From Patricia Lightner for Congress:

Patricia Lightner's Answers to the NRA Questionnaire

Below is the NRA questionnaire. Patricia Lightner's answers are in bold.

1. The NRA opposes gun bans as a violation of both the Second Amendment and common sense. (However, fully automatic firearms, short-barreled shotguns, and certain "destructive devices" are currently very strictly regulated.) Which of the following statements best describes your opinion about banning firearms?

A. I agree with the NRA. The federal government should not ban firearms.
B. I disagree with the NRA. The following types of firearms should be banned: __________
C. I disagree with the NRA. All firearms should be banned.

2. In 1994, Bill Clinton signed the Omnibus Crime Control Act, imposing a ten-year ban on the manufacture for sale to private citizens of nearly 200 models of semi-automatic firearms, based largely on cosmetic features of the guns. The law also prohibited the manufacture for sale to private citizens of ammunition magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition. This ban expired in September of 2004, and according to federal studies, had no effect on crime. (For more information, visit www.ClintonGunBan.com)

A. I agree with the NRA that the Clinton gun and magazine ban should not be reenacted.
B. I disagree with the NRA and support reenacting the Clinton gun and magazine ban.
C. I disagree with the NRA and support reenacting and expanding the Clinton gun and magazine ban.

3. Ammunition magazines are devices for holding ammunition ready for loading into the chamber of a repeating firearm. Anti-gun activists believe that the federal government should once again ban the sale of magazines holding more than a specified and arbitrary number of cartridges. The NRA believes that magazine restrictions violate the right of law-abiding citizens without reducing criminal activity.

A. I agree with the NRA that ammunition magazines should not be banned.
B. I disagree with the NRA. some ammunition magazines should be banned. Please specify:

4. Do you agree that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms that applies to all Americans regardless of where they live in the United States?

A. Yes
B. No. Please explain: ________

5. As many as 4,400 gun shows are held across the United States each year. The vast majority of exhibitors are federally licensed firearms dealers, subject to the background check requirements created by the 1993 Brady Act for all of their transactions. Individuals who are not federally licensed dealers are not subject to such requirements, just as they would not be subject to such requirements for sales in their own homes. However, any individual who repeatedly makes firearms sales for purpose of livelihood and profit, as compared to disposing of a personal collection, is required to be a federally licensed dealer. Anti-gun officials and organizations advocate a vast bureaucratic regime to restrict gun shows, and even ultimately to drive them out of existence.

A. I support current laws and oppose further regulation. Gun sales by private citizens who are not engaged in an ongoing firearms business should not be subject to federal background check requirements, whether the sales take place at a gun show or elsewhere.
B. I believe that all firearms sales at gun shows should be subject to background checks, completed within 24 hours to account for the temporary nature of these events, but that occasional sales by non-licensees outside of the gun show environment should not be further regulated. The federal government should not keep records of vendors or gun buyers who attend these shows, or of the guns sold, and should not require show organizers to keep such records. I suppose legislation to this effect.
C. I believe that all firearms transactions -- including private transfers between non-licensees, such as family members and friends -- should be federally regulated, and I support additional legislation to require the federal government to approve all privat. e firearms transfers.

6. Legislation has been introduced in the 111th Congress (H.R. 2159) that would ban persons on the "terrorist watchlist" from purchasing firearms. This is a secret list with an undefined parameters for inclusion, with no opportunity or process to appeal or remove a listing. As of September 2008, the database included about 400,000 individuals and over 1,000,000 names (including aliases), and one of its components, the "no-fly" list, had been reported as misidentifying numerous people as potential terrorists (even including federal air marshals and several Members of Congress). The NRA opposes the use of secret lists to deny persons their Second Amendment rights.

A. I agree with the NRA that secret government lists should not be used to deny Second Amendment rights and oppose H.R. 2159.
B. I disagree with the NRA and support H.R. 2159 and the use of secret lists to deny Second Amendment rights.

