Friday News!
May 21st edition
Gun Owners' Action League.
GOAL Shield Logo
In This Issue.
  • News Bytes.  Select Local and National News Stories
  • Legislation update.
  • Deval Patrick blames GOAL for lack of progress on his gun bill.
  • Oppose H.4687 (formerly S.2245 & S.2260)
  • GOAL Affiliated Club Events
  • GOAL Summer Banquet with New England Patriot Matt Light
  • A special request
  • Candidate information needed!
  • Select GOAL Gear on sale
  • Spring Fling Raffle
  • GOAL Cup News
  • Women on Target, for Ladies only, sign up today!
  • Sign up for a great class at GOAL
  • Gunsmith's wanted
  • Note About Forwarding The Friday News
News/Editorials and other tidbits from the Web.

  • Brady Campaign's slipping relevancy underscored by NRA convention The Brady Campaign has not managed to push through a single piece of federal legislation in more than 15 years. Their attempt to sue the gun industry into bankruptcy using anti-gun mayors as their puppet proxies failed on legal merit and in the court of public opinion.
  • SAF Accuses Brady Campaign of racism. "The Brady Campaign and their soul mates at the Violence Policy Center have consistently avoided discussing the racist underpinnings of gun control because they know it is a political minefield"
  • H2259 Gets another extension 5/14/2010 update, H. 2259 has now been extended to 6/30/10 for discussion. Please continue to contact the committee members and your legislators and urge them to vote favorably on this bill.
  • Billerica Town Meeting Alert!   May 14th Update. We win again! GOAL has learned that article #38 has been withdrawn due to the amount of opposition it faced from law abiding hunters and gun owners.
  • FA 10 Firearms transfer issues  May 14th Update. As many of you know, the CHSB uploaded the FA10 form onto their website on April 30th. We just now noticed that they FINALLY updated it to a correct form that includes instructions/codes etc...
  • S.1580 Receives an extension order. GOAL's "An Act Relative to the Common Defense" Bill, S.1580 has received an extension order from the Judiciary Committee to June 30th.  Please continue to call and ask for this bill to be released with a favorable report.
  • Richard Ross wins Senate seat. Capitalizing on a Republican resurgence, state Rep. Richard Ross won the state Senate seat formerly held by his friend and political mentor Scott Brown Tuesday by an overwhelming margin.
  • Mass Chiefs Openly Discuss Licensing Abuse  "Liability is only increased by failing to comply with the statutory licensing requirements or exceeding one's authority regarding how those licenses are issued or regulated."
  • Federal Judge rules against Heller decision. The gun grabbers in Washington are celebrating a federal ruling handed down Friday that upheld the tangle of rules that effectively prohibit District residents from owning firearms for the purpose of home defense.
Legislation Update
GOAL Shield LogoIn the following weeks, the House may be hearing legislation in regards to Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and/or Pre and Post Trial Supervised Release. 

This could effect numerous bills including H.4428 - An Act Making Gun Law Violations Subject to Dangerousness Hearing Determinations, and S.2220 (now in the House, we are awaiting it's new "H" designation) - An Act Reforming the Administrative Procedures Relative to Criminal Offender Record Information and Pre and Post Trial Supervised Release

GOAL will be keeping a close eye on any bill that would make simple possession of firearms an offense worthy of pre-trial detention. 
 
As the current legislative session draws to a close expect numerous updates, and sessions lasting into the wee hours.  We will keep our members updated as things develop.

 Click here for more information about the above bills.
Deval Patrick blames GOAL for lack of progress on gun billGOAL responds.
PATRICK TAGS GUN LOBBY WITH LACK OF PROGRESS ON GUN BILL


By Jim O'Sullivan
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, MAY 10, 2010...... Gov. Deval Patrick blamed firearms lobbyists Monday for his gun control legislation's lack of progress amid another murder of a child over the weekend, drawing a quick rebuke from the Gun Owners Action League, who called Patrick's bill flawed and ineffective. 

Hours after speaking with the mother of Jaewon Martin, the 14-year-old murdered on a Boston basketball court Saturday, Patrick told reporters, "Look, there's a lot of volume that the gun lobby has in this building, but it seems to me that people in neighborhoods, those mothers that are losing their children on the streets of our cities, the law enforcement who are having to deal with the proliferation of illegal firearms out there, used in the course of crime - those voices need to be raised, and those voices are greater in number, and I think at the end of the day greater in significance than the gun lobby."

The state's top firearms policy group said Patrick had mischaracterized lobbyists' work.

James Wallace, executive director of GOAL, replied, "My first question is: Who's the gun lobby? ... I don't lobby for guns, I lobby for people. That's one of the tools they use to dehumanize us. We lobby for . . . civil rights and public safety."

More on GOAL.org

Watch GOAL Executive Director Jim Wallace's video reply here.
Oppose H.4687 (formerly S.2245, & S.2260)
GOAL Shield Logo Wind Energy Siting Bill Update
GOAL members are well aware that we have been opposing the wind siting legislation that has been making its way through the legislature. The bill represents an enormous change in conservation and environmental permitting policy in Massachusetts for a narrowly defined politically favored industry.

These newly proposed changes pose a very real threat to conservation lands all across the commonwealth. The very same open space lands that sportsmen and women have worked decades to protect.

The Senate version of the bill, S.2260 "An Act Relative to Comprehensive Siting Reform for Land Based Wind Projects" was passed in early February. The Senate actually passed the bill on a "voice" vote rather than a roll call. This was done so that no senator could be held responsible for supporting the legislation.

