Übersicht
Say “gun control” and you’re certain to trigger a debate. The National Rifle Association (NRA) frequently takes a high-profile position opposing gun-control legislation proposed in the states. Much of the legislation that was brought forth in 2013 was in response to mass shootings in 2012, including those in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, and in Newtown, Connecticut.
These incidents prompted state legislatures and Congress to propose bills to ban assault rifles, limit the capacity of ammunition rounds, strengthen background checks, and prevent people with mental illness from buying or owning guns. They also have prompted some states to introduce bills to refuse to enforce any federal bills restricting access to any type of gun or ammunition. Despite this legislative flurry, less than 10 percent of the more than 1,500 gun-control-related bills introduced in the states became law, and these new laws were almost evenly split between the two sides of the gun-control debate. Anti-gun-control advocates had only a slim edge, with slightly more than half of the bills passed favoring their side.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the NRA spent $26.1 million during the 2012 federal election campaigns, only six percent of which was contributed directly to candidate campaigns. They spent $18.6 million on independent expenditures, $1.6 million on direct contributions, and $5.9 million on lobbying.1 As of July 2013, the organization had spent an additional $1.7 million on lobbying in 2013.2 A majority of the NRA’s direct contributions, $1 million, went to candidates, while the remainder went to political parties and other political committees and independent spending groups. The NRA focused most of its independent spending in support of Republican candidates ($6 million) and against Democratic candidates ($13.3 million), $10.4 million of which was spent opposing President Barack Obama’s reelection.3
![Gun control interests graph](assets/press/Reports/images/NRA2013/NRAGunGIvingProCon201112.png)
The NRA contributed significantly less to state-level candidates and political party committees during the 2011–2012 elections. The NRA’s $408,163 makes up more than half of the $796,173 given by all anti-gun-control groups.4 While they contributed less to state candidates and political parties than to federal, they still contributed three times more than the next-largest opponent of gun control, and contributed almost 30 times more than the largest advocate for gun control. Most states lack robust laws requiring thorough disclosure of independent expenditures and lobbying, so it is not possible to analyze whether the NRA's state-level independent spending and lobbying followed the same pattern as their federal spending.
Another factor in the NRA’s influence over legislation comes not from its money, but from its members. As of May 2013, the NRA claimed to have more than 5 million active members, one-tenth of whom had joined in the previous six months.5 The NRA alerts its members about gun-control legislation at the local, state, and federal levels, and provides members with information on how to contact the representatives, register to vote, and become grassroots advocates.6
Methodology
The number of gun-control bills in each state was determined by creating a database of all bills in all 50 states from LegiScan, keeping only the bills that had keywords such as “firearm” or “rifle” in their descriptions. Statuses and sponsors were added to the database using APIs from Open States.
Gun-Control Legislation
The primary gun-control issues Congress has been considering in 2013 are universal background checks, curbing illegal gun trafficking, and renewing the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.7 While Congress has not passed any of these measures, President Obama has implemented several executive actions aimed at reducing gun-related violence.8
![Gun Control Bill](assets/press/Reports/images/NRA2013/NRAScreenShot20130925.png)
More than 1,500 gun-control bills were introduced in state legislatures in 2013, 145 of which passed. The most common theme among the 66 pro-gun-control bills that passed was modifying laws dealing with the issuance of concealed-carry permits. Eight states—Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia—passed bills that increased permit fees, changed the training process prior to obtaining a license, required proof of license to be with a person at all times, streamlined the submission of fingerprints with applications, or added to the list of people prohibited to obtain concealed-carry permits.
