Your weekly source for Second Amendment news and events in Massachusetts
Gun Owners' Action League
We are the largest Second Amendment rights organization in Massachusetts and   
we have been part of the fabric of Massachusetts since 1974
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February 17, 2017

Greetings!

Thank you for reading the Friday News!
  Please remember, everything we do, including this email is made possible by the generous support of GOAL members.  If you are not a member, please consider joining GOAL , if you are a member, please consider a generous donation, purchasing raffle tickets, or attending a GOAL event.  
Are You A GOAL Member?

It's not unusual for us to receive phone calls from MA gun owners who are looking for guidance and are not members of GOAL.

Often times they ask "why should I join GOAL?"   The answer is simple: "our answering of your phone call and question is made possible by GOAL members".

We are more than just a resource though, we continually work to protect & restore Second Amendment freedom, we support many education efforts including our full training schedule and we proudly represent the interests of all law abiding gun owners.

If you are not a member, please consider joining, you can do so online here: http://goal.org/joingoal.html

Action Center - Please Make Calls Today!

Three action items to make calls about today and next week, please see below for more information on each!

Please contact your state representative and state senator today.

  • Legislation Introduced to Challenge AG Healey’s Gun Ban please call and ask for support of SD.1157 filed by Sen. Don Humason and SD.1889 filed by Sen. Anne Gobi.  (Yes on SD.1157 & SD.1889)
  • Senator Creem's Anti Civil Rights SD.1884 - please ask your state senator to not support this legislation. (No on SD.1884)
  • UMass 4-H Kids Program - please ask your legislator to contact Higher Education and Agriculture Committees. 

Click here to find contact info for your state legislators.

Massachusetts: Legislation Introduced to Challenge AG Healey’s Gun Ban

Thank you to the NRA for helping us spread the word about our legislation filed for the 190th General Court.


The Massachusetts General Court’s 2017 legislative session is in full swing with the introduction of numerous pro- and anti-gun bills.  Among the pro-gun bills are Senate Docket 1157 and Senate Docket 1889.  Both SD 1157 and SD 1889 seek to challenge the gun ban set forth last summer by Attorney General Healey’s “enforcement notice,” which greatly expands the Commonwealth’s definition of “assault weapon.”  AG Healey alleges that the ban’s definition of “copy” or “duplicate” “assault weapons” have been misinterpreted for the last 18 years and she is simply the first law enforcement official to discover this incorrect interpretation.  In response, several legislators wrote a letter to AG Healey voicing their strong opposition.  SD 1157 and SD 1889 take their opposition a step further by challenging AG Healey’s unilateral decision making through legislation.

Read more

Senator Creem Attacks Civil Rights -
Update!

We are getting feedback from the State House that the phone lines have been jammed by people calling about this bill, keep the pressure up!

State Senator Creem proposes bans, forced "smart gun" tech, and a gun tax all in one bill.

If you have not already, please contact your state senator and ask them NOT to support this legislation.

You can call them at 617-722-2000. Ask for your senator, when you get their office on the line, ask that they not support Sen. Creem's anti civil rights bill, SD.1884.

See article below about this bill.

Gun tax, large weapons ban included in new bill  

A new proposal on Beacon Hill would increase taxes on gun sales, ban .50 caliber weapons, restrict personal sales and enact additional regulations on firearms and ammunition.

A new proposal on Beacon Hill would increase taxes on gun sales, ban .50 caliber weapons, restrict personal sales and enact additional regulations on firearms and ammunition.

Read more
UMass Response Lacks Logic

We are receiving a lot of emails from members about the response they are receiving from UMass regarding the 4-H program.

The university is sending the same response to everyone, here it is:

UMass Amherst manages the 4-H youth development program in Massachusetts. The university has studied the shooting-sports proposal made by the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation and examined the great variety of different 4-H shooting programs around the country. Rather than focus limited resources on shooting sports only, the university is actively exploring development of a more broadly based program that includes instruction in hunting, fishing and conservation as part of our youth development activities. The hunting aspect of the program would include the basics of gun safety and the shooting sports.

This response from UMass shows that...

  • They are most likely trying to cover their tracks, as the decision probably came from a social bias towards gun owners and their families.
  • They didn’t "study" the proposal, which includes a wide array of programs, including many from Mass Fisheries & Wildlife.
  • They are using“limited resources” as an excuse, the program is fully funded and run by 4H volunteers, the university only needed to give it a thumbs up and it would run on its own.

We have had a lot of questions about why UMass has say over this program.  The answer is that 4-H is part of the USDA and on the state level is run by every state's Land Grant university. In MA's case, this is UMass Amherst.

Read more

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New GOAL Membership System Coming Next Week!

We are in the process of implementing a new user editable membership system.

GOAL will be implementing a new user editable membership system next week.  This system will enable GOAL members to update their address or contact information, print out a membership card and more from our website.

Please be aware, this may cause a delay in processing new members.  If you are joining or renewing, please be patient, we will get it set up as quickly as possible and will get word out to everyone when it's "user ready".  

