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   Feb. 19 Neal Knox Legislative Hotline -- Attorney General John =
Ashcroft=20
may torpedo Janet Reno's plan to allow the FBI to keep NICS records=20
of qualified gun buyers, according to Congressional Quarterly Daily=20
Monitor.=20

    Though some of us fumed when he told Sens. Feinstein and=20
Schumer that he considered the Brady Act and the ban on military-=20
look semi-autos constitutional, he made those Senators fume when,=20
in response to some 350 written questions from Judiciary Committee=20
opponents, he left himself room to strike the FBI's plan to keep=20
records of law-abiding purchases.=20

    On Jan. 14 General Reno approved "final rules" on the National=20
Instant Check System allowing FBI to keep purchase records for 90=20
days -- which amounts to forever once they get in a computer backup=20
system.  =20

    Reno's rules were published in the Jan. 22 Federal Register,=20
the first working day after George W. Bush was inaugurated.  Their March =

5 implementation was blocked by the President's 60-day hold on the=20
blizzard of last-minute regulations handed down by the Clinton=20
Administration.  =20

    CQ's reporter wrote: "the National Rifle Association and its=20
allies can take heart from a response he gave in written testimony=20
last month that gives him room to move on one of their top=20
priorities: immediate destruction of the paperwork collected as a=20
part of instant background checks on gun buyers."=20

    In 1998 then-Sen. Ashcroft voted for an amendment by Sen. Bob=20
Smith (R-N.H.) demanding instant destruction of "Instant Check"=20
records on qualified gun buyers.=20

    The D.C. Appeals Court last year ruled 2-1 (with a strenuous=20
dissent) that although the law requires the records to be destroyed,=20
it doesn't say how quickly.=20

     Reno's "final rule" made the same claim and dismissed other=20
objections, such as arguments that keeping the information for any=20
period violated the Privacy Act, or that the allegedly needed=20
audits could be conducted using the records of those who are denied=20
firearm purchases, which the law allows FBI to keep.=20

    Asked if he was prepared to respect the expertise of the FBI=20
in this matter, Ashcroft responded: "I will fully consult with the=20
experienced professionals of the FBI before making an assessment of=20
the best approach to this issue."=20
------------=20

    Last week Newsweek Online appeared to verify a Feb. 8 Roll=20
Call newspaper report that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is working=20
with Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Ct.) and a new group, Americans for Gun=20
Safety, to draft Federal gun show legislation according to the Feb.=20
8 Roll Call Capitol Hill newspaper.=20

    Sen. McCain actively promoted Oregon and Colorado initiatives=20
last fall which required background checks on private transfers at=20
gun shows.=20

    AGS, which was founded by Andrew McKelvey, the billionaire=20
owner of Monster.com, an Internet job search company, claims to be=20
a "moderate alternative" to Handgun Control Inc.  However, McKelvey=20
is a former HCI board member and literature passed out at a recent=20
AGS meeting calling for gun registration and licensing.  =20

    This past week AGS announced a major national TV advertising=20
campaign saying Congress should "stop playing politics with guns."=20
----------=20

    I'm getting a lot of requests for a "list of good guys" among=20
those running for the NRA Board, almost all of whom are Nominating=20
Committee selections supported by a $20,000 full page ad -- which=20
also blasts the two bylaws amendments supported by Dr. Bill Davis=20
and me, and the Second Amendment Action Committee.=20

    SAA decided there was no reason to run a slate of candidates=20
in the present stacked deck environment, and is putting all its=20
efforts into passage of those bylaws.  =20

    One bylaw would provide for one director per state, elected by=20
and from the voting members of his state, plus 25 elected "at=20
large," as all 76 Directors are elected at present.=20

    The other bylaw amendment would prohibit anyone who is paid by=20
NRA or performs more than $50,000 per year in services to NRA from=20
participating in an NRA election (other than by voting) -- such as=20
paying for those $20,000 per page "Vote Against" advertisements.=20

    Some members were astounded to see directly on the ballot in=20
the March issue of NRA magazines a notice that the "Board of=20
Directors recommends a 'No' vote."  It's probably illegal but it=20
would cost the better part of $100,000 to get a court ruling --=20
as Director Howard Fezell and other nominees learned in a=20
lawsuit which found NRA in contempt of court and in=20
violation of its own Bylaws, but changed nothing.=20

    The Nominating Committee and Board inadvertently set itself up=20
to show just how much control they have over the election.  =20

Last year, Jim Supica, a well-known and highly regarded antique gun=20
collector and dealer from Kansas wasn't nominated by committee=20
or endorsed by SAA (we didn't know he was running).=20

      Jim finished dead last in the balloting.=20

      But this year, with the Nominating Committee's endorsement,=20
I'll bet he is elected.  =20

      (Please don't vote against him just because I said he's a good =
man.)=20

      But _please_ vote for the bylaws amendments -- and urge the 90=20
percent of members who don't usually vote to support them, for a =
stronger,=20
fairer NRA.

