NEWS Important Gun Vote In The Senate - DC Gun Ban Repeal

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An amendment to repeal the onerous gun ban in the District of Columbia may come to the floor of the Senate as early as tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25.

Senator John Ensign (R-NV) plans to file the amendment to the so-called D.C. Voting Rights Act.

After the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Heller striking down Washington's gun ban as unconstitutional, the city council passed a gun control law that was almost as restrictive as the old one.

To simply possess a firearm in the nation's Capitol City, a resident must:

* Take a five hour training course
* Re-register any firearms every three years
* Undergo an invasive background check every six years
* Pass a 20 question multiple choice test designed by bureaucrats based on the city's convoluted law
* Pay a registration fee
* Have all handguns undergo a ballistics test

In addition to protecting Second Amendment rights in the District of Columbia, a vote on the Ensign amendment is an important test for your two Senators. Many of the provisions in the existing D.C. gun law are also on the wish list of the anti-gunners.

A vote on repealing the D.C. gun ban will be a good indication of how the Senate will vote on other gun-related issues.

Ensign's measure will be offered as an amendment to S. 160, the D.C. Voting Rights Act. The bill is designed to give Washington, D.C., full voting privileges in the House of Representatives, as well as increasing the total number of representatives from 435 to 437.

While there are many constitutional concerns with the underlying measure, the gun ban repeal simply comes down to a vote for or against the Second Amendment.

It is vital that you contact your Senators in support of the Ensign amendment because GOA is the only group that has announced it will score this vote.

ACTION: Please contact your two U.S. Senators and urge them to support the Ensign amendment to repeal the D.C. gun ban. Ask them to encourage Senate leadership to make it a priority for consideration on S. 160. You can use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to send your Senators the pre-written e-mail message below.

----- Prewritten Letter -----

Dear Senator:

Senator John Ensign has an amendment to repeal the onerous D.C. gun ban.

After the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Heller striking down Washington's gun ban as unconstitutional, the city council passed a gun control law that was almost as restrictive as the old one.

To simply possess a firearm in the nation's Capitol City, a resident must:

* Take a five hour training course
* Re-register any firearms every three years
* Undergo an invasive background check every six years
* Pass a 20 question multiple choice test designed by bureaucrats based on the city's convoluted law
* Pay a registration fee
* Have all handguns undergo a ballistics test

Please vote FOR the Ensign amendment and ask Senate leadership to make this a priority consideration on S. 160. Gun Owners of America will score this vote and will also let me know how you voted.

Sincerely,