Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
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| Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Bellevue, Wash. |
| Type: | 501(c)(4) |
| Top official: | Alan M. Gottlieb, Chairman |
| Website: | Official website |
As of 2019, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) was a 501(c)(4) advocacy group that aimed to influence firearms policy in the states of Washington and California. The organization was one of the top donors opposing California Proposition 63, Background Checks for Ammunition Purchases and Large-Capacity Ammunition Magazine Ban in 2016.
Mission
According to the CCRKBA's website, the organization stated the following mission statement:[1]
| “ | The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is dedicated to protecting your firearms rights. Our role is to educate grass root activists, the public, legislators and the media. Our programs are designed to help all Americans understand the importance of the Second Amendment and its role in keeping Americans free.[2] | ” |
Background
The CCRKBA was a firearms policy group that was founded in 1972. According to The Washington Post, the organization " functions as a kind of sister organization to the Second Amendment Foundation, a legal think tank and law firm based in Bellevue, Wash., that, along with the NRA, has been a leader in filing major court challenges to halt restrictions on gun rights."[3]
Political activity
Support for Manchin-Toomey compromise
In 2013, Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) put forth a bipartisan compromise that would expand background checks for gun sales. The CCRKBA came out in support of this compromise, a position that contrasted with that of the larger National Rifle Association. The CCRKBA's chairman, Alan Gottlieb wrote of the group's support to donors, saying, "If you read the Manchin-Toomey substitute amendment, you can see all the advances for our cause that it contains like interstate sales of handguns, veteran gun rights restoration, travel with firearms protection, civil and criminal immunity lawsuit protection, and most important of all, the guarantee that people, including federal officers, will go to federal prison for up to 15 years if they attempt to use any gun sales records to set up a gun registry."[4]
Ballot measure activity
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms was one of the top donors opposing California Proposition 63, Background Checks for Ammunition Purchases and Large-Capacity Ammunition Magazine Ban, a 2016 ballot measure that aimed to require individuals who wish to purchase ammunition to first obtain a four-year permit from the California Department of Justice.[5]
Overview of ballot measure support and opposition
The following table details Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms’s ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
| Ballot measure support and opposition for Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| California Proposition 63, Background Checks for Ammunition Purchases and Large-Capacity Ammunition Magazine Ban | 2016 | Opposed[6] |  Approved
|
| Washington Sales Tax Decrease or Two-Thirds Vote for Tax Increase, Initiative 1366 | 2015 | Supported[7] | Approved
|
| Washington Gun Rights Measure, Initiative 591 | 2014 | Supported[8] |  Defeated
|
Leadership
The following individuals were members of the CCRKBA's board of directors during the 2016 election cycle:[9]
- Alan M. Gottlieb, Chairman
- Herbert W. Stupp, Vice chairman
- Joe Waldron, Secretary
- Peggy Tartaro, Treasurer
- Mark Walters
- Donald A. Moran
- Miko Tempski
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms's revenues and expenses as submitted to the IRS for the 2012 to 2014 fiscal years:
| Annual revenue and expenses for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, 2012–2014 | ||
| Tax Year | Total Revenue | Total Expenses |
| 2014[10] | $2,038,054 | $1,905,538 |
| 2013[11] | $2,910,862 | $2,868,677 |
| 2012[12] | $2,345,157 | $2,261,293 |
Tax status
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Its 501(c) status refers to a section of the U.S. federal income tax code concerning social welfare organizations.[13] Organizations that have been granted 501(c)(4) status by the Internal Revenue Service are exempt from federal income tax.[14] Section 501(c) of the U.S. tax code has 29 sections listing specific conditions particular organizations must meet in order to be considered tax-exempt under the section. Unlike 501(c)(3) organizations, however, donations to 501(c)(4) organizations are not tax-deductible for the individual or corporation making the contribution. 501(c)(4) organizations may engage in political lobbying and political campaign activities. This includes donations to political committees that support or oppose ballot measures, bond issues, recalls, or referenda.
- See also: 501(c)(4) organizations on Ballotpedia
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Washington Gun Rights Measure, Initiative 591 (2014)
- Washington Initiative 1366, Sales Tax Decrease or Two-Thirds Vote for Tax Increase Measure (2015)
- Ballot measure influencers, 2016
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, "Mission Statement," accessed September 30, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Gun rights group endorses Manchin-Toomey background-check bill," April 14, 2013
- ↑ Slate, "Major Gun Rights Group Splits With NRA, Endorses Increased Background Checks," April 14, 2013
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "California General Election November 8, 2016, Official Voter Information Guide," accessed August 18, 2016
- ↑ California Fair Political Practices Commission, "November 2016 General Election," September 16, 2016
- ↑ PR Newswire, "CCRKBA Endorses Two-Thirds for Taxes Initiative 1366 in WA," June 25, 2015
- ↑ Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, "I-591 Backers To Deliver Petitions To Secretary Of State Nov. 21," accessed October 31, 2014
- ↑ Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, "Board of Directors," accessed September 30, 2016
- ↑ Guidestar, "Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms IRS Form 990 (2014)," accessed September 30, 2016
- ↑ Guidestar, "Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms IRS Form 990 (2013)," accessed September 30, 2016
- ↑ Guidestar, "Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms IRS Form 990 (2012)," accessed September 30, 2016
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "IRC 501(c)(4) Organizations," accessed July 10, 2014
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