Major Victory in Arizona: Governor Signs Range Protection Legislation
Arizona Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs has quietly signed a major piece of legislation protecting the world-class Ben Avery Shooting Facility, and other publicly owned gun ranges, from development when not a single member of her own party would support the measure.
House Bill 2763, sponsored by Republican State Representative Quang Nguyen, was among several dozen bills inked by Hobbs, with no fanfare.
As explained in a news release from Nguyen’s office, the new law “requires approval from the Arizona Legislature before the Arizona Game and Fish Commission may close certain state-owned shooting ranges located in or near large cities. It adds legislative approval to existing requirements for public hearings, commission approval, and action by the Governor.”
The Ben Avery range, which spans 1,650 acres in north Phoenix, just off Highway 17 near the Desert Hills development, was the first government-owned facility to earn a Five Star rating from the National Association of Shooting Ranges, according to the range website. Like other shooting ranges which have been around for decades, not just in Arizona but all over the country, the Ben Avery facility has been increasingly threatened by urban sprawl. When it was first opened, there was very little nearby development, but in recent years, Phoenix has stretched out considerably. Aerial images of the immediate area surrounding the range show development creeping up toward the Ben Avery boundary, on the east side of Highway 17.
The range now hosts major shooting events, such as the “End of Trail” world championship Cowboy Action Shooting competition, hosted by the Arizona Territorial Company of Rough Riders. The facility sees more than 120,000 visitors each year.
The facility has what might be considered an almost perfect geographical layout, with a prominent ridge on the northeast side creating a natural barrier to anything which might pop up, including an RV resort community just on the outskirts of the Phoenix city limits.
Arizona is home to ten public shooting facilities owned by the Game and Fish Commission, which serve as critical, state-managed venues for firearm safety training and recreational shooting, Nguyen said in a press release quoted by AZ Free News earlier this year announcing his legislative effort.
In addition, Ben Avery provides such opportunities as firearms and hunter education, law enforcement training, clay target and archery ranges.
However, managed by the Fish and Game Commission, it could—along with other such Arizona ranges located near large and growing communities—someday have fallen victim to expanding human encroachment.
That is, until Rep. Nguyen stepped in. He guided HB 2763 through the legislative process and Gov. Hobbs—despite her own party’s reluctance to support the bill—signed it into law.
“Ben Avery belongs to the people of Arizona,” Representative Nguyen, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, explained in his release, “and no state agency should be able to quietly shut it down because development moved closer or political priorities shifted.
“This law puts that decision where it belongs: before the public and the lawmakers they elect,” he added. “Ben Avery trains responsible gun owners, supports hunters and law enforcement, and keeps shooting activity on a supervised range instead of pushing it into the open desert. Protecting this facility protects public safety, public access, and the rights of Arizona gun owners.”
Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, issued a statement congratulating Nguyen for getting the “Ben Avery bill” through the legislature. He reminded Ammoland News that Nguyen has appeared at past Gun Rights Policy Conference events, and he has high praise for the representative’s dedication to the Second Amendment.
“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.”
“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,” Gottlieb added. “Future generations of Arizona hunters, competitors and recreational shooters will benefit from this bill’s passage.”
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.