Illinois General Assembly
Illinois State Rifle Association Call For Action
Speaking of heat, from the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) the other day:
ACTION ALERT – THE HEAT WILL BE ON THIS WEEK
YOUR ACTION NEEDED – YOU MUST MAKE CALLS TO SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES
As June 9th grows nearer, a lot of attention will be focused on the General Assembly’s efforts to comply with the court order to enact concealed carry. As important as passing shall-issue concealed carry is, gun owners should not let the carry issue distract them from other efforts already underway to diminish their constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
Those of you who have been following the topic of gun control this year know that there are some key items on the gun-grabbers’ legislative wish list. Among the crown jewels are the ban and confiscation of semiautomatic rifles, pistols and shotguns; the ban and confiscation of standard capacity magazines; the registration of lawful gun owners; and the mandatory reporting of lost and stolen firearms. The gun controllers claim that these measures are necessary to protect public safety. Of course, firearm owners know that these measures are designed strictly for the purpose of punishing people who dare to own a gun.
A glimpse of what we may soon be facing was provided by a front-page feature in the latest Sunday edition of the “Chicago Tribune.” In that story, we learned of a single mom so desperate for cash that she volunteered to become a straw purchaser for hardened criminals who were prohibited from purchasing firearms. She was eventually caught and is now serving a multi-year prison term for her misdeeds.
As far as gun owners are concerned, the hapless straw purchaser is right where she belongs – jail. Interestingly, the author of the piece spins the story to suggest that the woman is in jail not because of her decision to commit crimes, but because the “gun lobby” has fought against legislation supposedly designed to combat straw-purchasing. Once again, the notion is put forth that muggers, mass murderers, and straw purchasers only commit crimes because the “gun lobby” lets them. In this case, it’s gun owners’ fault that this mom is in jail rather at than home with her kids.
In short, it seems that the purpose of the straw purchase story is to promote legislation requiring gun owners to report “lost or stolen” firearms to the police within a short time of them being lost or stolen. As is often the case, such legislation may sound good on the surface. But, the devil is in the details, and those details place an undue burden on firearm owners. Such proposals may be fine in theory, but problematic in practice.
So, here is what you need to do to help ensure passage of shall-issue concealed carry and prevent passage of extremist gun control proposals:
1. Call your State Representative and your State Senator. Politely tell the person who answers the phone that you are a law-abiding Illinois firearm owner and that you would like the senator or representative to vote for “shall-issue” concealed carry and vote against “may-issue” concealed carry. Likewise, advise the person that you oppose any proposal that would diminish your right to keep and bear arms and expect the legislator to oppose such measures as well. If you do not know who your representative or senator is, the Illinois State Board of Elections has an interactive search page here:
www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspxIf you already know who your legislators are and just need the contact info, you can find that here: www.ilga.gov/house/. and here: www.ilga.gov/senate/.
2. Pass this alert on to your friends and family and ask them to make calls as well.
3. Post this alert to any and all Internet blogs or bulletin boards to which you belong.
FURTHER ACTION
The Will County Board will vote on a resolution in favor of Concealed Carry this coming Thursday at 9:30 in the Will County Office Building, 2nd Floor, 302 N. Chicago Avenue, Joliet. It’s important that firearm owners show up for the vote to show their support for the measure. Plan on being there at 9:00 AM so that you can get a seat.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Chicago, Cook County Residents To Be Discriminated Against On Right To Carry In Illinois?
Following the local news as I do, I’ve been made aware of a push to discriminate against Chicago and Cook County residents from the rest of Illinois concerning the coming right to carry concealed firearms in the state. It seems to have some teeth to it, judging from what appeared on the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action website yesterday:
Illinois: Legislature Under Pressure to Compromise on Shall-Issue Right to Carry Legislation
Legislators in both the state Senate and House are under extreme pressure to exempt Chicago and Cook County from any “shall-issue” mandate in the concealed carry law that a federal court has ordered to be adopted by June 9. Such an exemption would allow Chicago and Cook County authorities to deny a concealed carry permit to an applicant even if that person meets all of the statutory requirements used to judge eligibility in the rest of the state. Any exemption for Chicago and Cook County could easily deny 40% of Illinois’ population “shall-issue” right to carry, and put gun owners state-wide at risk of felony prosecution if they happen to travel across Cook County or Chicago lines.