Thank you as always for understanding and supporting GOAL!
Group Taking On AG Healey, Looking To Zap State’s Stun-Gun Ban

BOSTON — A trio of citizens looking to overturn the commonwealth’s ban on personal stun guns is taking the state’s most active and vocal firearms enforcement authority figure to federal court — Attorney General Maura Healey.

In their lawsuit filed Wednesday, two Bay State residents and a self-defense activist claim the ban infringes on their Second Amendment right to bear arms and 14th Amendment right to equal protection of the laws.

Jillian Fennimore, press secretary for Healey, told New Boston Post that the attorney general is not commenting on the lawsuit as the office is still in the midst of reviewing the complaint.

Read more
Free GOAL Hat!
Stop by the GOAL office and get a free blaze orange GOAL hat!  While you're here please consider making a donation, purchasing Lucky 20 Raffle tickets, or grabbing a batch of Healey Hurts Families yard signs for distribution in your area and at your club!  

We are typically here M-F from at least 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, if you are traveling to get here, please call ahead to ensure that we will be here, 508-393-5333.
 Big Bang Annual Raffle!
GOAL 2017 Training Schedule

Our 2017 training schedule includes new courses and lots of great training to choose from!  Note, we have just added our ICE Training Courses with Rob Pincus!

GOAL's 2017 training schedule is posted online and features new courses including the Intro to Concealed Carry Pistol (mentioned above), our new MA Gun License training course which replaces the basic pistol course of old, and a great class for revolver aficionados, Short Barreled Revolver Skills.

We also have our most popular courses returning, including our NRA Instructors courses (dates TBA), MA Gun Law for Citizens, reloading courses with Jim Finnerty, Utah CCW and lots more, check out the link below to view the schedule and remember, GOAL members always get a great discount on GOAL training courses.

Schedule

Club Events

  • Fall River Rod & Gun Club has ongoing open to the public events - check their calendar for more info!
  • Norco Sportsman's Club has ongoing open to the public events - check their calendar for more info!
  • Wrentham Sportsman's Club - shoot schedule - all begin at 1:00 PM - $20 entry fee. 2/26 Center Fire Pistol (3 inch barrel or shorter)
  • Petersham gun club sporting clays course will be open all winter. Wednesdays at noon and every Sunday at 10am. our winter league will start the first Sunday in February thru the end of April. Email for more info: [email protected]
  • Maspenock Rod and Gun Club Junior Rifle Team Stand-Up Comedy Night Fundraiser...1 McGill Lane Milford, Ma 01757, Saturday February 25, 2017 at 6 pm cocktails (Cash Bar Available) and 7 pm 18 plus comedy show starts...Cost $20 per person, advanced tickets sales only. Contact Paul Young (508-989-5679) or email [email protected] for ticket and show information. 3 comedians, 50/50 and Air Rifle Raffle - NRA Level 1 Pistol Coach Course - (to benefit Jr. Pistol Team) March 18 - 19, 2017 - click here for more info or to sign up.
  • Leominster Sportsmen's Association- Winter Rifle Matches: Sunday mornings 9-11am, December through the end of March. It's any rifle/any sights or scope, 20 shots in 20 minutes standing ("offhand") at 100 yards on SR-1's, in our nice, heated range house, costs $5. Come on down - this is a great way to improve your marksmanship skills!  You can get a nice breakfast in the clubhouse for ~$6-7 too!  www.lsa-ma.org
  • Lowell Sportsmen's Club: Ongoing Events open to the public: Trap and Skeet every Sunday at 1pm and Wednesday at 10am all-ages Archery every Thursday night at 6:30pm; Indoor Range Fun Shoot every Friday at 7pm.  Visit http://www.lowellsc.org for more
    information.

  • The Haverhill Hound Rod and Gun Club has lots of events, shoots and activities - All Leagues and HHRG club events are open to the public:  Check out our Public Event Calendar
  • Uxbridge Rod & Gun Club - Sunday Morning Trap - 10:00 AM start time, runs year round, join in for a great time!  
  • High Power Rifle Shooting, at Reading Rifle and Revolver - the ONLY 600 yard range in Massachusetts has a full schedule for both "Across the Course" NRA and CMP matches as well as NRA "Mid-Range Prone" matches, for the 2017 season. You don't need to be a member to participate in the matches.Go to: http://readinghighpower.com/ for complete schedule and match results. If you have questions please contact the High Power Director at, [email protected]

If your club has an open to the public event you would like to promote, please email the info to [email protected] 

Join GOAL - Now More Than Ever!
This e-mail and everything we do is made possible by GOAL Members. If you find information in this e-mail, or anything we do to be helpful, please consider joining, supporting, and/or donating to GOAL.

"Protecting Your Freedom Begins Here"
Why You Should Join GOAL:  Every intrusion on our Second Amendment Rights is an intrusion on all rights. The Constitutional rights and freedoms that you enjoy - and may take for granted - are becoming more fragile each day. Secure your rights for yourself, your family and future generations.

Join GOAL and become part of the solution today
Gun Owners' Action League | http://www.goal.org | Northborough, MA.  01532