Iowa Governor rescinds traditional ammo ban

Gov. Terry Branstad has signed an executive order to remove the traditional ammunition ban in Iowa. Last summer, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources decided to implement the ban during the state's first-ever dove season, but the ban was eventually delayed. Gov. Branstad came to the relief of hunters after inaction by the Iowa Senate on SJR 2001, a legislative resolution to rescind the ban. When the state lawmakers adjourned last month without nullifying the ban on the use of lead ammunition when hunting doves in Iowa, Branstad said he was going to look into the situation to determine if there was some way he could intercede on behalf of hunters in time for this year's September 1^st opener.

"Stay tuned. We're researching that," Branstad said at the time. "We're going to look into what can be done about that." The governor assigned Brenna Findley, his legal adviser, the task of exploring options hoping a way could be found to give the okay for hunters to use lead shot this fall.

For Iowa the lead shot issue was ultimately resolved when Branstad signed the executive order but the Environmental Protection Agency continues to push for a traditional lead ammunition ban under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). U.S. Sens. Inhofe and Manchin offered an amendment to block the EPA's move using the same language that passed by voice vote en bloc in the House Armed Services Committee recently.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation asks everyone to support the cost-saving Inhofe-Manchin amendment to the FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act which will prevent a ban on traditional ammunition and subsequently stop ammunition costs from skyrocketing for not only the U.S. military but also for hunters, shooters and law enforcement.

Recent estimates show that if the EPA banned lead in traditional ammunition, it would lead to over a billion dollar a year increase in ammunition costs for the military in a time when the defense budget is being cut.

Louisiana bill supports Second Amendment rights

The state House voted Thursday to create a tougher legal hurdle for restricting the right to keep and bear arms in Louisiana. The legislation would give the state the strongest Second Amendment-supporting law in the nation, its sponsor, state Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia, said. Opponents called the bill unnecessary and a test from the National Rifle Association to see if similar legislation could be enacted in other states. Senate Bill 303 would require a majority of Louisiana voters in November to approve it before it became law. It passed in the state Senate last month by a 31-6 margin. The 77-22 House vote came after nearly two hours of debate during which state Rep. Chris Broadwater, R-Hammond, argued that changing the state's constitution is a necessity noting U.S. Supreme Court decisions have narrowly struck down gun control measures brought in Washington, D.C., and Chicago. "It's a very scary thing that four people on the Supreme Court don't see the right to bear arms as fundamental," Broadwater said.