Further, in anticipation of the June 9 deadline, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is trying to force an ordinance that would allow him to approve and reject licenses for concealed carry in Cook County, and force applicants to cough up a clearly discriminatory $300 fee just for a license to legally exercise their right to self-defense. Please contact your state Senator and Representative TODAY and urge them to support equal right to carry laws for ALL Illinois residents.
Any semblance of an argument for more restrictive gun control laws in Chicago and Cook County falls apart when faced with facts: at a time when gun ownership throughout the country is at an all-time high, the nation’s murder rate has fallen to a near all-time low. Additionally, Chicago has had a long history with the inverse relationship of increased gun control laws and public safety. Chicago imposed a handgun registration requirement in 1968, with no effect on the city’s rising handgun homicide numbers or the percentages that handgun homicides comprised of total homicides. In April 1982, a law prohibiting possession of handguns not previously registered with the police took effect in Chicago. Annual handgun homicide numbers and percentages of total homicides fluctuated, and then rose sharply.
The bottom line is that criminals do not obey the law – but the law-abiding people in Illinois, regardless of where they might live, or what their economic standing may be, have a natural, fundamental, and constitutionally protected right to defend themselves. Any Right to Carry law passed by the legislature in compliance with the federal court ruling MUST recognize this. Given the high violent crime rates in Chicago and Cook County, law-abiding residents of these municipalities have a great need to carry a firearm for self-defense since they are likely to be victims of violent crime, and their local government officials refuse to deal effectively with violent criminals there. It is time for Chicago politicians to face the facts – their ideological crusade against guns has only ensured that criminals are armed and the law-abiding are defenseless victims.
Contact your state Senator and Representative immediately. Urge them to oppose any legislation or amendment that would discriminate among the residents of Illinois, recognizing the rights of some, but not others. Our constitutional right to keep and bear arms and inherent right to self-defense protect all Americans, not just some in a particular state, city or county.
Contact information for your state legislators can be found here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Cook County Sheriff Proposing $300 ‘May Issue’ Concealed-Carry Permits If State Misses Deadline
As Illinois state legislators scramble to enact a concealed-carry law after a federal appeals court required one to be in place by June 9, the top law enforcement officer in Cook County is proposing his own CCW legislation. Frank Main reported on the Chicago Sun-Times website last night:
Sheriff Tom Dart said Sunday that he is proposing a concealed-carry gun ordinance to keep Cook County from becoming the “Wild West.”
Dart said he’s worried about a stalemate in the General Assembly on a law to license people to carry concealed guns. If legislators don’t meet a June 9 court deadline to pass such a law, anyone with a state firearm owner’s identification card could legally walk anywhere in public with a concealed weapon, Dart said…
Dart’s ordinance would give him the power to approve and reject licenses to carry concealed guns in Cook County. Applicants would have to pay a $300 fee for a license.
As I mentioned in an April 19 post on lawful concealed-carry in Illinois:
However, I predict there’s a good chance concealed-carry legislation will be enacted in the state by that June deadline.
If not, something will be patched together quick… after perceived political opportunities are exploited and exhausted, of course.
Stay tuned…
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Source:
Main, Frank. “Sheriff Tom Dart proposes Cook County concealed-carry ordinance.” Chicago Sun-Times. 5 May. 2013. (http://www.suntimes.com/news/19919549-418/sheriff-tom-dart-proposes-cook-county-concealed-carry-ordinance.html). 6 May. 2013.
Latest On Illinois Concealed Carry Debate
Here’s the latest in the debate in Illinois over legally carrying concealed firearms. From the Chicago Tribune website this morning:
Concealed weapons: A court ruling has forced the General Assembly to rewrite the state’s law on carrying concealed weapons. A proposal pending in the Illinois House would allow concealed carry in the state but impose many restrictions, such as banning concealed weapons in casinos, restaurants and bars, and on mass-transit buses and trains. The Illinois Senate is trying to fashion legislation of its own.
