| Summary of instances in which GRNC alerted gun rights activists to NRA obfuscations and endorsements of anti-gun candidates (reverse chronological order): |
July, 2003: NRA LAWYER SUES GRNC
Conveniently following the SB 919 and SB 33 debacles described below (and after national embarrassment and many NRA membership resignations over SB 680, also described below), NRA lawyer Dan Zavodil files "defamation of character" suit, allegedly on behalf of NRA State & Local Affairs Manager Jennifer Palmer, against both Grass Roots North Carolina and GRNC President Paul Valone. The suit seeks $75,000 in damages. |
March, 2003: 2ND NRA-ENDORSED POL TRIES TO END GUN SHOWS
Following the footsteps of Sen. Fountain Odom (described below), NRA-endorsed Democratic Senator Tony Rand (46% voting record, GRNC 0-star) introduces SB 610, "Sales Tax Collection at Gun Shows." With the exception of minor changes relating to sales tax, the bill contains exactly the same language restricting gun shows that GRNC defeated in two previous sessions of the General Assembly. Although GRNC issues alerts blasting the bill, NRA is silent. Although still alive, the bill has not yet received a committee hearing. |
March, 2003: NRA GUTS RECIPROCITY BILL
Earlier in the session, Sen. Scott Thomas (D-Craven, GRNC 4-star)) had introduced concealed handgun reciprocity bill SB 33. The bill uses identical language to that drafted by GRNC and passed by the NC House in two previous sessions of the General Assembly. SB 33 is scheduled for a Judiciary Committee hearing on March 11. At 7:10 PM on the night prior to the meeting, however, NRA representative Jennifer Palmer and NC Attorney General's office representative Greg McCleod, in apparent collusion with other members of the AG's office and hired NRA lobbyists Joe and Henri McClees, draft a last-minute committee substitute bill which allows the state Attorney General (currently anti-gun Democrat Roy Cooper, GRNC 0-star) to reject reciprocal agreements with other states without stating reasons for so-doing. Worse, his determination would be "conclusive"-in the opinion of even Judiciary Committee counsel not subject to change by anyone, even including the Attorney General himself. The committee substitute also requires other states to conduct mental health checks, something not required in North Carolina nor by any other state. Since no central repository exists for mental health data exists, no other state would have been able to qualify for reciprocal agreements with NC, rendering the bill worthless. GRNC is able to clean up the bill only by holding it hostage in the House and sending a clean bill-HB 131, sponsored by Reps. Mark Hilton, Pryor Gibson (bopth GRNC 4-star) and others-back to the Senate. Eventually, a House subcommittee, with GRNC input drafts a clean reciprocity bill which recognizes permits from any state which recognizes those issued by NC. Ironically, despite colluding to gut SB 33 earlier, the Attorney General's office itself drafts the new, clean language, expressing no objection whatsoever to the amended bill. A series of alerts by GRNC draw fire to the NRA, again embarrassing the organization for attempting to weaken the bill. |
November, 2002: NRA ENDORSES ANTI-GUN CANDIDATES (AGAIN)
After passage of its gun litigation bill, NRA endorses broad range of Democratic state house and senate candidates with voting records in clear opposition to Second Amendment issues. In particular, NRA gives "A+" and endorsement for the fourth time to Sen. Fountain Odom, whose history includes drafting a committee substitute bill to weaken North Carolina's 1995 concealed handgun law; co-sponsoring a 1998 concealed handgun liability bill designed to encourage merchants to post against concealed handguns; and sponsoring SB 680 (described below). In the House, NRA endorses incumbent Phil Baddour (77% pro-gun voting record, GRNC 1-star)) against former House representative Louis Pate (100% voting record, GRNC 4-star). GRNC-PVF sends alerts for Pate, who wins by only 174 votes and giving Republicans a 61-59 majority in the NC House for only the second time since reconstruction. GRNC alerts again embarrass NRA by detailing districts in which the organization backed anti-gun candidates. |
May, 2001: NRA REFUSES TO TELL MEMBERS ABOUT GUN SHOW BILL
