We recently received this message from our State Senator Pam Helming:  "For more than a week, I have been leading the fight against the so-called Gas Tax. And many of you have reached out to share your support and encouragement. 

This proposed new tax would hurt virtually every taxpayer, business and farm in upstate New York. One of my top priorities is stopping it from becoming law. Below are some of the latest updates regarding my work on this important issue." 

Here is your opportunity STOP the GAS TAXhis petition:

 https://www.nysenate.gov/petitions/pamela-helming/time-pump-brakes-gas-tax >.

WCS Members:  contact your Town Supervisor and request that Wayne County ‘opt in’ on allowing licensed youth aged 12-13 to hunt big game with a firearm and/or crossbow. Here is the link to the contact information for all Wayne County Supervisors:

 https://web.co.wayne.ny.us/index.php/cotb/ 

The NY State Budget was passed and Includes legislation lowering the age for deer hunting with a firearm and crossbow in participating Upstate counties.  But Counties Must Adopt a Local Law Allowing Youth Hunters 12-13 to Hunt Deer per ECL-0935.

For nearly two decades, youth aged 12 and 13 in New York have been safely hunting deer and bear with archery equipment and small game with firearms. Until now, New York was the only state that didn't allow 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt big game with a firearm. Environmental Conservation Law 11-0935 is a temporary measure that will pilot lowering the age through 2023, including the following provisions:

• Allows 12- and 13-year-old licensed hunters to hunt deer with a rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloading firearm in areas these firearms may be used during hunting season;
• Allows 12- and 13-year-old licensed hunters to hunt deer with a crossbow during the times when other hunters may use crossbows;
• Requires that these youth hunters be supervised by experienced and licensed adult hunters at all times; and
• Requires the youth hunter and adult mentor to wear fluorescent orange or pink clothing and to remain at ground level while hunting deer with a crossbow, rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloader.

The legislation requires each county to "opt-in" to the program by adopting a local law allowing for 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt deer in accordance with ECL 11-0935. The legislation specifically excludes Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, and Westchester counties from participation in the new program.

Anyone noticed the vast improvements made to the State website in the past few months?  The same can be said for our Wayne County website, on the State site, and our Wayne County Facebook "page".  

These are due to the efforts of Dave Colburn who has spent countless hours analyzing the website and making the improvements.  Very few chapters offer their own website and none to the level to which Dave has brought Wayne's. 

Dave will make a website presentation at our April 14 members' meeting.  I hope you can attend and be brought up to date on it and our Facebook presence.

Don

To all Wayne County SCOPE members:

Your Chapter Committee has been busy.  Recall that the two candidates for Wayne County Sheriff, Steve MacNeal and Rob Milby, appeared at our March members' meeting and each made a presentation followed by Q&A.  

Your Committee then met on April 1st to discuss notes taken that evening and began the process of establishing a "rating" for each candidate.  Since SCOPE is a non-profit it is not allowed by law to "endorse" a candidate.  Therefore, the legal alternative is to "rate" each candidate in order to provide members, and the public at large, with our organization's opinion of the relative strength of each candidate with respect to one another in light of the goals of SCOPE.

Notes were taken by several Committee members at the March meeting during the presentations of each candidate. Each candidate was separately asked the same set of questions and again Committee members made notes relative to the answers given.  

Discussion amongst the Committee members on April 1 also centered around the respective resumes supplied by the candidates.  The final "ratings" will also be based upon the answers given by the candidates to a SCOPE Questionnaire.

The Committee is in the progress of establishing a "rating" for each candidate and will provide this to our membership at the most appropriate time.  

Don

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Two federal gun control bills were introduced this past Monday, March 1st and we are hearing that the House could be voting on them as early as next week. 

The first bill (H.R. 8), so-called “universal” background check legislation, would criminalize the private transfer of firearms. 

The second bill (H.R. 1446), sometimes inaccurately described as legislation to close the “Charleston loophole,” would undermine the Second Amendment right by permitting the federal government to delay a firearm transfer indefinitely without proof that the transferee is prohibited from possessing firearms. 

These bills are expected to move quickly, so we need you to contact your Representative today to urge them to oppose H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446. 

Contact Congress Now   oCongressCC Congressman John Katko (202) 225-3701

While most of us already know the dangers of these so-called "Universal" Background Checks, the Coronavirus pandemic exposed the dangers of private firearm restrictions. For a more in depth report on both H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446, you can click here.   

After you contact your Representative, please also encourage your friends and family to do the same. 

Yours in Freedom,

Christian Ragosta 
NRA-ILA Grassroots Programs & Campaign Field Operations 
http://www.nrailafrontlines.com/

I've said many times that NY State will not attempt to pass another so-called "SAFE" Act.  But then again why should the anti-gunners in Albany do so when they can conveniently accomplish their goals by passing a few gun control bills year after year after year...

They passed 7 gun related laws in 2019.  Nine [9] were on the books last year until the COVID pandemic curtailed their enthusiasm.  Expect all 9 to be reintroduced this year.  Four [4] 2021 bills exist in the Assembly and Senate already and this one may just be the most egregious.  You might want to ask yourself, "To what extent will Albany continue to harass law-abiding citizens with laws totally ignored by the criminal segment of our population?"

NY Assembly A3829 and NY Senate 1605 Requires a purchaser of any firearm, rifle or shotgun to submit to a mental health evaluation and provide the seller with his or her approval to purchase such firearm.   