And who out there remembers my post from earlier in the month about Illinois State Representative Jim Sacia (R-89th District) and a point he made about gun “control” on the House floor during a February CCW discussion?
Does the word “castration” ring a bell?
“Jim Sacia, castration and IL gun laws.mp4”
YouTube Video
Well, the former FBI agent from Pecatonica recently wrote a piece on the topic (concealed carry, not castration) which appeared on The Journal-Standard (Freeport) website yesterday morning. Here’s an excerpt:
Here is what is so unfortunate — Speaker Madigan has his Chicago-area Democrats completely under his wing. One of them, who shall remain anonymous for obvious reasons, came over to me and thanked me for voting no on the amendment which he introduced. He wants concealed carry. His amendment failed which he wanted…
Here is the paradox: many from Chicago who vote on this issue secretly, sometimes openly, support concealed carry. They fear the consequences of a no vote.
Welcome to Madiganistan.
Insightful stuff, which you can read in its entirety on the newspaper’s website here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Source:
“Concealed carry, gay marriage: Updates on Illinois legislation.” Chicago Tribune. 23 Mar. 2013. (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-legislature-break-issues-0324-20130324,0,480444.story). 23 Mar. 2013.
Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day
Wednesday was Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day in the state capital of Springfield. IGOLD is an annual event where firearm owners lobby their representatives in the Illinois General Assembly. Here is some video of IGOLD participants marching from the Prairie Capital Convention Center to the State Capitol to meet with the legislators:
“Igold 2013 parade marchers”
YouTube Video
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Illinois House Democrats Approve Bill Amendments Banning ‘Assault Weapons’ And ‘High-Capacity’ Magazines
Democrats in the Illinois House of Representatives are pushing forward to ban “assault weapons” and “high-capacity” ammunition magazines. From the Associated Press last night:
The Illinois House on Tuesday voted in favor of bans on semi-automatic assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines, though the proposals still face several legislative battles before they could become law.
The approved proposals were six amendments to a bill that House Speaker Michael Madigan left blank on purpose, and they were okayed in an unusual process that Madigan began using last week to allow legislators to debate at length on contentious topics. The House still must approve the full piece of legislation for it to move to the Senate, and none of the six votes taken Tuesday as lawmakers debated what would go into the measure had the same support as what is required for a bill to pass the House.
Republican legislators in the Illinois House refused to cast votes.
Gun rights supporters in the “Land of Lincoln” remain hopeful that the gun “control” legislation will fail. Zach Buchheit reported on the Chicago Sun-Times website last night:
While members voted to add the measures to an overall bill, the closest any vote came to meeting the minimum 60 votes needed for a bill to pass in the House was still two votes shy. The legislation cannot become law until the House passes the entire adopted piece of legislation, which is sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago).
This is “Madiganistan.” Something tells me the powerful House Speaker might get the required votes to pass the larger bill. And remember, after last November’s elections Democrats now have a super-majority in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, as well as a pro-gun “control” governor in Pat Quinn.
If you’re an Illinois resident whose representative to the Illinois House is a Democrat but has been pro-gun rights up to now, now is a great time to contact them and remind that legislator just how important this issue and legislation is to you.
Because something tells me this might be your last chance as it concerns being able to legally own/possess military-pattern semi-automatic rifles and standard-capacity ammunition magazines within the state of Illinois.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Sources:
“Illinois House OKs amendments banning semi-auto guns.” Associated Press. 5 Mar. 2013. (http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1037519821/Ill-House-OKs-amendments-banning-semi-auto-guns). 6 Mar. 2013.
Buchheit, Zach. “Illinois House advances assault weapons ban, but short on votes to pass bill.” Chicago Sun-Times. 5 Mar. 2013. (http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/18658704-418/illinois-house-advances-assault-weapons-ban-but-short-on-votes-to-pass-bill.html). 6 Mar. 2013.
Illinois House To Consider Gun ‘Control’ Proposals, Firearm-Related Legislation Tuesday
“No doubt about it- the fight for the preservation of gun rights will be an ongoing one. Especially here in Illinois.”
-Survival And Prosperity, January 4, 2013
Here we go again. From the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action website last night:
Illinois: House Speaker Madigan Orders House to Consider Firearm Legislation Next Tuesday
Contact your state Representative IMMEDIATELY and tell him or her to only support NRA-Backed House Bill 997!
