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To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to you on behalf of the members of the Shooters Committee On Political Education (SCOPE), a New York statewide Second Amendment advocacy group.

As you may have noticed in recent gun issues news, our governor, Republican George Pataki recently vetoed a bill called "Firearms Accident Prevention Program Act" the so called Eddie Eagle bill.

This bill was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses of our state legislature this past summer. The bill would have authorized an Eddie Eagle style gun safety program for schools, and youth programs throughout New York State. Due to a quirk in our state laws the bill was held in the Assembly until just before Christmas to be sent to the governor for his signature.

Under heavy pressure from New York City liberals, Gov. Pataki demanded that all references to Eddie Eagle and the Eddie Eagle language of "Stop! Don't Touch! Leave the Area! Tell and Adult!" be removed or he would veto the bill. Obviously, these changes would have gutted the bill making it a worthless piece of paper and due to Democrat control and arm twisting the bill would never have made it out of the Assembly again.

Despite an intense effort by New York's gun owners, Gov. Pataki bowed to the New York City liberal establishment and vetoed Eddie Eagle. We believe that Gov. Pataki did this to curry favor with liberal downstate voters so that he could bring New York's electoral votes to a Republican ticket as it's vice-presidential nominee.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Gov. Pataki has undermined gun owners and the Second Amendment. Here's the Pataki record:

• A March 28, 1997, A Gannett News Service story by Jay Gallagher, reported Gov. Pataki said, "I would like to see an assault weapons bill passed." To date the New York State Senate has refused to honor the governor's wishes.
• Also, in 1997, Gov. Pataki signed legislation creating renewable pistol licenses in specific counties where licenses were previously issued for a lifetime, and not subject to renewal. That same legislation also required the pistol license applicant to pass a mandated safety/proficiency course.
• Again in 1997, the governor signed an Executive Order that required that all state owned surplus firearms be destroyed, rather than sold to licensed Federal Firearms dealers. An obvious demonization of firearms, and an implication that guns are evil.
• Early in 1999, Gov. Pataki signed another Executive Order, requiring that private firearm transactions at gun shows on state owned property include a Brady background check.
• August 1997, the leadership of the Shooters Committee On Political Education (SCOPE) attempted to schedule a meeting with the governor to discuss issues concerning gun owners. The governor's office responded, "due to time restrictions, it is not possible for him to add this commitment to his schedule." What was more important than talking to New York gun owners? Well, the September 22, 1997, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported that the New York governor was busy giving speeches at $15,000 a pop to groups in San Diego, California. All this from a governor who claims to be a friend of gun owners.

Sources close to Gov. Pataki say he has a keen interest in the Vice President's slot on the Republican ticket. We are asking you, our fellow activist, to write, fax and email Gov. Pataki telling him that you know his record and you will not forget it. Also, we ask that you write to the various Republican presidential candidates telling them that you cannot support any ticket that might include George Pataki.

We understand that many of you, even without George Pataki may have some misgivings about some of the Republican presidential candidates, suitably, this will also provide an opportunity to test the presidential candidates on their loyalty to gun owners.

Let us show our strength. Please contact Gov. Pataki and the Republican candidates for president today. Listed below is the contact information for Gov. Pataki and the front running Republican candidates for president.

We encourage you to copy, distribute and rebroadcast this alert as widely as possible!

Thank you for your support.

Timothy Andrews, President
SCOPE, Inc.
P.O. Box 26347
Rochester, NY 14626
(716) 720-9248
www.SCOPEny.org

Honorable George E. Pataki, Governor State of New York Executive Chambers, State Capitol Albany, New York 12224 Fax: 518-473-7669 Email: gov.pataki@chamber.state.ny.us

Governor George W. Bush Bush for President P.O. Box 1902 Austin, Texas 78767-1902 Phone : (512) 637-2000 Fax : (512) 637-8800 Web Site : www.georgewbush.com

Senator John McCain National Campaign Headquarters 735 N. St. Asaph Street Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Toll Free Phone : (877) 905-7700 Phone : (703) 837-2000 Fax : (703) 837-2001 Web Site : www.mccain2000.com Email: mccain2000@mccain.com

SCOPE ALERT - Governor Pataki Vetoes Eddie Eagle Bill

SCOPE has just received word that Governor Pataki has vetoed A.2045 / S. 4057, the Eddie Eagle bill. A. 2045 / S. 4057, would have made available to New York's children the award winning Eddie Eagle gun safety program.

