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ISRA On Today’s 7th Circuit Win

December 11, 2012 by 3 Comments

The Illinois State Rifle Association welcomed the ruling by Judge Posner in the joint appeal of Moore v. Madigan and Shepard v. Madigan today. However, they recognize that with the focus shifting to the Illinois General Assembly, it is time to get to work so that a sham carry law isn’t shoved through the legislature by the anti-gun, anti-carry forces.

From ISRA’s Urgent Alert sent earlier this afternoon:

7TH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS DIRECTS ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO PASS CONCEALED CARRY BILL

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT:

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has rendered a decision in the Shepard/Moore v. Madigan case that states that Illinois’ ban on concealed carry is unconstitutional. The court further directs the legislature to pass a concealed carry bill within 180 days. Although the announcement of this court ruling would appear to be good news for self-defense advocates, it is really nothing more than the first volley in what will be a heated battle to preserve and protect our gun rights. The gun control movement, headed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, will be introducing a concealed carry bill of their own for the sole purpose of satisfying the court order. Madigan’s bill is sure to be a sham that will be so restrictive and impractical that only very few Illinois citizens would even qualify for a carry permit – most citizens would remain unprotected from criminals. Information obtained from within the Madigan organization indicates that the anti-gunners will piggyback an “assault weapons” ban and other onerous gun control legislation on the concealed carry bill. In order to prevent Madigan from hijacking concealed carry, Illinois gun owners need to step up and let their voices be heard on this issue.

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET A GOOD CONCEALED CARRY BILL PASSED:

1. Contact your State Representative and State Senator. Politely advise them that you are a law-abiding firearm owner and that you support the court of appeals decision in the Shepard case. Politely advise them that you want them to vote against any sham concealed carry bill that Lisa Madigan will try to push. Politely tell them that you want them to vote for HB 148, the Family and Personal Protection Act. Advise them that you will not support any concealed carry bill that contains provisions that would discourage the average citizen from seeking a carry permit such as exorbitant fees, impossible training requirements, or excessive red tape. Advise them that you will only support a “clean” concealed carry bill that does not try to sneak through gun control schemes. If you do not know who your State Representative and/or State Senator is, please visit the Illinois State Board of Elections website link here.

2. Pass this alert along to your family and friends. Encourage them to contact their representatives as well.

3. Post this alert to any and all internet blogs or bulletin boards to which you may belong.

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IL Gov. Quinn’s Amendatory Veto Over-Ridden In State Senate

November 29, 2012 by 4 Comments

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s amendatory veto of a bill that would have allowed Illinois residents to purchase ammunition by mail order was over-ridden in the Illinois State Senate yesterday by a 49-4 vote. Quinn used the amendatory veto to rewrite the bill to ban semi-auto rifles, standard capacity magazines, and rifles in .50 caliber.

The original sponsor of the bill says that Quinn overstepped his authority:

Republican Sen. Dave Luechtefeld (LUK’-tuh-feld) of Okawville
(OH-kuh-vil) says Quinn overstepped his authority. Luechtefeld’s
original bill merely allowed approved Illinois gun owners who buy
ammunition through the mail to purchase it from Illinois companies as
well as those out of state. 

The Peoria Journal-Star reports that Quinn is not giving up on his attempts to ban semi-automatic rifles with cosmetic features he doesn’t like.

Spokeswoman Brooke Anderson says the Democratic governor will continue
seeking a statewide assault-weapons ban to enhance public safety. She
would not elaborate on his strategy.

The measure now goes to the State House for action on the governor’s veto. If they override it, Illinois residents will be able to purchase ammunition by mail-order from Illinois companies.

Kurt Hofmann, the St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner and a resident of southern Illinois, has more on it here.

UPDATE: Richard Pearson, Ex. Director of ISRA, included this info in his Thursday bulletin about overriding the veto.

On Wednesday, Nov. 28th, 2012, the Illinois Senate passed SB681 in its original form at a margin of 49 – 4. The bill, SB681, was a simple bill that allowed ammunition to be mail ordered from dealers or companies in Illinois and shipped to FOID card holders in Illinois. FOID card holders could already order ammunition from out of state sources.

The Governor illegally used his amendatory veto power and substituted language to turn SB681 into an all encompassing ‘assault’ weapons ban. The Illinois Senate reaffirmed the original language and intent of SB681.

Next week, SB681 will have to be voted on in the Illinois House of Representatives. Be sure to call your state representative and ask them to vote for the override of the Governor’s Veto of SB681. To reach your representative, please click here for the Illinois State Board of Elections website to learn who your legislators are!

 The Illinois House of Representatives goes back in session on Tuesday, Dec. 4th.