On Wednesday, May 19, 2010 the Massachusetts House of Representatives was scheduled to vote on their new version of the bill, H.4687. This scheduled vote was a surprise to most since there was very little warning that the bill would be put on the agenda after lying dormant in the legislative process for months.

Read the rest on GOAL.org
Upcoming Events
GOAL Shield LogoGOAL Affiliated Club Events:
If your club is officially affiliated with Gun Owners' Action League and is running an event of some sort, here is where you can advertise it. Please email me the information (who, what, when, where, how much) or a link to your  web page.  For a full listing of shooting competitions go to www.goalshooters.org.

More events here

Are you planning a wedding, birthday, or other special event? Check out our listing of Affiliated Club Function Halls
GOAL Summer Banquet, June 19th!
Matt Light of the
New England Patriots will be a guest speaker
Matt Light
Freedom Will Prevail!
 
Join us, Saturday June 19th at the Boxborough Holiday Inn, Boxborough MA.

We are very pleased to announce the following guest speakers;

  • Matt Light of the New England Patriots
  • Alan Gottleib from Second Amendment Foundation
  • Sandy Froman past president of the NRA
  • Larry Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel
  • Senator Richard Moore
  • Representative Jeff Perry (candidate for 10th district U.S. Congress)
For more information or to purchase tickets click here.
Download a printable flyer here.

Volunteers needed!  If you would like to help us out with this event please email Angi.

A special request to Veterans and Family Members of.

The GOAL Staff is putting together a special photo tribute to our Veterans.


This tribute will be shown at our Summer Banquet on June 19th (see above for details)

If you have a military photograph of yourself, a friend, or a family member that you would like to share, please email it to me, mike@goal.org.

Thank you all!
We need help with Candidates!
GOAL Shield Logo Help us, help you, make great decisions on election day! 

One of the fantastic after effects of Scott Brown being elected is a new resurgence of people that are willing to not only get involved by working for campaigns, but also to run for office.

There are more new candidates running for office this November within Massachusetts than we can recall seeing for a long time.  In order to sort through them we are asking for some help.  If you are a candidate for a county, state, or national office, or if you know or work for a candidate, please ask them to fill out one of our new candidate questionnaires.

This will give us a great read on how much a candidate knows, and cares about Second Amendment Issues.  After completing we will grade the questionnaire and post that grade on our Candidate Ratings Pages.  (See below)
*Note:  The U.S. Congress ratings are courtesy of the NRA.  Also note that ALL of our current incumbents up for re-election have an "F" grade.
GOAL Gear On Sale!
Summer is here and Select Summer GOAL Gear is on Sale!

Hurry this sale will only last for two weeks, shop online today at the GOAL Store
http://www.shop.goal.org/ or click on individual items for more information.

Mens

Navy adjustable baseball caps, sale price $13.50
GOAL Shield Logo

New logo baseball caps, sale price $13.50
GOAL Shield Logo

Logo Tee Shirt, sale price $9.00


Logo Hoody, sale price $25.00


Ladies Logo Hoody, sale price $25.00

Spring Fling Raffle!
GOAL Shield Logo
GOAL Shield Logo
Spring is here and that means it's time for the Spring Fling Raffle!
Support GOAL and enter for a chance to win a great shopping trip at Kittery Trading Post!

The prizes are as follows:
  • 1st Prize: $1,000.00 Kittery Trading Post Gift Card
  • 2nd Prize: $500.00 Kittery Trading Post Gift Card
  • 3rd Prize: $250.00 Kittery Trading Post Gift Card
The drawing will be held at the GOAL Banquet on June 19, 2010. All MAILED and ONLINE entries must be received in the office by noon on June 17, 2010.

Click here to purchase online

Click here to download a mailable order form

You can also purchase tickets by phone @ 508-393-5333 or in person at the GOAL office

Thanks and best of luck all!

If you would like to see the winners from our Annual Raffle, click here

Women on Target!
GOAL Shield Logo
The GOAL Foundation presents Women On Target eventsall over Massachusetts. If you are interested in a great day of fun and education for ladies only check out our listing of scheduled events!
Great Classes available at GOAL!

New classes added at The GOAL Foundation!

Powerpoint for Trainers, June 24th, brand new course, learn to make a great presentation!

NRA Coach Training Course - Smallbore & Air Rifle Learn to be a Junior level 1 coach!

NRA Range Safety Officer Course @ Essex County Sportsmen's Association

Full Schedule of courses here!
Gunsmith's wanted!

We are going to be adding a listing page of local gunsmith's to GOAL.org.

If you are a GOAL member and a gunsmith and would like to be added please email me your contact information and we will get you listed.

Please include.
  • all pertinent contact info
  • what types of guns you work on
  • what you specialize in
  • any other pertinent information.
Please email it to me.  mike@goal.org.

Thanks
 

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT FORWARDING THE FRIDAY NEWS!


Dear subscribers, it has come to our attention that some of you have become "unsubscribed" from our e-mailings as of late.

This is due to the method used when forwarding this e-mail.  PLEASE NOTE, if you would like to forward this e-mail, use the "forward" option at the bottom of this page.

Forwarding this email as you would any other could cause you to become unsubscribed should any of the recipients choose to "opt out".


If you ever do need to subscribe, or if you know anybody that would like to receive this, it is now easier than ever to get on our list, simply go to www.GOAL.org and scroll down to the bottom of any page, we have an automated subscription set up.

Thanks to all for supporting
GOAL! 

Join/Support GOAL, Massachusett's Official Firearms Association of the National Rifle Association.

Protecting YOUR freedom begins here!

Find us on Facebook
 
Sincerely,
 
Mike Sweeney
GOAL Communications Manager
Gun Owners' Action League