7. Forty states now fully respect the "Right-to-Carry" by issuing licenses or permits (or in the case of Vermont, require no permit) so that law-abiding citizens can exercise their right to carry concealed firearms for personal protection. H.R. 197, supported by the NRA, has been introduced in the 111th Congress to let a person carry a firearm for self-defense while traveling throughout the United States, if the person is licensed to carry a firearm by any state. Carrying firearms would be subject to various restrictions in which firearms may be carried.

A. I agree with the NRA and support national Right-to-Carry reciprocity legislation.
B. I disagree with the NRA and oppose national Right-to-Carry reciprocity legislation.

8. When a rifle or handgun is fired, it leaves markings on the bullet and the cartridge case. Some argue that since these markings can sometimes be used to identify a firearm used in a crime, all guns sold should be tested prior to sale and ballistically "fingerprinted" for entry into a law enforcement database. More recently, anti-gun groups have promoted legislation to mandate technology that would supposedly "micro-stamp" identifying information on fired cartridge cases. (California has already enacted legislation to require this.) Since about 80 million handguns are already in circulation, such a mandate would requirede facto registration of guns. In addition, either technology is very expensive and easily defeated by defacing the gun with common household tools. The NRA opposes legislative mandates for ballistic imaging and micro-stamping.

A. I agree with the NRA and oppose mandatory ballistic "fingerprinting" and "micro-stamping".
B. I disagree with the NRA and support mandatory ballistic "fingerprinting" and "micro-stamping" of new firearms.
C. Other. Please explain.

9. The Firearms Owners' Protection Act of 198, along with the 1993 Brady Act, prohibit the use of records gathered by the course of firearms sales or background checks to create a national registration system for firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions. Under the Clinton Administration, the FBI nonetheless maintained records of lawful purchasers for up to six months. The Bush administration amended the regulations to require destruction of these records within 24 hours -- not a complete solution, but a step in the right direction. Anti-gun activists want to mandate a minimum of 90 days' record retention of lawful purchasers in clear violation of the intent of Congress.

A. I agree with the NRA that no records should be maintained on any lawful gun buyer
B. I agree with the current practice that records should be destroyed within 24 hours.
C. I agree with anti-gun activists who want records kept for at least 90 days.
D. Other. Please explain: ___________________________________

10. Firearm owner licensing is a system in which private citizens are required to obtain a permit from a government agency to buy and/or own a firearm. Licensing requirements may include fingerprinting, mandatory but arbitrary safety or proficiency training, and/or a statement as to why the firearm "is needed". The NRA opposes firearm owner licensing as a violation of citizens' constitutional rights, as well as a waste of resources, since criminals obtain firearms without complying with such requirements.

A. I agree with the NRA and oppose federal firearm owner licensing.
B. I disagree with the NRA and support licensing for some firearm owners. Please specify. C. I disagree with the NRA and support federal licensing for all firearm owners.

11. Firearms registration is a system in which a government agency maintains accessible records of specific firearms owned by individual citizens. Current federal law prohibits the creation of a federal firearms registration system (other than the existing registration requirements for machine guns and short-barreled rifles and shotguns). The NRA opposes firearms registration -- which has led to gun bans and confiscation in the United States (California and New York City) and in other countries (including Australia, Britain and Canada) -- as an unconstitutional and unnecessary measure that will be ignored by criminals.

A. I agree with the NRA and oppose firearms registration
B. I disagree with the NRA and support registration of some firearms. Please specify:
C. I disagree with the NRA and support registration of all firearms.

12. Anti-gun advocates favor legislation limiting the number of firearms a law-abiding individual may buy in an arbitrary time period (such as so-called "one-gun-a-month" laws), based on the claim that such limits reduce illicit firearms trafficking into states or cities with more restrictive gun control laws. The NRA believes that these laws constitute rationing of rights and have no effect on criminal behavior, since those who illegally engage in smuggling firearms to criminals do not abide by these or any other gun control laws.

A. I agree with the NRA and oppose "one-gun-a-month" and similar restrictions on gun purchases.
B. I disagree with the NRA and support such restrictions on firearms purchases.

