Butler Mayor Maggie Stock has suffered heavy criticism in the past two months for her membership in the Pennsylvania chapter of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Most of the criticism is because of a card sent to National Rifle Association members decrying MAIG's cause, she said.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which includes more than 110 mayors across the state and more than 500 nationally, supports changes to the federal Tiahrt amendment. That amendment blocks release of handgun trace information to the public.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives collects data on firearms and gives it to law enforcement agencies that ask for it.

MAIG also supports lost or stolen handgun reporting, and opposed the Thune amendment, which would have stripped the state of its ability to set guidelines for concealed carry permits.

Stock has received petitions signed by nearly 60 individuals requesting her to step down from the group.

"We didn't even keep all of the phone call records. We were swamped," Stock said. "I think most people know where I stand on a lot of issues. But the response here has been overwhelming, on what I consider an issue of law enforcement."

Many callers and letters petitioning Stock for a change of view came from Fenelton, Cabot, Renfrew and East Butler, as NRA members in those areas received cards with the nearest listed mayor's name.

The small, orange card disseminated by the NRA states MAIG is "an antigun group in disguise."

It was sent to NRA members after the names of mayors involved with the group were printed in the July 21 edition of USA Today.

In addition to Stock, the membership list includes Harmony Mayor Cathryn Rape and Cherry Valley Mayor Ronald Lockwood.

However, Rape said her inclusion on the list was a mistake, and she has withdrawn from the group.

"Of course I don't want to have illegal guns on the street, but I thought I was signing a document of support, not membership," she said.

By the time she realized the error, Rape had only received about three calls to discontinue her membership. She got an equal number of calls, including one from the NRA, thanking her for leaving the organization.

"I didn't know what was coming down the road, as far as gun legislation, so I thought I'd better not join if it meant stripping gun owners of their rights," Rape said.

The NRA card claims that MAIG is "for regulating gun shows out of existence" and "for repeal of the Tiahrt Amendments."

Stock said, "We knew (the outcry was prompted by) the card before we even got one because most of the callers read directly from it."

The NRA card stated that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg created MAIG "as a front group to lobby Congress to oppose pro-gun reforms and support new federal gun control restrictions."

Mayors Against Illegal Guns cites three main faults with the Tiahrt amendments, which it hopes to change, not repeal:

• State and local authorities are restricted from having full access to aggregated (gun) trace data.

• National Instant Criminal Background Check System records are destroyed within 24 hours.

• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms does not have the power to require dealer inventory checks to detect lost and stolen guns.

MAIG considers lost or stolen handgun reporting to be a common sense measure to help police reduce the trafficking of illegal guns.

While individual owners who have failed to report stolen guns have not been tallied, the ATF reported that in 2007 it found 30,000 guns missing from dealer inventories based on its inspection of just 9.3 percent of gun dealers.

"Lost or stolen handgun reporting is a simple reform that does not infringe upon the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms," wrote Pennsylvania state police Commissioner Frank Pawlowski in a letter of support to MAIG.

"Local ordinances are a step in the right direction," the letter continued. "However, to be most effective, reforms such as lost or stolen reporting must be applied statewide."

South Dakota Sen. John Thune's bipartisan amendment to the Defense Authorization bill, which he argued would help in reducing crime by providing reciprocity for the carrying of concealed firearms, would have allowed individuals to carry lawfully concealed firearms across state lines.

"If you're a mayor, you have a direct responsibility to your police department and your citizens," Stock said of MAIG's opposition to the defeated amendment.

"Every mayor hears, 'What are you going to do about crime?' I think this is a step to enforce the laws we already have in place."

Pennsylvania is one of only a few states with universal background check laws on gun sales. The majority of states require no gun show background checks by unlicensed sellers, and purchase permits are not required to prove the buyer has passed a background check in the past.

Gun show dealers can use this loophole to sell firearms to people who legally could not buy a firearm.

In a private study undertaken by New York City between May and August of this year, 67 percent of private sellers sold guns to an undercover investigator who stated they "probably couldn't pass a background check" and 94 percent of licensed dealers sold to "straw purchasers," individuals who fill out the purchase paperwork in place of the actual buyer.

Ohio and Tennessee were among the states where gun shows were investigated.

Posts on the NRA Web site urge its members to "help (your mayor) make the right choice between protecting your Second Amendment rights or continuing to be associated with those who actively oppose and undermine your firearm freedom."

But Stock said her position will not change. She first was contacted by MAIG in April.

"I looked at what they were trying to do and, in the interest of public safety, I agreed," she said of MAIG. "I don't understand why the NRA, which supports responsible gun ownership, does not want gun show dealers or private sellers to adhere to the same ideals they purportedly follow."

During the barrage of negative responses, however, Stock has received support.

"Law-abiding gun owners believe they have a right to own a gun of their choice, but with that right comes civic responsibility," stated Ray Schoenke, president of the American Hunters and Shooters Association, in a letter of support to MAIG.

"I understand there is a divide between urban communities, where guns are seen as a source of crime, and rural communities where gun ownership is simply a way of life," his letter continues. "We may disagree with you on some issues, but that does not preclude us from working together to foster true progress."

President Barack Obama and Arizona Sen. John McCain also are among MAIG's supporters.