The biggest wins for the pro-gun-control side were seen in five states. New York passed S 2230 which bans automatic assault rifles, joining five other states (California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey) that already have assault rifle bans in place.9 California and Maryland passed laws to expand their existing assault weapons bans to include more semi-automatic rifles (AB 170 and SB 374 in California, and SB 281 in Maryland). California also passed a senate resolution, SJR 1, urging Congress to pass an assault weapons ban and implement universal background checks at the federal level. Colorado passed HB 1224, banning high-capacity ammunition magazines. Passage of that bill is part of what led to the recall of two Colorado senators who supported the bill.10 There was also an attempt at the federal level to renew an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004; it failed in April.11
Anti-gun-control advocates succeeded in getting 74 state bills passed. Concealed-carry permits were a hot issue for the anti-gun-control side, with nine states—Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia—passing 17 bills making it easier to obtain concealed-carry permits or expanding what guns are covered under the licenses. Ten states also passed bills expanding who was eligible to obtain and carry guns, such as allowing retired peace officers to carry guns without a concealed-carry permit.
Privacy of gun owners was another recurring theme for anti-gun-control advocates. Nine states—Arkansas, Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia—passed laws to remove information provided by applicants for guns or concealed-carry permits from public record.
NRA Contributions to State Election Campaigns
The 2011–2012 campaigns saw the lowest amount of contributions given by the NRA in the past 12 years. The NRA gave to more than 500 candidates and 21 political party committees in 37 states, with 87 percent going to Republicans. In comparison, during the 2009–2010 campaigns, the NRA made $579,529 in contributions in 43 states. Historically, from 2000–2012, the NRA contributed $5.1 million to state campaigns, giving the most in 2000, at $1.3 million.
![NRA20002012.png](assets/press/Reports/images/NRA2013/NRA20002012.png)
The NRA gave its highest 2012 contributions to Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign and the Republican State Senate Campaign Committee of Illinois, with $10,000 to each. The NRA gave its third-highest contribution to Tennessee Republican House candidate Courtney Rogers, with $7,600.
State | Total NRA Direct Contributions12 |
---|---|
Washington | $68,300 |
Texas | $42,250 |
Tennessee | $41,596 |
Pennsylvania | $21,812 |
Wisconsin | $21,325 |
New York | $18,000 |
Illinois | $18,000 |
California | $17,000 |
Nevada | $15,500 |
Iowa | $14,753 |
Rhode Island | $13,875 |
Mississippi | $12,500 |
Virginia | $11,500 |
Oregon | $11,250 |
Utah | $10,000 |
Kansas | $8,650 |
North Dakota | $7,500 |
Missouri | $7,350 |
Hawaii | $5,250 |
Maine | $5,000 |
New Mexico | $4,500 |
Georgien | $3,750 |
North Carolina | $3,750 |
Ohio | $3,600 |
Vermont | $3,500 |
Indiana | $3,050 |
Louisiana | $2,796 |
Arizona | $2,772 |
Montana | $2,534 |
South Dakota | $2,500 |
West Virginia | $1,500 |
Michigan | $800 |
Minnesota | $500 |
Oklahoma | $500 |
South Carolina | $500 |
Colorado | $100 |
Delaware | $100 |
TOTAL | $408,163 |
Other State-Level Gun-Control Opponents and Advocates
In addition to the NRA, 32 anti-gun-control groups contributed $388,010 to state-level campaigns in 2011–2012 campaigns. The Gun Owners Action League of Washington gave the second-largest anti-gun-control contributions, at $106,175, followed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation with $56,500, and the Texas State Rifle Association with $45,600.
Groups in favor of gun control gave significantly less, contributing $20,726 in six states in the 2012 cycle, with 67 percent of their money going to candidates in California and Colorado. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence was the largest pro-gun-control donor, which gave $11,300 to state candidates in California and Illinois.13 The next-largest group was Colorado Ceasefire, with $5,600. The only pro-gun-control group to donate to political parties in 2011–2012 was the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, which contributed $395 to the Virginia Democratic Party.
State Profiles
The following section provides brief profiles of state-level gun-control money and legislation. The first six are the states that received the most NRA money. Colorado and Connecticut are also profiled since tragedies in those two states catalyzed gun-control advocates and opponents in 2013.
Washington
Twenty-five bills related to gun-control were introduced during Washington’s 2013 legislative session. All but two would have strengthened gun-control laws. So far, only HB 1612 has passed, creating a new registry of people convicted of firearm felonies. The other bills remained in committee at the end of the regular 2013 session and have not yet seen further action.
