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- Jan 12, 2009
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Mods - I tried to pick the best place to post this and hope that if it is in the wrong venue you will place it as needed. I thought it should be here since it actually touches all of us in the knife carrying/using community.
Received from AG Russel today:
****************
October 21, 2009
Late in the day yesterday, the U. S. Senate passed the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill with Senate Amendment 1447 language still intact. The Bill had previously passed the House. This bi-partisan amendment was co-sponsored by 20 U.S. Senators, led by John Cornyn of Texas, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Orin Hatch of Utah. The Bill is now on its way to the President's desk for signature.
The Senate amendment essentially adopted the switchblade exception language that the American Knife & Tool Institute sponsored in Texas and that was signed by Texas Governor Perry on June 18, 2009. U.S. Customs, thanks to an outpouring of grassroots objections to their proposed ban and the intervention of Legislators concerned about the potential financial devastation to the entire sporting knife industry, became active supporters of the amendment.
Amendment 1447 adds a fifth clause to section 1244 of the Federal Switchblade Act that exempts "a knife that contains a spring, detent, or other mechanism designed to create a bias toward closure of the blade and that requires exertion applied to the blade by hand, wrist or arm to overcome the bias toward closure to assist in opening the knife."
For more details click through to the American Knife & Tool Institute's website at http://akti.org
This effort has been very expensive and required a huge number of hours by a small number of people to accomplish what we have managed so far. In addition to the many hours and many dollars spent personally by knife company owners and employees; in my opinion, without the assistance of a Washington Lobbyist to coordinate the efforts, our success would have been nearly impossible. Hiring a lobbyist takes money.
If you like the idea of being able to continue carrying your folding knives, reach into your pocket and make whatever contribution you can to help pay the bills for this effort to ensure those rights.
Please make checks payable to The American Knife & Tool Institute and mail to:
AKTI
22 Vista View Ln.
Cody, WY 82414
If you prefer to use a credit card, call Jan Billeb, AKTI Executive Director at (307) 587-4297. You can also use Paypal to akti@akti.org.
We appreciate every one of you who has already contributed financially or wrote letters, made phone calls, sent e-mails or talked to your Legislator in person regarding this issue. We know that we have had a lot of support.
all the best,
A. G. and Goldie Russell
A. G. Russell Knives, Inc.
Rogers, Arkansas
********************
Thanks to all that helped make this happen. I was particularly happy to see Texas step up on this issue as a Texan, since our knife culture goes farther back than anyone can remember. It was the right thing to do.
But it is a reminder there is more to do, and a need to be aware of the political climate that we currently have. From what I have read, the current group of law makers have a nasty habit of just sneaking in the things they want when they can.
Without groups like this and the kniferights folks ( http://www.kniferights.org ) , I personally wouldn't know anything about this legislation or how harmful it was. Good for them! I am going to get off my butt and do my part to make sure these folks don't do all the fighting for me.
And I don't want to be a criminal for doing something I have done for 45 years... that's carrying a knife.
Thanks for the heads up, Mr. Russell.
Robert
Received from AG Russel today:
****************
October 21, 2009
Late in the day yesterday, the U. S. Senate passed the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill with Senate Amendment 1447 language still intact. The Bill had previously passed the House. This bi-partisan amendment was co-sponsored by 20 U.S. Senators, led by John Cornyn of Texas, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Orin Hatch of Utah. The Bill is now on its way to the President's desk for signature.
The Senate amendment essentially adopted the switchblade exception language that the American Knife & Tool Institute sponsored in Texas and that was signed by Texas Governor Perry on June 18, 2009. U.S. Customs, thanks to an outpouring of grassroots objections to their proposed ban and the intervention of Legislators concerned about the potential financial devastation to the entire sporting knife industry, became active supporters of the amendment.
Amendment 1447 adds a fifth clause to section 1244 of the Federal Switchblade Act that exempts "a knife that contains a spring, detent, or other mechanism designed to create a bias toward closure of the blade and that requires exertion applied to the blade by hand, wrist or arm to overcome the bias toward closure to assist in opening the knife."
For more details click through to the American Knife & Tool Institute's website at http://akti.org
This effort has been very expensive and required a huge number of hours by a small number of people to accomplish what we have managed so far. In addition to the many hours and many dollars spent personally by knife company owners and employees; in my opinion, without the assistance of a Washington Lobbyist to coordinate the efforts, our success would have been nearly impossible. Hiring a lobbyist takes money.
If you like the idea of being able to continue carrying your folding knives, reach into your pocket and make whatever contribution you can to help pay the bills for this effort to ensure those rights.
Please make checks payable to The American Knife & Tool Institute and mail to:
AKTI
22 Vista View Ln.
Cody, WY 82414
If you prefer to use a credit card, call Jan Billeb, AKTI Executive Director at (307) 587-4297. You can also use Paypal to akti@akti.org.
We appreciate every one of you who has already contributed financially or wrote letters, made phone calls, sent e-mails or talked to your Legislator in person regarding this issue. We know that we have had a lot of support.
all the best,
A. G. and Goldie Russell
A. G. Russell Knives, Inc.
Rogers, Arkansas
********************
Thanks to all that helped make this happen. I was particularly happy to see Texas step up on this issue as a Texan, since our knife culture goes farther back than anyone can remember. It was the right thing to do.
But it is a reminder there is more to do, and a need to be aware of the political climate that we currently have. From what I have read, the current group of law makers have a nasty habit of just sneaking in the things they want when they can.
Without groups like this and the kniferights folks ( http://www.kniferights.org ) , I personally wouldn't know anything about this legislation or how harmful it was. Good for them! I am going to get off my butt and do my part to make sure these folks don't do all the fighting for me.
And I don't want to be a criminal for doing something I have done for 45 years... that's carrying a knife.
Thanks for the heads up, Mr. Russell.
Robert