{{short description|American activist}} {{Infobox person | name = Todd J. Rathner | image = Todd Rathner Lobbyist 2023.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|11|06|mf=y}} | birth_place = Queens, New York, US | employer = Rathner and Associates | occupation = Lobbyist | years_active = | website = http://www.rathnerandassociates.com/ }} '''Todd J. Rathner''' (born November 6, 1965) is an American Second Amendment lobbyist and former member of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) Board of Directors, where he was elected in 1999 and served until 2022.
Rathner lives in Tucson, Arizona.<ref name="KorteGunBoard">{{cite news|last1=Korte|first1=Gregory|title=Protesters confront NRA board member at gun meeting|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/04/nra-meeting-houston-protests/2135595/|accessdate=22 June 2016|publisher=USA Today|date=4 May 2013}}</ref> He grew up in New York and is the owner of the T. Jeffrey Safari Company.<ref>{{cite news|title=Big Game Hunting|publisher=Safari|date=2008}}</ref>
Rathner has been a Second Amendment lobbyist for over 15 years and served on the NRA Board of Directors and the following NRA committees: Executive Committee, Legislative Policy Committee and the International Affairs Committee. Rathner is the Director of Legislative Affairs for Knife Rights.<ref name=Ben>{{cite web|title=Knife Rights Appoints Todd Rathner as Director of Legislative Affairs |first= Ben |last=Sobieck |date= June 11, 2010|url=http://www.blademag.com/blog/knife-rights-appoints-todd-rathner-as-director-of-legislative-affairs|publisher=Blade}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kniferights.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=108 |title=Knife Rights Appoints Todd Rathner as Director of Legislative Affairs |publisher=Knife Rights |date=June 5, 2010}}</ref><ref name=aff>{{cite journal|journal=America's First Freedom|title=Nomination of Directors|volume=5|issue=9|page=62|year=2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Rau | first =Alia Beard | title =Guns in Arizona: Gun lobby has firm grip on state | newspaper =Arizona Republic | location =Arizona | date =July 13, 2011 | url =http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/07/13/20110713arizona-guns-special-report-lobby.html | access-date =26 June 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/us/05knives.html|title=Pushing a Right to Bear Arms, the Sharp Kind|last=Lacey|first=Marc|date=2010-12-04|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref>
As an Arizona lobbyist, in 2010 Rathner played a critical role in enacting Arizona's "Constitutional Carry" law, which allows law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.<ref name=lauren>{{cite web|publisher=Bloomberg|title=Knives Are the New Guns in Lawmakers’ Second-Amendment Expansion|first=Lauren |last=Etter|date=May 6, 2015|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-05-06/knives-are-the-new-guns-in-lawmakers-second-amendment-expansion}}</ref>
On October 6, 2014, Rathner announced the formation of the NFA Freedom Alliance (NFAFA), an organization dedicated to protecting NFA gun owners, dealers, and manufacturers interests by influencing public policy primarily through lobbying.<ref name="WilliamsNFA">{{cite news|last1=Williams|first1=Lee|title=New gun rights group launched for NFA owners|url=http://thegunwriter.blogs.heraldtribune.com/18012/new-gun-rights-group-launched-for-nfa-owners/|accessdate=22 June 2016|publisher=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|date=9 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ammoland.com/2014/10/veteran-activist-and-lobbyist-launches-gun-rights-organization/#axzz3Fv7CJ6AW |title=Veteran Activist & Lobbyist Launches Gun Rights Organization – NFA Freedom Alliance |publisher=Ammoland |date=October 7, 2014}}</ref> One of the primary stated goals of the NFAFA is to enact "Shall Certify" legislation in all 50 states to mitigate the effects on NFA gun owners of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 41P Proposal. NFA gun owners are defined as those who own silencers, short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns and machine guns.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nfafa.org/what-is-shall-certify.cfm |title=What is 'Shall Certify' legislation? |publisher=NFA Freedom Alliance |accessdate=October 24, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media | people = Todd Rathner, Doug Ritter, Herb Stupp | title =30th Annual Gun Rights Policy Conference | medium = Television production | publisher =C-SPAN | location =Arizona | date =September 27, 2015 | url = http://www.c-span.org/video/?328230-1/discussion-gun-rights&start=641}}</ref> Rathner talked at length in regard to the NFAFA, the organization's aims, and accomplishments on the Arizona-based Gun Freedom Radio show that aired on 06/25/16<ref>Gun Freedom Radio Episode 43 Hour 2 "The DC Project" aired 06/25/2016.</ref>
Rathner gained additional notoriety following the April 12, 2015, death of Freddie Gray, an African American man who died in the custody of the Baltimore Police Department after being arrested for purportedly carrying an illegal knife. Rathner's efforts to overturn knife laws such as the one under which Gray was arrested quickly gained national attention.<ref name="lauren" /> In June 2016 Rathner successfully lobbied the New York State Senate to pass S6483-A/A9042-A, revising the state's much-publicized and highly controversial law banning the possession of gravity knives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ammoland.com/2016/06/knife-rights-fix-bogus-nyc-gravity-knife-arrests-passes-senate-61-0/#axzz4CjOFYr00|title=Knife Rights' Fix for Bogus NYC Gravity Knife Arrests Passes Senate 61-0|date=2016-06-15|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/31/opinion/new-yorks-outdated-knife-law.html|title=New York’s Outdated Knife Law|last=The Editorial Board|date=2016-05-31|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2nd-amendment-advocates-push-to-repeal-switchblade-other-knife-laws/|title=2nd Amendment advocates push to repeal switchblade, other knife laws {{!}} Fox News|last=Vlahos|first=Kelley Beaucar|date=2015-05-11|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-27}}</ref>
In 2017, Rathner was instrumental in the passage of Texas House Bill 1935 into law that allows the open carry of blades longer than 5 1/2" in public. The bill was signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and became effective on September 1, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-law-will-allow-open-carry-of-knives-swords|title=Texas law will allow open carry of knives, swords|date=2017-07-11|language=en-US|access-date=2017-07-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/borrowing-strategy-from-nra-activists-quietly-overturn-knife-restrictions-across-us/2018/09/15/3585d724-b789-11e8-94eb-3bd52dfe917b_story.html|title=Borrowing strategy from NRA, activists quietly overturn knife restrictions across U.S.|date=2018-09-15|language=en-US|access-date=2018-09-15}}</ref>
In February 2022, Rathner resigned from the NRA Board of Directors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/nra-board-member-wayne-lapierre-ally-resigns-after-23-years-1680816|title= NRA Board Member, Wayne LaPierre Ally Resigns After 23 Years |author= Aila Slisco|journal=Newsweek| date=February 18, 2022}}</ref>
== Awards and recognition == *Named Conservationist of The Year by Arizona Game and Fish Commission 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.azgfd.gov/pdfs/inside_azgfd/awards/Past%20Award%20Recipients.pdf |title=Past Award Recipients |publisher=Arizona Game and Fish Department |accessdate=October 24, 2015}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *[http://www.rathnerandassociates.com/ Rathner and Associates]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rathner, Todd}} Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:American lobbyists