Paul Angrisano (term expires 2019)
James Biermann (term expires 2017)
Bill Biossat (term expires 2018)
Gordon Hutchinson (term expires 2017)
Barret Kendrick (term expires 2019)
Ronald (Buck) Kliebert (term expires 2018)
John Laws (term expires 2019)
Gerald E. (Jerry) Liuzza (term expires 2017)
Joseph “Jay” Meynier (term expires 2019)
George Petras (term expires 2017)
Ted Torres (term expires 2018)

1st Alternate Director: Clifford Grout (term expires 2017)
2nd Alternate Director: Keith Lemoine (term expires 2017)