13. Anti-gun advocates have suggested that so-called "smart guns" -- firearms designed to be fired only by specific users -- would prevent firearms accidents and the use of stolen firearms in crime. Legislation has been introduced in Congress to mandate that once technology is available, only these types of firearms can be sold. Even manufacturers developing "smart guns" do not anticipate their availability for many years, and federal government research indicates that additional gadgetry on firearms may make them less reliable for self-defense purposes. While the NRA does not oppose technical research in this area to develop new options for consumers, the NRA strongly opposes this government mandate regarding the design and construction of firearms.

A. I agree with the NRA and oppose legislative "smart gun" mandates.
B. I disagree with the NRA and support legislation allowing only "smart guns" to be sold.

14. In the Supreme Court's 2008 decision in Heller v. District of Columbia, the District's ban on the possession of handguns was found unconstitutional. However, the D.C. government has continued to defy the Court's ruling by imposing extremely burdensome laws that discourage lawful gun ownership with the most strict and intrusive gun laws possible. Because of this, legislation is necessary to repeal D.C.'s overly restrictive gun laws, including its gun registration system.

A. I agree with the NRA and support legislation to restore the Second Amendment rights of D.C. residents
B. I disagree with the NRA and oppose reform legislation, thus keeping the D.C. gun laws intact.

15. Growing numbers of shooters have become interested in rifles that fire certain .50-caliber cartridges. The .50-caliber Browning cartridge is used in highly technical long-range target shooting competitions; other .50-caliber cartridge designs have existed for well over a century and have been used throughout that time for hunting large game. Anti-gun activists and legislators claim these rifles are likely to be used by terrorists. In reality, no .50-caliber BMG rifle is known to have been fired in any terrorist act or homicide in the United States. The rifles that fire this powerful cartridge are too large and heavy for criminals to readily carry or conceal -- many weigh 30 pounds or more. As with any firearm, a national background check is conducted for all sales by dealers. Nonetheless, anti-gun activists want to impose severe new restrictions on these guns.

A. I agree with the NRA and oppose new restrictions on ownership of .50-caliber rifles by law-abiding Americans.
B. I disagree with the NRA and support restrictions on .50-caliber rifles.

16. Current federal law bans the sale of "armor-piercing" handgun ammunition to civilians. Anti-gun activists seek to expand that ban to include a wide variety of other types of ammunition that law-abiding Americans have used for self-defense, target shooting and hunting for more than a century. The NRA believes that efforts to restrict the types of ammunition available to honest citizens are misdirected and unnecessary.

A. I agree with the NRA that no further ammunition bans are justified.
B. I disagree with the NRA. The following types of ammunition should be banned: _____

17. Under the Gun Control act of 1968, imported firearms must meet a test of suitability for "sporting purposes" that is not required for domestically produced firearms. The NRA believes that this is an unjustified double standard which has been used improperly to regulate and ban importation of firearms that are suitable for self-defense, collecting, and hunting, and that the standard will continue to be abused unless reformed.

A. I agree with the NRA and would support legislation to provide that any firearm that could otherwise lawfully be manufactured in the United States would also be allowed to be imported.
B. I disagree with the NRA and believe imported firearms should be treated differently than identical American manufactured firearms.

18. As American veterans age, they and their heirs often realize they possess war trophy firearms that are required to be registered under the National Firearms Act (NFA) -- such as submachineguns and certain rare types of pistols. In many cases, these firearms were brought to the U.S. legally, but were not registered under the NFA. The NRA supports legislation (such as H.R. 442 in the 111th Congress) that would provide a 90-day amnesty period during which veterans and their family members could register under firearms that were acquired before October 31, 1968, by a veteran while a member of the Armed Forces stationed outside the continental United States. The legislation would allow these veterans or their immediate family members to retain these valuable, historic firearms in a lawful manner.

A. I agree with the NRA and support veterans' amnesty legislation. B. I disagree with the NRA and oppose veterans' amnesty legislation.