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CCW Is On The Ballot In Randolph County, Illinois

October 22, 2012 by

The voters in Randolph County, Illinois will see a ballot measure dealing with concealed carry in November. It is an advisory vote that will carry no legal weight but it certainly will carry a lot of symbolic weight.

The very last item on the ballot is an advisory question that asks: “Shall any individual who is not prohibited from possessing firearms under the law be allowed to conceal, possess, carry and or transport firearms in any manner free from infringement?


Randolph County resident Arlyn Fisk he says if it were legal, he might not carry a firearm on his hip all the time, but he’d like to have the right to do so.


“I believe it to be a second amendment right to any citizen of the United States, provided they’re upstanding and law abiding,” said Fisk. “But we’re in the only state in the union that doesn’t allow concealed carry.”


That’s why Fisk and others passed petitions around town to get this on the ballot and put the issue to Randolph County voters.


“I think this is going to pass overwhelmingly, but we’ll see,” said Randolph County Board chairman Terry Luehr. Luehr says if the advisory question does pass it won’t mean Randolph county residents can start carrying concealed firearms.


“We can’t pass any laws on the county that supersedes the state,” said Luehr. “So even if this passes on the county ballot, it doesn’t really mean anything.”

As Mr. Fisk notes that even if the vote is advisory, it will put politicians on notice especially if it gets the expected high level of support.

Randolph County is located south-east of St. Louis and is the only Illinois county that has parts of its territory on the western side of the Mississippi River. It is also home to the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta.

KFVS12 News

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ISRA’s Endorsements For Congress In Illinois

October 17, 2012 by

The Illinois State Rifle Association’s FEDPac has announced their endorsements and preferences in selected congressional elections in Illinois. I heard one of their endorsed candidates, Rep. Joe Walsh (R-8) speak at last year’s Gun Rights Policy Conference and was very pro-Second Amendment. I know he faces a tough re-election due to redistricting. I hope he does well.

The ISRA-FEDPac is pleased to announce its list of candidate
endorsements and candidate preferences for the upcoming general
election.


The ISRA-FEDPac has endorsed the team of Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Paul
Ryan over the Obama/Biden team. Illinois firearm owners have first hand
experience with Obama’s disdain for the right to keep and bear arms.
Thus, Illinois firearm owners know full well that Obama is not the best
choice for our nation’s chief executive.


In the 2nd Congressional District, the ISRA-FEDPac has expressed its
preference for Brian Woodworth over incumbent Jessie Jackson, Jr.
Although Congressman Jackson is himself an avid gun owner, it is not
certain that, if re-elected, he will act in the best interests of his
fellow lawful firearm owners. Furthermore, if Jackson is re-elected and
steps down due to his health problems, it is highly likely that he will
be replaced by someone even less friendly to lawful firearm owners than
is Rep. Jackson. Such is a situation that hunters and sportsmen cannot
risk.


In the 6th Congressional District race, Rep. Peter Roskam has earned the
ISRA-FEDPac endorsement in light of his solid record of support and
respect for the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.


In the 8th Congressional District, Rep. Joe Walsh receives the
ISRA-FEDPac endorsement in light of his outstanding record on firearm
rights issues. Although Walsh’s opponent, Tammy Duckworth, is part of
the growing ranks of war heroes, that status does not grant her license
to pick and choose which parts of our Constitution she will defend and
those she will not. Duckworth’s indifference to the 2nd Amendment
leaves her unsuitable to serve the people of the 8th District.


In the 11th Congressional District, the candidacy of Rep. Judy Biggert
is endorsed by the ISRA-FEDPac due to her long record of support for the
right to keep and bear arms. Biggert’s opponent, Bill Foster, is
unacceptably weak on issues important to firearm owners. Furthermore,
allegations that Foster slapped his ex-wife around during divorce
proceedings are troubling. Gun grabbing and wife beating are not
qualities that most citizens would like to see in their Congressional
Representative.


In the 12th Congressional District, Jason Plummer is preferred by the ISRA-FEDPac over his opponent.


In the 13th Congressional District, Rodney Davis is preferred by the ISRA-FEDPac over his opponent.


Illinois hunters and sportsmen have been very fortunate to have had some
great friends in Congress preserving and protecting our outdoor
traditions. It is with great pleasure that the ISRA-FEDPac announces
its endorsement of Randy Hultgren (IL-14), John Shimkus (IL-15), Adam
Kinzinger (IL-16), Bobby Schilling (IL-17) and Aaron Schock (IL-18).


The ISRA-FEDPac wishes all of its endorsed and preferred candidates the
best of luck on November 6th and encourages all hunters and sportsmen to
get out and exercise their most important right – the right to choose
who represents their interests in the halls of government.