1. BEFORE ANY SALE, EXCHANGE, OR DISPOSAL PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE, A PURCHASER OF ANY FIREARM, RIFLE OR SHOTGUN SHALL SUBMIT TO A MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATION AND PROVIDE THE SELLER WITH PROOF OF HIS OR HER APPROVAL TO PURCHASE SUCH FIREARM, RIFLE OR SHOTGUN PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (M) OF SECTION 7.09 OF THE MENTAL HYGIENE LAW.
2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTABLISH WITHIN THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATION OF ANY INDIVIDUAL PRIOR TO SUCH INDIVIDUAL'S PURCHASE OF ANY FIREARM, RIFLE OR SHOTGUN. 
   
3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DETERMINE:
   

• THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS APPROVED TO PERFORM SUCH EVALUATION,
  
• THE PROCESS FOR EVALUATION BY SUCH MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND
  
• THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STANDARDIZED FORM TO BE USED BY THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL PERFORMING SUCH EVALUATION TO APPROVE OR DENY AN INDIVIDUAL FOR PURCHASE OF A FIREARM, RIFLE OR SHOTGUN.
  

TAKE ACTION!

Call and/or send an email today!

Brian Manktelow                                                           Pam Helming

NY Assembly District 130                                             NY Senate District 54

manktelowb@nyassembly.gov                                       helming@nysenate.gov

District Office:                                                                       District Office:

Phone: 315-946-5166                                                          Phone: 315-568-9816

I recommend that everyone watch the video on the "HOME" page of our state website.  It deals with the 'two-house' bills A412 and S476.  Note that two-house bills have a much higher probability of being passed into law than one-house bills.

Below is an interpretation of this proposed legislation followed by the contact information for our elected officials in Albany.  

Please either call or send an email stating your opposition to these bills.

The information below will help you to explain your opposition:

New York State Proposed Legislation

• A412/S476

  Interpretation

  Anyone under 21 years of age, in possession of a firearm or ammunition, but who does not have a hunting license or permit, would be in violation of the law.

  Unlawful possession of a firearm by persons under 21 is a violation.

  A person under the age of 18 who violates the provisions of this law shall be adjudged a juvenile delinquent.

  U.S. Constitution, Second Amendment states: “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms SHALL NOT be infringed.”

  NY State Civil rights Code, Article II, Section 4 states: “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms CAN NOT be infringed.”

  A412/S476 violates both the Second Amendment and NYS Code:

• Þ   Defacto requirement to purchase a hunting license for anyone under the age of 21 in order to possess an otherwise legal firearm and/or ammunition.
• Þ   Raises questions about other, legally used devices, such as starter pistols, guns used as props in theater etc., cartridge-powered construction tools and safety flare guns.

TAKE ACTION!

Call or send an email today!

Brian Manktelow                                                           Pam Helming

NY Assembly District 130                                            NY Senate District 54

manktelowb@nyassembly.gov                                       helming@nysenate.gov

District Office:                                                                 District Office:

Phone: 315-946-5166                                                    Phone: 315-568-9816

February is SCOPE’s “Nomination of Officers” month across the state. Only the members who attend their chapter’s November meeting have an opportunity to nominate fellow members for the chapter’s “Board of Directors” which consists of seven members who are the voting members of a larger Chapter “Committee”. 

You as a member then have the opportunity to vote for the chosen candidates at our March Members Meeting. Your vote is critical in determining the course of the chapter for the coming year.

Of course, any member is eligible to run for a board seat. Here are the 7 board seats up for nomination next Wednesday and ultimately election at the March Members Meeting:   Chairman;  Vice-Chairman;  Secretary; Treasurer;  At Large Director;  At Large Director;  At Large Director.
Candidates for these positions are welcomed at next Wednesday’s meeting.

However, the Chapter “Committee” allows more than 7 members to play an active role in running the chapter. Our WCS Committee currently consists of 10 members. We are looking for additional members to serve on the “Committee”. You do not need to be elected to participate on it but should commit to one meeting night per month for 11 months. Our last two meetings have been virtual via Zoom and lasted 30-45 minutes. We are willing to continue Zoom meetings particularly if it encourages more members to participate on the “Committee”.  Ask to sign up at the February 10 meeting. 

One of our “Committee” members has volunteered to make a presentation explaining the importance of various smaller committees needed to allow us to meet our goals. 

Do you have suggestions or ideas on how to improve our chapter? We welcome your input. ‘Many hands make light labor’. I hope you attend our February 10 Members Meeting and take an active role in your chapter.

Wayne County SCOPE will hold its next members meeting on Wednesday, January 13 at the Marion American Legion Post. The meeting will begin at 7 pm. 

Attendance has been lower than usual due to concerns about COVID-19. This is understandable but we would like to resolve this to some extent. Leadership recently held a virtual Zoom meeting where it was decided to attempt to “Zoom” the members meetings beginning in January.  

We are attempting to make this a reality but are working on short notice and trying to overcome some obstacles for achieving our goal in January.

If we are unable to arrange a Zoom meeting for this meeting then we will plan on arranging one for our February 10 members meeting. 

If we are successful in setting up Zoom for January then expect an email with the Zoom link and password for you to access the meeting.  It will be posted on our website too.  Same for future meetings  

Looking forward to our March 10 members meeting, we plan to host three candidates fo Wayne County Sheriff.  It is our intention to also Zoom that meeting to allow the maximum number of members to hear the platform and expected policies of each candidate. 

Don

The Monroe County Clerk’s office is warning of a scam targeting pistol permit holders. It is not known if the scam extends into other counties. 

Some residents of Monroe County have received a text message like this:

”Your Concealed Carry Permit is ready. Enter your details here 

                                            bzoja.com/15855450400

The County Clerk’s office will never send a text message asking for personal information.  You are advised not to click any link in text messages or emails if you do not know the sender