19. Since 1998, a national instant computerized background check has been conducted for all retail handgun, rifle, and shotguns sales. However, a 1968 federal law still bans most interstate handgun sales to people other than federally licensed dealers. The NRA supports legislation (such as H.R. 1074 in the 111th Congress) to update federal laws to reflect technological improvements and to restore interstate handgun sales by dealers, after an approved instant background check on the buyer.

A. I agree with the NRA and support legislation to allow interstate handgun sales.
B. I disagree with the NRA and oppose such legislation.

20. Federal law prohibits possession of firearms by convicted felons and other "prohibited persons". Federal law also provides a process by which people can apply to the Attorney General to seek restoration of their gun rights. In the past, such relief was often granted to people who had committed non-violent crimes many years earlier. Congressional appropriations amendments since 1992 have prevented federal agencies from processing these applications. Would-be applicants often have no other recourse under federal or state law. The NRA supports a process by which people can have their rights restore after appropriate screening.

A. I agree with the NRA and support restoring funding for "relief from disabilities."
B. I disagree with the NRA and oppose restoring funding for "relief from disabilities."

21. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) has responsibility for overseeing federally licensed firearms dealers. Over the past several years, BATFE has revoked an increased number of licenses based on alleged violations that in many cases appear to be inadvertent paperwork or filing errors. The NRA supports legislation (such as H.R. 2296 in the 111th Congress) that would raise the standard for license revocations and denials, while giving BATFE the power to use alternative penalties short of revocation (such as imposing a civil fine or license suspension) for minor violations.

A. I agree with the NRA and support such BATFE reform legislation.
B. I disagree with the NRA and oppose BATFE reform legislation.

22. Federal law requires gun manufacturers, importers and dealers to respond promptly to BATFE requests for assistance in tracing firearms in the course of bona fide criminal investigations. BATFE's longstanding practice has been to hold such trace requests as confidential law enforcement information, but in the past decade anti-gun groups and municipalities have sought this information for use in lawsuits against the gun industry. Since 2002, Congress has passed NRA-supported appropriations amendments that prevent disclosure of firearms trace data for non-law enforcement purposes. The national Fraternal Order of Police and other law enforcement organizations support these protections.

A. I agree with the NRA and support legislation to limit the use of firearms trace data to law enforcement purposes.
B. I disagree with the NRA and oppose protection from disclosure of firearms trace data.

23. In the past, some public housing authorities have used regulations or lease provisions to prohibit tenants from possessing firearms in their homes. The NRA believes that these policies are discriminatory attempts to deprive low-income people (who are most often the targets of violent criminals) of their ability to exercise the basic civil right of self-defense, and has overturned such policies either through legislation or the courts.

A. I agree with the NRA and would support federal legislation to end these discriminatory policies.
B. I disagree with the NRA and support bans on gun ownership in public housing.

24. Millions of acres federally-owned land provide public hunting opportunities across the nation. Without this, many hunters would be forced to give up hunting, lessening the $30 billion annual contribution that sportsmen make to our economy. Changing land use patterns, urban growth and land management decisions sometimes lose federal lands to hunting. Recognizing that these closures are sometimes inevitable, legislation has been introduced (H.R. 3046 in the 111th Congress) to establish a policy of No Net Loss of public hunting opportunities, under which any closure would be compensated for by opening new public hunting opportunities elsewhere on the same amount of acreage.

A. I agree with the NRA and would support this legislation.
B. I disagree with the NRA and would oppose this legislation.

25. Sportsmen should have access to federally-ownd or administered lands for hunting, fishing, trapping, or recreational shooting.

A. I agree
B. I disagree.

26. Are you a member of the National Rifle Association or any of other shooting, hunting, or wildlife conservation organization(s)?

A. Yes. Please list organizations and latest year of membership: NRA-2010
B. No.

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Connect with Hodge on YouTube, Facebook, his Web site, at Kansans for Government Reform, Twitter, and Kansas Progress. From 2005-'09, Hodge represented 300,000 voters and 50,000 students at Johnson County Community College. He served in the Kansas House from 2007-'08. His record is recognized by AFP, the NRA, the Kansas Press Association, the Kansas Broadcasters Association, and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.