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Defacto Concealed Carry In Edwards County, Illinois

August 21, 2012 by 8 Comments

State’s Attorney Mike Valentine of Edwards County, IL is refusing to prosecute residents of that county for carrying concealed firearms so long as they are otherwise law-abiding citizens. Moreover, it looks like other Illinois State’s Attorneys might be joining the bandwagon.

But Bloomington’s McLean County, population 170,000, may soon announce a similar policy.

State’s Attorney Ronald Dozier told us he’s already sent a legal memo to other Illinois prosecutors explaining his belief that it’s unconstitutional to ban the carrying of loaded firearms in public. Some are outraged.

The usual suspects are “outraged” but a spokesperson for Attorney General Lisa Madigan says that they “are not the boss of state’s attorney” noting that they are independently elected.

According to the FoxChicago story, one Chicago area state house member, State Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) is proposing a Faustian alternative. He would agree to let individual counties set their own policy regarding concealed carry in exchange for banning “assault weapons”.

If I were an Illinois resident I would tell Mr. Ford that his Devil’s pact doesn’t cut it. Not only would it ban the most popular rifle in America but it would create a patchwork of conflicting laws designed to snare the unwary. There is a reason most states have state pre-emption statutes.

Chicago News and Weather | FOX Chicago News

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NRA-ILA On Illinois Governor’s Proposed AWB

August 2, 2012 by

The NRA-ILA released a harsh and detailed response yesterday to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 681. You can read it below:

Gov. Quinn uses a previously NRA-Backed Ammunition Purchase Reform Bill as Vehicle for Gun Ban

Yesterday, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (D) vetoed the NRA-backed ammunition purchase reform bill, Senate Bill 681, after this common sense legislation had passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Illinois legislature (previously reported on here). In a crass attempt to exploit the recent tragedy in Colorado and seek media attention, Quinn used his Amendatory Veto powers in a foolhardy attempt to impose more draconian gun control in Illinois. Quinn rewrote the entire bill as an amendment to the Illinois Criminal Code that includes an onerous ban on the manufacture, possession, delivery or sale of commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms (inaccurately referred to as “assault weapons”), .50 caliber rifles and cartridges and “high capacity” magazines in Illinois. Quinn’s amendment additionally tramples on the rights of Illinois citizens by creating a de facto statewide registration scheme for currently-owned firearms and magazines.

If this amendment is accepted by the Illinois General Assembly, law-abiding citizens in Illinois will be subjected to restrictions far beyond the scope of even the misguided Clinton Federal “Assault Weapons“ Ban that expired in 2004 and any other in existence in the country today. The repercussions of such a gun ban would be disastrous. As demonstrated by the failure of the assault weapon ban of 1994-2004 to produce the crime-reducing results proponents claimed it would, Quinn’s ban would do nothing to increase safety in Illinois and would only further restrict the rights of already law-abiding citizens throughout the state.

Using the well-worn anti-gun tactic of confusion, by conflating certain popular semi-automatic firearms with machine guns by using the term “assault weapon,” this legislation targets many of the most popular guns used for hunting and competition, as well as many models and magazines (those that hold more than ten rounds) used for self-defense. Banned items would include many familiar and popular firearms, such as:

  • Turkey hunting shotguns with pistol grips, like the Benelli Super Black Eagle II;
  • Plinking and target rifles with thumbhole stocks, as often seen on customized Ruger 10/22s;
  • High-power target rifles — even including the 1994-2004 versions of rifles like the M1A and AR-15 that were made to comply with the now-expired federal ban — because all of those rifles had handguards that “encircle” the barrel;
  • Any detachable-magazine semi-automatic rifle with even a partial handguard, potentially including common hunting rifles like the popular Remington 740/7400 series, Browning BAR, and many more like them.


This gun ban would even apply to the individual parts themselves (stocks, pistol grips, handguards, folding or telescoping stocks, etc). Possession, manufacture, delivery or sale of any of these items would be a felony.

Worse yet, this amended bill would impose a massive statewide gun registration scheme. Anyone who already possesses one of the banned guns or parts would have to provide proof of ownership and register each one with the State Police within ninety days of the effective date. This registration requirement spans from the firearm itself to individual parts and magazines that fall under the ban.

Governor Quinn and his band of anti-gun Chicago politicians would like to see their vicious attack on the Second Amendment play out across Illinois, even as Chicago—with the state’s most restrictive gun laws—is on track to tally more than 500 murders this year.