The NRA contributed $68,300 to candidates in Washington in 2011–2012, with $40,500 going to incumbent Republican lawmakers. Another anti-gun-control group, Gun Owners Action League of Washington, contributed $106,175 to candidates and political parties in 2011–2012. The $174,475 contributed by these groups is the most given by both pro-gun-control and anti-gun-control groups in Washington since 2000.
Losing supreme court candidate Richard Sanders, along with winning house candidates Cathy Dahlquist and Christopher Hurst, received the maximum amount allowed from both the NRA and the Gun Owners Action League of Washington.14 The two groups contributed to 105 candidates, with all but three receiving at least $900 from one of the groups. The NRA and the Gun Owners Action League of Washington contributed $10,800 to nine candidates who went on to sponsor gun bills in the 2013 legislative session.
No pro-gun-control groups donated to any 2012 legislative campaigns in Washington. Ceasefire Action Committee was the only pro-gun-control group to make contributions since 2000, giving $11,025 in 2000 and $1,000 in 2006.
Texas
Texas legislators introduced 86 gun-related bills in their 2013 session, 16 of which passed. The NRA contributed $42,250 to candidates and political party committees in Texas, while another anti-gun-control group, the Texas State Rifle Association, contributed $45,600. Pro-gun-control groups did not donate to any candidates in Texas in 2012.
Together, the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association contributed $28,950 to 34 of the 58 authors of gun-related bills introduced in 2013. Two authors, Senators Craig Estes and Glenn Hegar, received the most from the two groups with $2,000 each.15 Speaker of the House Joe Straus received $1,000 from each group; he did not author any bills. Two of the four bills authored by Estes passed, as did both of Hegar’s bills.
In 2012, the NRA paid two lobbyists in Texas, one who received less than $10,000 and one who received between $50,000 and $99,000.16 The Texas State Rifle Association also paid one lobbyist between $50,000 and $99,000 in 2012.
Tennessee
The National Rifle Association contributed $41,596 to candidates and political parties in the Tennessee 2011–2012 campaigns. The NRA also spent between $25,000 and $59,000 on lobbying, according to reports filed with the Tennessee Ethics Commission.17 Another anti-gun-control group, the Tennessee Firearms Association, contributed $7,400 to candidates. No pro-gun-control groups made contributions to Tennessee candidates or political parties in 2011–2012.
Seventy-two gun-related bills were introduced during Tennessee’s 2013 session, seven of which passed. The National Rifle Association contributed $10,750 to 19 sponsors of gun bills. Republican Rep. Joshua Evans received the most money from the NRA with $2,500. He sponsored two anti-gun-control bills that have not made it out of committee, to date.
Only one legislator, Republican Courtney Rogers, received more than Evans. The NRA contributed $7,600 to Rogers’ successful campaign to defeat Democrat Jeanette Jackson for House District 45. Rogers also received $7,100 from the Tennessee Firearms Association and $1,000 from Chris Cox, the chief lobbyist of the NRA.18
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania legislators introduced 54 gun-related bills in 2013, none of which have made it out of committee to date.
Anti-gun-control groups contributed $31,405 to candidates and committees in 2011–2012, nearly two-thirds of which ($21,812) came from the NRA. The remaining $9,592 came from a group called Firearm Owners Against Crime.
Republican Rep. Rick Saccone received the most from anti-gun-control groups, at $5,750. Saccone sponsored HB 671 in 2013, which would make concealed-carry permits optional instead of required. To date, HB 671 has not had a committee hearing scheduled.
Wisconsin
Anti-gun-control groups contributed $22,325 to candidates and parties in Wisconsin in 2011–2012, with all but $1,000 given by the NRA. The other $1,000 came from a group called Wisconsin Gun Owners PAC. Nearly half of the NRA’s money ($10,000) went to Gov. Scott Walker in his successful recall race. No pro-gun-control groups contributed to Wisconsin state candidates in 2011–2012.