Early in the session, Sen. Odom (50% voting record, GRNC 0-star) introduces SB 680, an NRA-backed bill restricting municipal litigation against gun manufacturers. An identical bill, introduced in the House by Rep. Wayne Sexton (100% voting record, GRNC 4-star), HB 622, passes the House overwhelmingly. Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight (50% voting record, GRNC 0-star), however, refuses to give either bill a committee hearing. To dislodge the bill, Odom allows SB 1020, an entire gun show bill which has been killed in previous sessions and is unlikely to get a hearing, to be merged into his litigation bill. NRA state representative Nicole Palya and lobbyist Joe McClees both admit engineering the move. Meanwhile, NRA literature and membership alerts tout the gun litigation aspects of the merged bill while hiding the gun show language. After warning the NRA that failure to remove gun show language would result in a national campaign against the NRA, GRNC distributes national alerts detailing the NRA's role in pushing gun show restrictions. NRA representative Anthony Roulette, responding to membership e-mails, says GRNC is "lying" about the content of the bill. Even though Sexton's companion bill is "clean," lacking gun show language, the NRA ignores the bill until a public campaign by GNRC makes it impossible to pass SB 680. |
May, 1998: NRA-ENDORSED POL SPONSORS POSTING BILL / NRA OKs BILL
Sen. Odom co-sponsors SB 324, "Concealed Handguns/Liability" along with anti-gun Sen. Frank Ballance. The bill would have allowed merchants to post signs prohibiting concealed carry but remain free of civil liability if a disarmed permit-holder was injured in a crime. GRNC canvassed merchants and found that their greatest concern was a wrongful shooting in their business by a permit-holder. Accordingly, our attorney drafted language absolving merchants of such liability. When Sen. President Pro Tem and other Democratic leaders refused to sponsor the language, they advised us that the NRA had approved the bill's existing contents . Calls to NRA representative Jeff Freeman (then the state and local affairs representative for NC) went un-returned. GRNC successfully amended the bill in a recorded floor vote, after which the bill's sponsors sent it back to committee and killed it rather than passing it with gun-neutral language. |
November, 1996: NRA ENDORSES ANTI-GUN GOVERNOR
In an apparent payback for a belated letter of support for the NRA's range protection bill, the NRA endorses incumbent Governor Jim Hunt, even after numerous NC activists point out printed statements from the Governor in support of the "assault weapon" ban and other gun control measures. Tanya Metaksa actually comes to Raleigh to quell the rebellion by meeting with several dozen activists, ostensibly to explain the NRA position, but actually to dictate terms. GRNC supports challenger and eventually congressman Robin Hayes. Newspaper articles highlight the rift between GRNC and NRA over the Hunt endorsement. |
| In the same election, the NRA first elevates the rating of Sen. Odom from "B" to "A+", also giving him an endorsement. During the previous session of the General Assembly, Odom had first stripped NRA instructors from the list of instructors certified to administer concealed handgun training, leaving only a very limited number of law enforcement instructors. Later, in a floor amendment to his own committee substitute, he returned NRA instructors to the concealed handgun bill in an apparent deal with the NRA. (Note: He did not correct any of the other flaws of his committee substitute bill). |
November, 1994: NRA ENDORSES ANTI-GUN SENATE INCUMBENTS
NRA endorses incumbent state Senators Marvin Ward and Ted Kaplan (both of the Forsyth County two-seat District 20, GRNC 0-star) over Republican challengers Ham Horton and Mark McDaniel (100% voting records, GRNC 4-star). Candidate surveys by GRNC discover that Ward and Kaplan both favor "assault weapon" bans, oppose concealed handgun laws, and support other gun control measures. With GRNC support, McDaniel and Horton unseat Ward and Kaplan. McDaniel later becomes the leading Senate advocate for concealed handgun bill HB 90. |
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