CCRKBA APPLAUDS AZ REP. NGUYEN FOR RANGE PROTECTION LEGISLATION
BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms applauds Arizona State Rep. Quang Nguyen for sponsoring and championing House Bill 2763 through the Arizona State Legislature, adding significant protection to the world-famous Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix.
The Ben Avery facility is the largest such public range in the entire United States, and is annually visited by more than 120,000 people. It was the first government-owned facility to earn a Five Star rating from the National Association of Shooting Ranges.
HB 2763 was signed Monday by Gov. Katie Hobbs, one of several bills adopted by Arizona lawmakers this year. This new law protects Ben Avery and other state-owned ranges by requiring approval from the Arizona Legislature before they can be closed. Henceforth, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission will be unable to unilaterally make such decisions.
“I can say without fear of contradiction that protecting the Ben Avery shooting range and similar facilities around the Grand Canyon State is of paramount importance to Arizona gun owners,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “Future generations of Arizona hunters, competitors and recreational shooters will benefit from this bill’s passage.
“The Citizens Committee takes this opportunity to congratulate Rep. Nguyen for his tireless efforts to guide HB 2763 through the legislature and finally to the governor’s desk,” he added. “We’re disappointed that not a single Democrat lawmaker in either the House or Senate voted in support of this legislation, while we are proud of Rep. Nguyen and his Republican colleagues, led by House Speaker Steve Montenegro, who passed this important measure despite that partisan opposition.
“It should be noted that Rep. Nguyen has appeared at the Gun Rights Policy Conference, which is co-sponsored by the Citizens Committee, and I am personally grateful for his dedication to Arizona gun owners,” Gottlieb observed. “I have come to know him as a lawmaker who can be counted on to defend the Second Amendment and the rights protected by Article 2, Section 26 of the Arizona constitution, adopted way back in 1912 when Arizona achieved statehood. He can rightfully be proud of this achievement.”