Seven gun-related bills were introduced in Wisconsin in 2013, none of which have yet received a vote. None of the bill sponsors received any money from gun-control groups on either side of the issue in their 2011–2012 campaigns.
The contribution limit in Wisconsin for PACs is $43,128 for governor, but only $1,000 for senate candidates and $500 for assembly candidates per election cycle. The NRA gave the maximum $1,000 to three senate candidates and one assembly candidate, all of whom won their races.
New York
New York legislators have introduced more than 150 gun-related bills so far this year. Only three of the bills passed, the main one dubbed the New York Safe Act, which implements a universal background check and “imposes the toughest assault weapons ban in the country.”19 Thus far, the National Rifle Association reported $9,828 in 2013 lobbying expenses in New York; it lobbied against the Safe Act.20
Six anti-gun-control groups contributed a total of $91,183 to New York candidates and party committees in 2011–2012, with 96 percent ($87,333) going to Republicans. The National Shooting Sports Foundation gave the most at $47,000, most of which went to state Republican Party committees. The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association contributed $18,250, followed by the NRA with $18,000.
Sponsors of gun legislation received $19,925 from anti-gun-control groups. Republican Sen. Greg Ball received the most contributions from gun-control opponents in New York, with $6,200.21 The NRA contributed $3,500 of that total. Ball sponsored three bills to loosen gun control in the state: two bills dealt with firearms licenses and one would have allowed a shooting preserve to sell ammunition for use on that preserve. None of those bills passed.22
One pro-gun-control group, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, contributed $1,150 to Democratic candidates in 2012: $250 to Rep. Michelle Schimel, who sponsored a bill that would have required semiautomatic pistols delivered to dealers in the state to be capable of microstamping ammunition (it never received a committee vote).23 The organization also contributed $400 to senate candidate George Latimer, and $250 each to senate candidates Andrew Gounardes and Justin Wagner.
Colorado
Following the mass shooting in a movie theater in Aurora in 2012, Colorado legislators introduced 13 gun-related bills in 2013, five of which have passed to date. Passage of two of the bills—one banning large-capacity magazines and one strengthening background checks—led to the recall of two legislators who supported the bills24 and a lawsuit brought by 55 Colorado sheriffs against Gov. John Hickenlooper.25 The recall race was supported by the National Rifle Association, and opposed by Michael Bloomberg’s group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns.26 Several issue committees were formed to spend money on the recall race, including the National Rifle Association Committee to Restore Coloradans’ Rights, which has raised $361,704 so far from the NRA’s Institute on Legislative Action.27 Bloomberg gave $350,000 to the issue committee Taxpayers for Responsible Democracy.28
Four anti-gun-control groups contributed $12,200 to Colorado candidates and committees in 2011–2012, with the most contributed by Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, which gave $10,200. The National Rifle Association contributed only $100 to a Republican committee, the Senate Majority Fund of Colorado. Sen. Randy Baumgardner received the most from anti-gun-control groups in 2012, with $3,000 from Rocky Mountain Gun Owners.
One pro-gun-control group, Colorado Ceasefire, contributed $5,600 to 21 candidates in 2012. The most they contributed to any candidate was $400, due to Colorado’s limits of $200 per election to legislative candidates.
The NRA spent $40,000 lobbying bills in Colorado in 2013, and Rocky Mountain Gun Owners spent $14,000.29 Pro-gun-control groups were also active lobbyists in 2013, with Mayors Against Illegal Guns spending $35,000 and Colorado Ceasefire spending $4,167.
Connecticut
In response to the Newtown school shooting, Connecticut legislators introduced 90 gun-related bills in 2013, all of which were pro-gun-control. Only SB 1160 passed, which places age limits on who can buy guns, and requires eligibility permits before anyone can purchase certain rifles or semi-automatic guns.30 The other bills remained in committee.
