June 5, 2010: Knife Rights chairman Doug Ritter today announced the appointment of Todd Rathner as Director of Legislative Affairs at Knife Rights’ Sharper Future™ Awards Breakfast at the BLADE Show in Atlanta.

Ritter said, "It is indicative of our priorities to protect and expand knife owners' rights that our first paid position is one to coordinate our aggressive legislative agenda. Todd proved his effectiveness this year in the successful passage of the Arizona Knife Preemption Law in Arizona, which launched our National Knife Law Preemption Campaign."

Rathner has been a Second Amendment activist and lobbyist for over 15 years and has led the effort to pass numerous pro-Second Amendment bills in Arizona which is now recognized as the most Second Amendment friendly state in the country. Rathner has been a member of the NRA’s national board of directors for 11 years and serves on the NRA’s Executive Committee, Legislative Policy Committee and the NRA’s International Policy Sub-Committee.

Rathner will coordinate Knife Rights' national strategy to take Arizona’s model Knife Preemption Law to the rest of the U.S., as well as efforts to liberalize knife laws as was accomplished this year in New Hampshire with the legalization of switchblades and other banned knives.

Ritter noted, "Todd has proven adept over the past decade and a half at building broad coalitions to pass good legislation or to kill bad legislation. His ability to engage both sides of the aisle will be a key asset for Knife Rights in our legislative effort. We feel lucky to have been able to enlist Todd to lead the fight on the 'second front' in the battle to defend our Second Amendment rights."

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