The repercussions of such a gun ban would actually be just the opposite of what proponents claim and the results would be disastrous. Firearms manufacturing is estimated to be a $250 million dollar industry in Illinois. Not only would this gun ban be devastating to law-abiding citizens in Illinois, it also would wreak havoc on an entire industry, killing jobs and driving a healthy contributor to the Illinois economy out of state. This legislation in no way promotes the safety or well-being of Illinois citizens, but is merely another attempt by gun-hating Chicago politicians to use misinformation to push draconian gun bans that will only affect gun owners, sportsmen and law-abiding citizens concerned about self-defense.

Your Action Is Needed! The Illinois General Assembly will reconvene on August 17th for their special session, and could vote on the Governor’s amendment to Senate Bill 681. Contact your state legislators TODAY and demand they oppose the Governor’s gun ban!

Contact information for all state legislators can be found by clicking here.

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Illinois Governor Proposes AWB

July 31, 2012 by

The Springfield (Illinois) State Journal-Register is reporting late this morning that Gov. Pat Quinn (D-IL) is proposing a ban on so-called “assault weapons” (sic) in Illinois.

The Democrat will use his amendatory veto power Tuesday to include the ban in a bill related to ammunition sales. It would then be up to lawmakers to accept his changes or reject them.

The report states that his proposal faces “big hurdles” noting that other gun control measures have recently failed in the Illinois General Assembly. From a constitutional standpoint, such a law would be on shaky ground as the AR-15 is the highest selling rifle in recent years and should be considered in “common use.”

UPDATE: The Illinois State Rifle Association is taking Gov. Quinn’s proposal very seriously. The bill he hijacked was a pro-gun bill. They sent out the following early this morning:

GOVERNOR QUINN TEAMS UP WITH MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL TO PROPOSE BILL TO TAX AND BAN YOUR GUNS

YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED

As many of you know, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today utilized his amendatory veto authority to hijack a pro-gun bill and convert it into a ban on so called assault weapons. Quinn claims that his bill would “…make Illinois a safer place.”

Of course, lawful Illinois firearm owners know better. We know that Quinn’s true aim is to obliterate private firearm ownership in the state. Closer analysis of Quinn’s bill reveals a host of opportunities for Quinn and his buddy Emanuel to make life miserable for the state’s lawful firearm owners.

Here is just a partial list of what this bill would do, if passed:

1. Ban the manufacture, possession or sale of nearly every semiautomatic rifle, pistol and shotgun you own.

2. Specifically ban Glock pistols since they share a common design with the Glock 18, a select fire handgun.

3. Require you to register every semiautomatic firearm and every magazine you own that exceeds 10 round capacity. The kicker is that, under Quinn’s proposal, the State Police can charge you unlimited fees to register your guns. Thus if Quinn’s bill passes, you could very well find yourself paying $100 or even $1,000 per firearm per year to comply with the law. Additionally, you could find yourself paying $50, $100 or even $500 per year for each “high capacity” magazine you own. Can’t pay? Well then you would have to surrender your guns to the State Police for destruction.

This is just a taste of what you could expect from Quinn’s gun ban. Twists and turns in the bill would certainly open up the doors to taxation, regulation, and outright bans on every civilian owned firearm in the state.

Oh, and one thing is for sure, you can forget about concealed carry if Quinn’s gun ban passes.

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO PROTECT YOUR GUN RIGHTS:

1. Call your State Senator ASAP and politely tell him or her that you are a law-abiding Illinois firearm owner and that you expect him or her to vote against Quinn’s gun ban should it come up for a vote. If you do not know who your State Senator is, please follow this link:

Illinois Board of Elections District Official/Search:
http://www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx

2. Pass this alert on to all your friends and family who own firearms. Tell them to make calls to the senate as well.

3. Post this alert to any and all Internet blogs or bulletin boards to which you belong.

4. If you’re not already a member of the ISRA, then it’s time you signed on to protect your gun rights. To join the ISRA, follow this link: www.isra.org/join

5. Make a generous donation to the ISRA today so that we will be able to fight on against gun grabbers like Pat Quinn and Rahm Emanuel: www.isra.org/fight_4_your_rights.

If you live in Illinois, now is the time to act. If you have relatives or friends in Illinois, let them know about this attack on their gun rights.

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SAF Files Suit Against Housing Authority In Illinois

April 5, 2012 by 2 Comments

The Second Amendment Foundation has filed suit in US District Court for the Central District of Illinois against the Warren County (IL) Housing Authority. The WCHA bans personally owned firearms by residents in the government-subsidized housing. The suit is brought on behalf of Ronald G. Winbigler who is a disabled former police officer.

The attorney in the case is David Sigale who is the co-counsel in the Ezell case and served as co-counsel in the McDonald case.