Subject: Ashcroft Dodged NICS Questions=20
From: neal@nealknox.com (Neal Knox)=20
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 23:28:13 EST


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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><FONT lang=3D0 face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size=3D2 =

FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Feb. 19 Neal Knox Legislative =
Hotline --=20
Attorney General John Ashcroft <BR>may torpedo Janet Reno's plan to =
allow the=20
FBI to keep NICS records <BR>of qualified gun buyers, according to =
Congressional=20
Quarterly Daily <BR>Monitor. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Though some =
of us=20
fumed when he told Sens. Feinstein and <BR>Schumer that he considered =
the Brady=20
Act and the ban on military- <BR>look semi-autos constitutional, he made =
those=20
Senators fume when, <BR>in response to some 350 written questions from =
Judiciary=20
Committee <BR>opponents, he left himself room to strike the FBI's plan =
to keep=20
<BR>records of law-abiding purchases. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On =
Jan. 14=20
General Reno approved "final rules" on the National <BR>Instant Check =
System=20
allowing FBI to keep purchase records for 90 <BR>days -- which amounts =
to=20
forever once they get in a computer backup <BR>system. &nbsp;=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reno's rules were published in the Jan. =
22=20
Federal Register, <BR>the first working day after George W. Bush was=20
inaugurated. &nbsp;Their March <BR>5 implementation was blocked by the=20
President's 60-day hold on the <BR>blizzard of last-minute regulations =
handed=20
down by the Clinton <BR>Administration. &nbsp;=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;CQ's reporter wrote: "the National Rifle =

Association and its <BR>allies can take heart from a response he gave in =
written=20
testimony <BR>last month that gives him room to move on one of their top =

<BR>priorities: immediate destruction of the paperwork collected as a =
<BR>part=20
of instant background checks on gun buyers." =
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In=20
1998 then-Sen. Ashcroft voted for an amendment by Sen. Bob <BR>Smith =
(R-N.H.)=20
demanding instant destruction of "Instant Check" <BR>records on =
qualified gun=20
buyers. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The D.C. Appeals Court last year =
ruled=20
2-1 (with a strenuous <BR>dissent) that although the law requires the =
records to=20
be destroyed, <BR>it doesn't say how quickly.=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reno's "final rule" made the same =
claim=20
and dismissed other <BR>objections, such as arguments that keeping the=20
information for any <BR>period violated the Privacy Act, or that the =
allegedly=20
needed <BR>audits could be conducted using the records of those who are =
denied=20
<BR>firearm purchases, which the law allows FBI to keep.=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Asked if he was prepared to respect the=20
expertise of the FBI <BR>in this matter, Ashcroft responded: "I will =
fully=20
consult with the <BR>experienced professionals of the FBI before making =
an=20
assessment of <BR>the best approach to this issue." <BR>------------=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Last week Newsweek Online appeared to =
verify a=20
Feb. 8 Roll <BR>Call newspaper report that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is =
working=20
<BR>with Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Ct.) and a new group, Americans for Gun=20
<BR>Safety, to draft Federal gun show legislation according to the Feb. =
<BR>8=20
Roll Call Capitol Hill newspaper. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sen. =
McCain=20
actively promoted Oregon and Colorado initiatives <BR>last fall which =
required=20
background checks on private transfers at <BR>gun shows.=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;AGS, which was founded by Andrew =
McKelvey, the=20
billionaire <BR>owner of Monster.com, an Internet job search company, =
claims to=20
be <BR>a "moderate alternative" to Handgun Control Inc. &nbsp;However, =
McKelvey=20
<BR>is a former HCI board member and literature passed out at a recent =
<BR>AGS=20
meeting calling for gun registration and licensing. &nbsp;=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This past week AGS announced a major =
national TV=20
advertising <BR>campaign saying Congress should "stop playing politics =
with=20
guns." <BR>---------- <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm getting a lot =
of=20
requests for a "list of good guys" among <BR>those running for the NRA =
Board,=20
almost all of whom are Nominating <BR>Committee selections supported by =
a=20
$20,000 full page ad -- which <BR>also blasts the two bylaws amendments=20
supported by Dr. Bill Davis <BR>and me, and the Second Amendment Action=20
Committee. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;SAA decided there was no =
reason to=20
run a slate of candidates <BR>in the present stacked deck environment, =
and is=20
putting all its <BR>efforts into passage of those bylaws. &nbsp;=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One bylaw would provide for one director =
per=20
state, elected by <BR>and from the voting members of his state, plus 25 =
elected=20
"at <BR>large," as all 76 Directors are elected at present.=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The other bylaw amendment would prohibit =
anyone=20
who is paid by <BR>NRA or performs more than $50,000 per year in =
services to NRA=20
from <BR>participating in an NRA election (other than by voting) -- such =
as=20
<BR>paying for those $20,000 per page "Vote Against" advertisements.=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some members were astounded to see =
directly on=20
the ballot in <BR>the March issue of NRA magazines a notice that the =
"Board of=20
<BR>Directors recommends a 'No' vote." &nbsp;It's probably illegal but =
it=20
<BR>would cost the better part of $100,000 to get a court ruling -- =
<BR>as=20
Director Howard Fezell and other nominees learned in a <BR>lawsuit which =
found=20
NRA in contempt of court and in <BR>violation of its own Bylaws, but =
changed=20
nothing. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Nominating Committee and =
Board=20
inadvertently set itself up <BR>to show just how much control they have =
over the=20
election. &nbsp; <BR><BR>Last year, Jim Supica, a well-known and highly =
regarded=20
antique gun <BR>collector and dealer from Kansas wasn't nominated by =
committee=20
<BR>or endorsed by SAA (we didn't know he was running).=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jim finished dead last in =
the=20
balloting. <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But this year, =
with the=20
Nominating Committee's endorsement, <BR>I'll bet he is elected. &nbsp;=20
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(Please don't vote against =
him just=20
because I said he's a good man.) =
<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But=20
_please_ vote for the bylaws amendments -- and urge the 90 <BR>percent =
of=20
members who don't usually vote to support them, for a stronger, =
<BR>fairer=20
NRA.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Subject: Ashcroft Dodged NICS Questions =
<BR>From:=20
<A href=3D"mailto:neal@nealknox.com">neal@nealknox.com</A> (Neal Knox) =
<BR>Date:=20
Mon, 19 Feb 2001 23:28:13 EST</FONT></DIV>
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