NRA CHANGES CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT PROCEDURES

Will Consider Financial Support of Libertarians
(Libertarian Party News, August 1990)

In what was described by Libertarian Party founding member David Nolan
as "a major breakthrough," the voting membership of the National Rifle
Association at its national convention in Anaheim, California, approved
a resolution authored by John Vernon, immediate past chairman of the
California Libertarian Party.

The text of the resolution follows:

"BE IT RESOLVED: That the NRA shall abandon the policy of only endorsing
candidates of the Republican and Democratic Parties, and shall
henceforth also consider the 2nd Amendment positions and qualifications
of the candidates of the Libertarian and other political parties in its
determination of endorsements and financial support:  That the criteria
for said endorsement and financial support shall be ranked as follows:
First: the clear commitment of the candidate to the principles of the
Second Amendment.  Second:  The electability of the candidate for the
office sought.  And be it further resolved that no candidate lacking a
clear commitment to the principles of the Second Amendment shall receive
any endorsement or financial support from the Institute for Legislative
Action." (The ILA is the NRA's lobbying organization.)

The resolution was introduced and read by Eric Sprik, who joined the
Libertarian Party as a result of the Party's involvement in California
Justice Department hearings on new gun regulations related to the
enactment of California's Assault Rifle  Ban.  At that event,
Libertarians joined several hundred members of gun owners' groups in
opposing the proposed regulations.

Libertarian Party member Jerry Lustig also spoke for the resolution, as
did California Region 62 Chairman Bob Weber, both long-time NRA members.

Libertarians who are NRA members are urged to keep the pressure on the
NRA leadership for endorsements and financial support for Libertarian
candidates, since the leadership has a history of ignoring the
positions and qualifications of candidates who are not Democrats or
Republicans.  The passage of the resolution signals growing distrust
among NRA membership of Republican and Democratic politicos, following
the recent actions of George Bush and George Deukmejian, which resulted
in the enactment of more anti-gun legislation.