The governor apparently buckled to pressure from liberal Democrats in both the Assembly and Senate. Extreme left wing freshman Senator Eric Schneiderman (D/L) from New York City successfully lead the charge to intimidate the governor into vetoing Eddie Eagle.

The governor has offered no explanation for his veto, except that as reported in earlier alerts his office did acknowledge that he would not sign the bill unless the legislature would agree to his proposed amendments that would in essence gut the bill.

SCOPE cannot overstate how extremely disappointed we are at the governors actions. The children of New York State have lost! They have lost because Governor Pataki did not have the courage to stand up to those who ruthlessly demagogued the Eddie Eagle program.

Governor Pataki has put politics ahead of children and voters should not forget!

Please let Governor Pataki know how you feel about this!

• Phone: (518) 474-8390
• Fax: (518) 473-7669
• Email: gov.pataki@chamber.state.ny.us

Governor Pataki Threatens to Veto Eddie Eagle Bill

Senate Sponsors of A. 2045 / S. 4057 have informed SCOPE this afternoon that Governor Pataki intends to veto A. 2045 / S. 4057, unless the legislature agrees to the governor's proposed amendments.

As a reminder, this legislation would make available to schools and other organizations in New York State a gun safety program for children kindergarten through 6th grade, with the theme, "STOP!  Don't Touch.  Leave the Area.  Tell an Adult," when they encountered a firearm.

Governor Pataki has said he will veto the bill unless the following amendments are made to the bill:

• All References to "Eddie Eagle" must be removed.
• The "Eddie Eagle" language currently in the bill, "STOP!  Don't Touch.  Leave the Area.  Tell an Adult," must also be deleted.
• Finally, the governor also wants to change the administrator of this program from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to the Department of Education.  A department who historically has been less than supportive of gun ownership and gun rights.

SCOPE is adamantly opposed to the Governor's proposed amendments!!!

That said however, even if we were to agree with the governor's proposed changes they would require another vote by both houses of the legislature which simply will not happen.  The Senate will not reconvene again this year.  In other words the governor's proposal will effectively kill the "Eddie Eagle" bill.

Please contact the governor's office immediately!!!  Tell him you support this legislation as written and that the children of New York need and deserve this bill, urge him to sign A. 2045 / S. 4057.

The governor is considering this bill as this alert is written, your immediate calls are needed, it is to late for letters.

Please contact Governor Pataki

• Phone: (518) 474-8390
• Fax: (518) 473-7669
• Email: gov.pataki@chamber.state.ny.us

SCOPE encourages you to alert others to this.

EDDIE EAGLE BILL

A source in the New York State Assembly majority informed me this week that the Assembly leadership was willing to let the "Eddie Eagle" bill (A. 2045, S. 4057) die without ever delivering it to the governor. Intense pressure is being applied to the Assembly sponsor Joe Robach (D) to recall the legislation.

Whether the Assembly leadership's action is legal is yet to be seen. However, in the meantime SCOPE is urging everyone to contact GovernorPataki and request that he call up A. 2045 from the Assembly immediately.

You can contact the Governor Pataki through any of the following means:

Email: gov.pataki@chamber.state.ny.us
Phone: (518) 474-8390
Address: Honorable George E. Pataki, Governor
State of New York
Executive Chambers, State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

SCOPE this week sent an express mail letter to Governor Pataki asking
him to call up the "Eddie Eagle" gun safety legislation. The following
is the text of that letter:

Shooters Committee On Political Education  SCOPE, Inc.
Timothy P. Andrews, Sr., President
Telephone (716) 720-9248
P. O. Box 602
Tonawanda, New York 14150


October 21, 1999

Honorable George E. Pataki, Governor
State of New York
Executive Chambers, State Capitol
Albany, New York 12224

Re: A. 2045, S.4057, AN ACT, to amend the environmental conservation law and the education law, in relation to providing for firearm accident prevention instruction.

Dear Governor Pataki:

On behalf of the Shooters Committee On Political Education (SCOPE), our members and affiliated clubs, we respectfully urge you to call up the above referenced bill.

This legislation passed the Assembly on March 15, 1999, and the Senate on June 14, 1999, with overwhelmingly bipartisan support. For reasons only the Assembly leadership knows this legislation, at the cost of New York's children has not been delivered to your office for your consideration.

This legislation would direct the department of environmental conservation to implement a firearm accident prevention program for children in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, using a simple safety message of "STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell An Adult," when they encounter a firearm.

