Gun Trade World - January 2023

NEWS
FEDERAL COURT GRANTS TRO IN
NEW YORK GUN LAW CHALLENGE
A federal court judge in
Buffalo, N.Y. has granted a
temporary restraining order
in a case filed by the Second
Amendment Foundation that
challenges New York State’s
new concealed carry law,
declaring the state’s “place
of worship” restriction is
unconstitutional.
“Ample Supreme Court
precedent addressing the
individual’s right to keep and
bear arms – from Heller and
McDonald to its June 22
decision in Bruen – dictates
that New York’s place of
worship restriction is equally
unconstitutional,” wrote
District Judge John L. Sinatra,
Jr.
The order is effective
immediately and prohibits
enforcement of this provision.
“We’re delighted with
the quick action by Judge
Sinatra,” said SAF founder and
Executive Vice President Alan
M. Gottlieb. “We believe this
law to be wholly in violation
of not only the letter but the
spirit of the Supreme Court’s
decision in New York State
Rifle & Pistol Association v.
Bruen.”
Joining SAF in the case,
which is known as Hardaway
v. Bruen, is the Firearms Policy
Coalition, Inc., on behalf
of Bishop Larry A. Boyd of
Buffalo and Rev. Dr. Jimmie
Hardaway, Jr., of Niagara Falls.
“As we noted in our petition
for the TRO,” Gottlieb
observed, “Reverend Hardaway
has almost always carried a
firearm for self-defense on
Sundays and at services on the
premises of the churches he has
pastored. New York has now
stripped Reverend Hardaway,
Bishop Boyd, and other New
Yorkers of their ability to
defend themselves should the
need arise at their places of
worship. The restrictive new
statute prevented both men
from doing so.”
The motion was filed
earlier this week by attorneys
David H. Thompson, Peter A.
Patterson and John W. Tienken
with Cooper & Kirk, PLLC in
Washington, D.C., and Nicolas
J. Rotsko at Phillips Lytle,
LLP in Buffalo. They represent
the plaintiffs in the original
lawsuit, which was filed only a
week ago.
www.saf.org
About
The Second Amendment
Foundation is the US’s oldest
and largest tax-exempt
education, research, publishing
and legal action group
focusing on the Constitutional
right and heritage to privately
own and possess firearms.
Founded in 1974, The
Foundation has grown to more
than 720,000 members and
supporters and conducts many
programs designed to better
inform the public about the
consequences of gun control.
USA Shooting announces new CEO
USA Shooting has hired a new Chief
Executive Officer, Craig Kozeniesky, a
retired Marine Corps Colonel, who will
assume duties in early January of 2023.
Kozeniesky served in the Marine Corps
for 27 years and is a combat veteran of
Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Kozeniesky has also been connected with
USA Shooting for over 10 years, most
notably in relation to his son, Lucas, who
is a Tokyo 2020 Silver Olympic Medalist
in 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team.
“I am honoured and humbled to join
the leadership team at USA Shooting, an
organisation that I have been associated
with since 2009 when my son started on
his path to shooting excellence as a novice
shooter,” said Kozeniesky. “As a career
military officer, I see this opportunity as an
extension of service to this great nation.”
Kozeniesky is relocating to Colorado
Springs, Colorado, and will be hitting the
ground running as the CEO next year.
“As chairman of the board, I consider it
an esteemed honour to welcome Colonel
Craig Kozeniesky to the helm of our
organization,” said Chad Whittenburg,
chairman of the USA Shooting Board
and president of the USA Shooting
Federation. “Colonel Kozeniesky is a
proven leader in the shooting industry
and the Marine Corps, both in and out of
combat.”
Kozeniesky’s notable military career
includes infantry, reconnaissance, and
joint special operations assignments.
Since his military retirement, Kozeniesky
has worked at the Nevada Secretary of
State Office as the Deputy Secretary
for Operations and in U.S. government
contracting. Most recently, he has been
Vice President of Development for
PrairieFire, a start-up in the shooting
sports, training, and destinations sectors.
“I am looking forward to building
on the successes of our Olympic and
Paralympic teams as we move towards
Paris 2024, expanding our development
pipeline across all disciplines, increasing
our engagement with member clubs
at all levels, and gaining support and
backing from the vast U.S. shooting sports
community,” said Kozeniesky.
About
USA Shooting, a 501(c)(3) non-profit
corporation was chartered by the United
States Olympic and Paralympic Committee
as the National Governing Body for the
Olympic Shooting Sports in April 1995. The
organisation develops and implements
programs to promote growth in the sport
and serves as a sanctioning body for local
and national competitions. Headquartered
in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the
US Olympic and Paralympic Training
Center, USA Shooting has a full-time staff
dedicated to the sport.
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