NRA-ILA has just learned that beginning at noon next Tuesday, February 26, the Illinois House will be considering various gun control proposals and other firearm-related legislation. It is not yet clear what measures will be considered. At this moment, there is a strong possibility that among the various extreme anti-gun measures, a deeply flawed concealed carry bill will be heard.
You must contact your state Representative IMMEDIATELY. Tell them to oppose any and all gun control schemes that do nothing other than penalize law-abiding citizens and take away their means to self-defense. It is imperative that legislators do NOT vote in favor of any flawed concealed carry legislation, but instead support NRA-Backed House Bill 997.
Your NRA-ILA will continue to keep you updated as details become available. Contact information for your state legislators can be here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Illinois’ Total Unfunded Liabilities: $275 Billion
The following bit about Illinois’ total unfunded liabilities from a January 28 Investor’s Business Daily editorial was so depressing to read that I originally planned to blog about it much earlier this morning- but needed to step away. From the IBD website:
A recent release by the Illinois Policy Institute shows this [$96.8 billion unfunded debt to five state pension systems] is only the tip of the iceberg and when you add in other liabilities such as $54 billion in unfunded liabilities for retiree health insurance and $15 billion in pension bonds that Gov. Pat Quinn and his immediate predecessor, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, issued to avoid pension reform, Illinois’ total unfunded liabilities amount to $275 billion, or $58,000 in debt for each and every household in the state.
(Editor’s note: Italics added for emphasis)
So what’s it going to be, Illinois? Since a booming economy seems unlikely to return anytime soon, will the Democrat-dominated Illinois General Assembly finally enact significant spending cuts? Raise fees and taxes through the roof? Throw public sector retirees “under the bus?”
They’re going to have to do something real quick.
Or watch the whole thing unravel.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Source:
“Obama’s Illinois Downgrade Makes It America’s Greece.” Investor’s Business Daily. 28 Jan. 2013. (http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/012813-642237-credit-downgrade-illinois-standard-poors-worst.htm). 31 Jan. 2013.
Gun Rights 2, Gun ‘Control’ 0 In Illinois
Gun “control” legislation has been shot down again in the “Land of Lincoln.”
Kurt Erickson reported this morning on The Southern Illinoisan (Carbondale, Illinois) website:
A push to ban semi-automatic weapons in Illinois fizzled again Sunday.
Two days after the Illinois Senate failed to act on a ban, the sponsor of a similar proposal in the House announced he would not be calling the controversial measure for a vote in the waning days of the legislative session.
State Rep. Edward Acevedo, D-Chicago, said he will instead re-introduce the measure this spring…
Meeting in a rare Sunday session as the clock ticks down on the current General Assembly, the possibility of a vote on legislation that would have limited what kinds of weapons could be owned by Illinoisans brought a number of gun rights activists to the Statehouse.
When the decision was announced that supporters would not proceed with the legislation, opponents gathered in a House committee hearing room and cheered and chanted in favor of the Second Amendment.
“They clearly don’t have the votes for this bill,” said Todd Vandermyde, who represents the National Rifle Association.
Vandermyde said a furious lobbying effort kept the gun control supporters from “sneaking” the bill through during the lame-duck session, which ends at noon Wednesday when a new General Assembly is sworn in.
And from the Journal Star (Peoria, Illinois) website last night:
A House judiciary committee on Sunday was scheduled to vote on limiting assault weapons. But state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, the committee’s chairwoman, announced at the start of the meeting the vote was called off…
“The House feels that if the votes aren’t there to pass something between now and late Tuesday in one of the chambers, then there’s no reason for us to act on that as well,” Nekritz said.
As it stands right now in Illinois, gun rights 2, gun “control” 0.
I suspect additional statements in support of more gun “control” in Illinois could be coming from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor Pat Quinn after this latest setback.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (www.survivalandprosperity.com)
Sources:
Erickson, Kurt. “Push for gun limits in Illinois will wait until spring.” The Southern Illinoisan. 7 Jan. 2013. (http://thesouthern.com/news/local/push-for-gun-limits-in-illinois-will-wait-until-spring/article_b42710d4-588a-11e2-b9d1-001a4bcf887a.html). 7 Jan. 2013.