No anti-gun-control groups gave contributions to Connecticut candidates or committees in 2011–2012. However, several are active in lobbying in 2013. The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association for the firearms industry based in Newtown, Connecticut,31 filed a report saying they expect to spend $72,000 on lobbying this year (as of their June Second Quarter Report they have spent $47,345).32 The National Rifle Association spent $141,599 in lobbying so far this year. Although the lobbying reports in Connecticut do not specify what is being lobbied, the NRA did put out a statement saying they are fighting for the reversal of SB 1160.33
On the pro-gun-control side, two employees of pro-gun-control groups contributed $320 to Democratic candidates and the House Democrats Caucus Committee. Like the opposition, far more money went into lobbying: Mayors Against Illegal Guns reported spending $153,012 as of their June Second Quarter Report in 2013.
Fazit
While the NRA is not the only anti-gun-control group active at the state level, it is by far the largest. The NRA contributed three times more than the next-largest opponent of gun-control, and contributed almost 30 times more than the Brady Campaign, the largest advocate for gun-control. The NRA’s $408,163 contributed to state candidates and committees could be the tip of the iceberg, if it mimics their pattern of federal spending. The NRA spent $26.1 million on 2011–2012 federal campaigns, with six percent contributed directly to candidates and committees and the remaining 94 percent spent on lobbying and independent expenditures. It is not possible to accurately determine the NRA’s lobbying and independent spending in the states due to poor reporting requirements.
State legislators spent a lot of time writing and introducing more than 1,500 bills related to gun control. Only a fraction of them have passed. Although more than 97 percent of all gun-control contributions came from anti-gun-control groups, slightly more than half of the 145 gun-related bills that passed were anti-gun-control.
With two new pro-gun-control Super PACs recently formed in 2013—Gabrielle Gifford’s Americans for Responsible Solutions and Michael Bloomberg’s Independence USA—and with the National Rifle Association seeing an uptick in contributions this year,34 gun control is likely to remain a hot button issue throughout the 2014 campaigns.
Update Sept. 27, 3013: An earlier version of this report incorrectly identified Tennessee House candidate Jeannette Jackson as an incumbent. She was not.
- 1. “National Rifle Assn: Summary,” Center for Responsive Politics, available from https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000082, accessed March 26, 2013.
- 2. “Lobbying: National Rifle Assn,” Center for Responsive Politics, available from https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000082, accessed August 6, 2013.
- 3. “National Rifle Assn Recipients, 2012,” Center for Responsive Politics, available from https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cmte=National+Rifle+Assn&cycle=2012, accessed March 26, 2013.
- 4. All of the state-level contribution amounts compiled by the National Institute on Money in State Politics and used in this report are as of July 22, 2013.
- 5. Korte, Gregory, “Post-Newtown, NRA membership surges to 5 million,” USA Today, May 4, 2013, available from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/05/04/nra-meeting-lapierre-membership/2135063/, accessed September 18, 2013.
- 6. NRA Member Benefits, http://membership.nrahq.org/benefits.asp and NRA-ILA, http://www.nraila.org/, accessed September 18, 2013.
- 7. Krouse, William J, “Gun Control Proposals in the 113th Congress: Universal Background Checks, Gun Trafficking, and Military Style Firearms,” Congressional Research Service, June 7, 2013, available from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42987.pdf, accessed September 20, 2013.
- 8. Lederman, Josh, “Obama Offers New Executive Actions on Gun Control,” AP, August 29, 2013, available from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/29/obama-executive-actions-guns_n_3836183.html, accessed September 20, 2013.
- 9. Assault Weapons Policy Summary, Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, available from http://smartgunlaws.org/assault-weapons-policy-summary/, accessed September 19, 2013.
- 10. Healy, Jack, “Colorado Lawmakers Ousted in Recall Vote Over Gun Law,” The New York Times, September 11, 2013, available from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/11/us/colorado-lawmaker-concedes-defeat-in-recall-over-gun-law.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0, accessed September 19, 2013.
- 11. Simon, Richard, “Senate votes down Feinstein’s assault weapons ban,” Los Angeles Times, April 17, 2013, available from http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-dianne-feinstein-assault-weapons-vote-20130417,0,5349684.story, accessed September 18, 2013.