I haven’t read the complaint yet but I do think the Second Amendment Foundation has shown brilliance in the choice of its lead plaintiffs over the years. In this case, a disabled police officer who has a need to protect himself.

From the SAF release:

SAF SUES OVER PUBLIC HOUSING GUN BAN IN WARREN CO, ILLINOIS

For Immediate Release: 4/4/2012

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit against the Warren County, Illinois Housing Authority, seeking an injunction against the WCHA’s ban on personally-owned firearms by residents of government-subsidized housing.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Ronald G. Winbigler, a resident of Costello Terrace in Monmouth. Mr. Winbigler is a physically disabled former police officer who wants to have a handgun in his residence for personal protection. The lawsuit seeks equitable, declaratory and injunctive relief challenging the WCHA ban. It was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, Rock Island Division.

“Ron Winbigler faces the same dilemma so many other residents of government-subsidized public housing face,” said SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. “He wants a firearm for self-defense, but he risks losing a place to live because of bureaucratic political correctness. As a police officer, he consistently trained and repeatedly qualified in the safe use and handling of firearms, and because of his experience, he understands the threat of crime.”

“People do not lose their Second Amendment rights just because they are of limited means,” added attorney David Sigale, who represents SAF and Winbigler in this action. “Nobody wishes to be in need of financial assistance, but it is an indignity to make the waiver of constitutional rights a condition of government-subsidized housing. We are confident the Courts will hold that those residents have the same right to defend their families and themselves as everyone else.”

“It is astonishing that in Illinois of all places, government entities would continue to interfere with the Second Amendment rights of citizens, after our Supreme Court victory in the McDonald case almost two years ago,” Gottlieb said. “That case nullified Chicago’s handgun ban and extended Second Amendment protections against infringement by state and local governments and their agencies. Mr. Winbigler and people like him deserve the full protection of the Constitution, especially if they live in subsidized public housing.”

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An ISRA Alert On Senate Bill That Would Establish A Tax Per Handgun Owned

March 28, 2012 by

The Illinois State Rifle Association sent out this alert this evening about an attempt to tax each handgun owned. If you live in Illinois, I’d suggest you contact your legislator even if you know that they are anti-gun. That way they can’t say they only got pro-gun control mail.

The Chicago Mayor’s efforts to punish Illinois gun owners for Chicago’s out of control crime problem continue in the Illinois Senate.

SB3625 – This bill would tack a $20.00 tax on every hand gun you own and require you to register like a sex offender.

THIS BILL HAS ONE PURPOSE AND ONE PURPOSE ONLY – TO PUNISH LAW-ABIDING FIREARM OWNERS

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and State Sen. Antonio Muñoz (IL-1) are continuing their attacks on firearm ownership in Illinois. Monday, Senator Muñoz amended a bill to turn it into Emanuel’s handgun registration scheme, blaming law abiding Illinois handgun owners for his failure to control crime in Chicago. This bill makes it a felony, equivalent to arson, to possess an ‘unregistered’ handgun in the state and further punishes victims of crime through a ‘Lost or Stolen’ mandate, in other words, if you have your firearms stolen and don’t report it to the police in a ‘reasonable’ amount of time, YOU will become the criminal. To them, owning a handgun without government permission is the same as burning someone’s house down.

The only purpose of this bill is to make firearm ownership more onerous and expensive for Illinois residents during a time of economic hardship. It will have no effect on criminals except to give them peace of mind knowing that fewer people will be able to defend themselves.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP PRESERVE AND PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS

1. Contact your State Senator and politely inform him/her that you are a law-abiding firearm owner and that you do not support registering firearm owners like sex offenders. Tell him/her that you expect to see them vote AGAINST SB3625 if this antigun bill comes to the floor. If you do not know who your State Senator is, click this link to go to the Illinois Board of Elections:
http://www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx .

2. Contact the sponsor of the Emanuel/Obama gun tax, State Antonio Muñoz, (217) 782-9415, (773) 869-9050, and tell him that you do not appreciate the idea of being registered like a sex offender and having to pay a tax for exercising your constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

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Now In The Land Of Lincoln

December 27, 2011 by 1 Comment

When we crossed the Ohio River from Paducah, KY to Metropolis, Illinois this afternoon, I had to unload my Ruger LCR and lock it away. Unlike in the antebellum days when crossing the Ohio River meant going from a slave state to a free state, it has now been metaphorically reversed. We went from a free state to one that views personal freedom as an anathema.

I must say I felt a little naked driving with no self-protection.

One of these days, the people of Illinois will have the same freedoms as the rest of the 49 states. Until then, I will need to increase my level of situational awareness.