“Gun control unlikely to come up again during session.” Journal Star. 6 Jan. 2013. (http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1671799375/Gun-control-unlikely-to-come-up-again-during-session). 7 Jan. 2013.
Illinois Democrats Now Attempting To Ban, Register Guns And Magazines In State House Of Representatives
No doubt about it- the fight for the preservation of gun rights will be an ongoing one. Especially here in Illinois. From the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action website today:
Anti-Gunners Seek to Exploit Tragedy to Advance their Anti-Freedom Agenda to Ban and Register Guns and Magazines – Contact your state Representative TODAY
Yesterday when Senate President John Cullerton was unable to garner thirty votes in the Illinois Senate to pass legislation banning firearms and magazines, he postponed the floor votes on these bills until next week. Now Governor Patrick Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel have shifted their anti-gun focus to the state House of Representatives in an attempt to ban your guns and magazines during the Lame Duck session on Sunday through Tuesday.
As a way of distracting attention from his failure to control and reduce out-of-control violent crime in Chicago, Emanuel is once again actively seeking to restrict your Second Amendment rights. Emanuel is infamous for saying “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” Convenience should never be used as a factor. No time should ever be considered a good time to attack the law-abiding public and strip it of its rights and civil liberties. As previously reported here, the Illinois Senate recently attempted and continues to try to pass two extreme anti-gun bills which, if enacted, will ban, tax and require registration for semi-automatic firearms or detachable magazines, impose severe restrictions on shooting ranges and create a myriad of new laws that will easily turn an entire class of law-abiding citizens into felons. After their efforts stalled yesterday in the Illinois Senate, thanks to your efforts to call and e-mail your state Senators, it appears that Emanuel and Quinn are still hell-bent on exploiting recent tragedies to achieve their goal of making YOU a felon by shifting their anti-gun focus to the state House. So they are now looking to introduce similar gun and magazine ban registration language in the House when it convenes on Sunday for the last few days of their lame duck session.
Representative Edward Acevedo just filed an amendment to Senate Bill 2899 which would accomplish this. This bill is currently scheduled to be heard by the House Judiciary I – Civil Law Committee on Sunday afternoon and will be considered by the full House soon after. It is critical that you call your state Representative TODAY and respectfully demand that he or she oppose any and all anti-gun initiatives, especially Senate Bill 2899, and stand up for your rights!
While details are still emerging as to the particulars of this legislation, one thing is for certain: Anti-gun politicians are attempting to sacrifice your constitutional rights as a scapegoat for the criminal acts of violence in Chicago by gangs and drug dealers. While it might be convenient right now, it is irresponsible for these anti-gun politicians to launch an attack on your rights as a consolation prize just because they lost in their attempts to flout the Constitution and deny Illinois citizens their right to keep and bear arms.
They may not have not achieved success in courts or in the Senate thus far, but they are still determined to go after your rights. Don’t let them succeed in banning your firearms or magazines as an excuse for stopping criminals and lunatics from misusing them. Criminals — by definition — violate laws, especially gun control laws, including often: murder, rape, robbery, drug-dealing, gang violence, firearm theft, carrying concealed firearms without a license/permit, federal gun-free school zones. They do not obey gun bans, register their firearms, or get subjected to any gun control schemes (like the lone state ban on carrying concealed firearms for self-defense) that only affect and penalize law-abiding citizens like you. Your telephone calls TODAY to your state Representatives will determine the outcome of this very serious assault on your Second Amendment rights.
The NRA-ILA will continue to send legislative updates as details become available. However, it is of the utmost importance that you act NOW to stop this gun and magazine ban. Call your state Representative IMMEDIATELY and respectfully express your opposition to banning firearms or magazines, and urge them to vote against any and all measures that do so, particularly Senate Bill 2899.
To reach the main line for the Illinois General Assembly, please call 217-782-2000.
Contact information for your state legislators can be found by clicking here.
By Christopher E. Hill, Editor
Survival And Prosperity (http://www.survivalandprosperity.com)
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