- 12. These numbers are as of July 22, 2013.
- 13. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence reports receiving $2.9 million in revenue for 2011, according to their IRS report, which totals about 1 percent of the revenue reported by the National Rifle Association.
- 14. Washington limits campaign contributions to $1,800 per election for supreme court candidates and $900 per election for legislative candidates.
- 15. There are no limits on contributions to candidates from PACs in Texas.
- 16. Texas requires clients to provide only ranges of salaries paid to lobbyists, not exact dollar amounts.
- 17. Tennessee lobbyist reports only show reported ranges, not exact amounts.
- 18. Tennessee allows contributions up to $10,700 for statewide and senate candidates, and $7,100 for all other candidates.
- 19. NYSAFE, http://www.governor.ny.gov/nysafeact/gun-reform, accessed Sept. 4, 2013.
- 20. The lobbying report for the NRA can be found here, accessed Sept. 4, 2013.
- 21. 2012 contribution limits in New York are $10,300 for senate candidates and $4,100 for house candidates per election cycle.
- 22. S 2290, S 3922, and S 4498
- 23. A3244 summary, http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A03244&term=2013, accessed Sept. 4, 2013.
- 24. Oldham, Jennifer, “Colorado Firearm Advocates Push Recall in Gun Control,” Bloomberg, July 24, 2013, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-25/colorado-firearm-advocates-push-recall-of-gun-control-backers.html, accessed July 25, 2013.
- 25. Parker, Ryan, “Colorado gun lawsuit: both sides claim first-round victory,” The Denver Post, July 12, 2013, http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23644017/colorado-gun-lawsuit-both-sides-claim-first-round, accessed July 25, 2013.
- 26. Oldham, Jennifer, “Colorado Firearm Advocates Push Recall in Gun Control,” Bloomberg, July 24, 2013, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-25/colorado-firearm-advocates-push-recall-of-gun-control-backers.html, accessed July 25, 2013.
- 27. Committee Information, TRACER, available from http://tracer.sos.colorado.gov/PublicSite/SearchPages/CommitteeDetail.aspx?OrgID=25674, accessed September 10, 2013.
- 28. Details for the August 27, 2013 Report of Contributions and Expenditures, TRACER, available from http://tracer.sos.colorado.gov/PublicSite/SearchPages/FilingDetail.aspx?FilingID=157535, accessed September 10, 2013.
- 29. Lobbying reports in Colorado can be found by doing a principal search from this page http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/lobby/lobby_home.html.
- 30. SB 1160 Bill Status, available from http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=sb1160&which_year=2013&SUBMIT1.x=0&SUBMIT1.y=0, accessed Sept. 5, 2013.
- 31. About the National Shooting Sports Foundation, http://www.nssf.org/industry/aboutNSSF.cfm, accessed Sept. 5, 2013.
- 32. Connecticut lobbying reports can be found at https://www.oseapps.ct.gov/NewLobbyist/security/loginhome.aspx, accessed August 5, 2013. As of September 5, 2013, the June Second Quarter Report is the most recent report available online.
- 33. “Connecticut: Attention Gun Owners and Sportsmen—You are Immediately Impacted by the State’s New Draconian ‘Gun Control’ Law,” available from http://www.nraila.org/legislation/state-legislation/2013/4/connecticut-attention-gun-owners-and-sportsmen-you-are-immediately-impacted-by-the-states-new-draconian-gun-control-law.aspx, accessed September 5, 2013.
- 34. Woller, Adam and O’Brien, Reity, “Gun groups raising unprecedented cash in 2013,” Center for Public Integrity, August 1, 2013, available from http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/08/01/13098/gun-groups-raising-unprecedented-cash-2013, accessed August 5, 2013.
Clearly, you're interested in following the money.
It costs more than $2 million a year to provide these verifiable facts about money in politics.
Do you know we simply give it to you, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
How often does that happen elsewhere in your life?
Please donate. You'll help us keep democracy transparent!