This theme is the foundation for the Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program developed by educators, school administrators, curriculum specialist, urban housing safety officials, clinical psychologists, law enforcement officials and National Rifle Association (NRA) firearm safety experts. Eddie Eagle has been taught to over 12 million children in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.

The Eddie Eagle Program has received the American Legion's National Education Award. The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to the Eddie Eagle Program in 1995. The Youth Activities Division of the National Safety Council awarded its Silver Award of Merit to the Eddie Eagle Program in 1996. Over 35 states have also recognized the Eddie Eagle Program for its efforts to promote safety, lessen injury and save lives.

The FBI has also adopted Eddie Eagle to instruct the children of their agents. Countless police agencies, schools and civic groups throughout The United States also use the program. The Eddie Eagle program is without equal and is taught to more children each year than all other gun safety programs combined.

The Eddie Eagle Program does not promote the NRA or gun ownership. It offers no value judgment concerning firearms. Like swimming pools, electrical outlets, matches, and household poisons, firearms are treated simply as a fact of everyday life. With firearms in about half of New York State households, it is a stance that makes sense. Just as Smokey the Bear teaches children not to play with matches, Eddie Eagle teaches them that firearms are not toys, and should not be touched without adult supervision.

Opponents to this legislation have cited a story aired earlier this year by ABC TV's 20/20 program as proof that the "Eddie Eagle" Program is not effective. ABC 20/20 set up "Eddie Eagle" for failure. During that show, 20/20 reporters acknowledged that the children used in their experiment only viewed a video from the Eddie Eagle Program. The children DID NOT participate in the entire program. The report was obviously bias and hardly a fair assessment of the Eddie Eagle Program.

Again Governor Pataki, we respectfully urge you to call up A. 2045, S. 4057 from the Assembly and sign this important piece of legislation for New York's children. Thank you and I look forward to you reply.

Sincerely,

Timothy P. Andrews, Sr., President
SCOPE, Inc.


SCOPE ALERT - You are encourage to pass this alert along. Please share it with others.

Eddie Eagle Bill Held Up By Assembly

The Eddie Eagle bill (A. 2045 / S. 4057) passed by the New York State assembly this past March and the New York State senate in June has still not reached Governor Pataki's desk.

The Eddie Eagle bill would authorize the state Department of Environmental Conservation to implement a program such as the NRA's Eddie Eagle firearm accident prevention program for children grades K through 6.

Legislature rules require the house that passes the legislation first, which in this case is the assembly, to deliver it to the governor for his signature. As of today, August 3, 1999, the assembly has not delivered the bill. Just prior to passage in the senate some assembly lawmakers balked, claiming they did not know what they were voting for when they passed the legislation unanimously last March.

Indications are that A. 2045 / S.4057 will be sent to the governor with other legislation that assembly leaders hope the governor will veto. Contact Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver at, phone (518) 455-3791, fax (518) 455-5459 or email, speaker@assembly.state.ny.us Ask Speaker Silver to please send this important legislation to the governor soon.

Also contact Governor Pataki by phone: (518) 474-8390,or email, and urge him to sign A. 2045 / S. 4057.

New York State Senate Passes Eddie Eagle

Just in, S. 4057, the NRA Eddie Eagle Gun Safety bill passed the New York State Senate with about 2/3 of the senate voting for the bill. The bill's sponsor Senator George Maziarz said the bill was voted on late this afternoon (6/14/99).

The bill which was passed in the assembly on March 15, 1999, now goes to Governor pataki for his signature. Called Governor Pataki's office and urge him to sign S. 4057 / A/ 2045. The governor's phone number is (518) 474-8390. Please call now.

Thanks to all of you who contacted your Senators, your calls made the difference.

New York State Assembly Passes Eddie Eagle

Monday, March 15, 1999, the New York State Assembly passed A.2045, the "firearm accident prevention act." The act is a program to promote firearm accident prevention for children in pre-k through sixth grade by a program of firearm safety instruction utilizing a simple message: "Stop! Don't touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult." You may recognize this as the language used in the NRA's Eddie Eagle program.

While passage of this legislation is a breakthrough for the pro-gunmovement there are some concerns with some of the specific language in the legislation. While the bill does specifically mention Eddie Eagle and descibes the Eddie Eagle curriculum it does not mandate use of the NRA program. It's possible that other programs could be used, even programs that may have an anti-gun message.

We will be working to amend the bill so that whatever program is used it must take a neutral stance on the gun issue. Similar to Eddie Eagle which neither promotes or discourages gun ownership. We'll keep you posted!