2A Town Hall, March 4, Enfield

We will NOT comply! 

That was the tone of tonight's town hall meeting in tiny Enfield, IL.

The meeting was well attended, with reports of 400 + folks signing in. Several were from surrounding counties including Edwards, Wayne, and Gallatin. There may have been other counties represented but I had confirmed contact with folks from those three. There were also several law enforcement officials from other counties as well as at least one officer from District 19 ISP (I'm assuming in an unofficial capacity as I know the officer lives in White county and wasn't in uniform).

Speaking this evening were Representative Darren Bailey (R, 109th), Senator Dale Righter (R, 55th), White County State's Attorney Denton Aud, White County Sheriff Doug Maier, as well as Mike and Valinda Rowe (Illinois Carry and ISRA).

After a brief welcome and introductions, Rep. Bailey opened the meeting with prayer followed by Valinda leading us in a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. (That's how we do things down here in the parts of IL that are still America)

Valinda spoke about past lawsuits that were important to Concealed Carry and gun ownership in IL and the importance of being informed. She gave excellent instructions on signing up for alerts from Illinoiscarry.com and how to log in for the discussion forums to help coordinate with like minded folks.

Rep. Bailey had the stage at this point and mentioned that he has three Chicago Reps that have committed to spending some time in the area this summer in order to learn about the vast differences between their home and ours. I thought this was a great plan and I hope they hold to that commitment, it's much better than simply arguing with them and lets them see what culture outside of the city is like, as well as the poor state of our infrastructure. He went on to mention the effectiveness of phone calls and emails to other Reps that introduce bills and/or sit on different committees. The "per-mile" tax and the "No guns in Churches" bills being two examples that have been pulled due to large amounts of negative feedback.

Rep. Bailey ended his segment by assuring everyone in attendance that if SB107 ("Assault Weapons" ban) were to pass, that he will not register his own firearms. This resulted in a large applause as you might expect.

Senator Righter took the podium next and expressed the need to contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in order to pass along our opposition to SB107. He stressed that respect was key in this as being rude would just cause them to ignore the pleas. I agree with this but would add that one can be firm and respectful at the same time. The folks that push these bills don't expect a coordinated resistance and we need to show them just that.

Sen. Righter did go on to say that he feels SB107 is an Unconstitutional and inappropriate bill and that he would fight it as such. He reminded everyone that a basic distrust in government is exactly what led to the Bill of Rights in the first place and bills like this are a perfect example of government overreach.

Next up was White County State's Attorney, Denton Aud. Mr. Aud spent some time discussing the discretion that is afforded to the State's Attorney's office and that his job is to pursue justice rather than simply prosecute crimes. His oath states that he is to uphold the Constitution of the United States and to protect the people that have elected him. He feels that these proposed laws are at odds with the U.S. Constitution and, after discussion with the Sheriff and Police Chiefs in White, he will not prosecute a person in White County for simple violation of a law like SB107, if they are an otherwise law-abiding citizen. Mr. Aud received a standing ovation.

Sheriff Doug Maier took the stage briefly and reinforced that he and other LEO in White will not arrest for a violation of SB107, given that the citizen is otherwise law-abiding. (Note: he is referring to his Deputies and other local PDs, not the ISP, as he can't speak for them)

At this point the floor was opened for questions, which were general in nature and answered fairly concisely. One attendee asked about the new regulations for gun shops, SA Aud stated that IL State Regulation of a business was not Unconstitutional as far as he could tell. Mike and Valinda Rowe mentioned that the law is being examined in detail for any cracks that can be exploited with a lawsuit but that none have yet been found.

I felt that the meeting was informative and thought that the speakers all did a very good job and were reassuring, particularly for those living in White County. Of course, Sen. Righter said it best...we need to stop SB107 from ever becoming law, rather than discussing how to avoid prosecution if it does become law.

You'll forgive me for the blandness, I'm much more accustomed to tossing out my own thoughts rather than reporting things (if you can call this reporting).

YOUR help is needed!

Let me spin you a brief tale...

A young lady of 20 lives by herself somewhere in Illinois and wishes to own a shotgun for home defense, which requires that she apply for a FOID card. However, her parents have both passed away...

This young lady now has a legal problem here in The Land of Lincoln. For anyone under the age of 21, the FOID application requires that a parent also signs the form to "give permission" for the applicant to own a firearm. Without this signature, her permit will be denied.

She can vote (let's hope she does!) and she can enlist in any branch of our military on her 18th birthday, she would be tried as an adult if she were a criminal but she can't get a FOID card. Seem a bit screwed up? Yeah, I think so too.

Other situations can also cause the FOID of a person under age 21 to be revoked...if a parent's FOID is revoked, then a child under 21 can also have their existing FOID revoked due to the actions of the parent. Sins of the father and all that. If that child is considered a legal adult (18 and above) this seems like quite a travesty.

With these and similar situations in mind, HB3762 has been introduced.  This bill would remove the parental consent for a FOID applicant that is 18 years or older (currently 21 as previously discussed).

How can YOU help? Just click on the following links and fill out a Witness slip to show your support of the the bill, these slips are counted during the committee meeting that all bills must go through before reaching the House floor.

Don't know how to fill out a witness slip? No problem! There's also a link below that will lead you directly to instructions for doing so.

Direct link to HB3762 Witness slip.

Link to instructions for filling out a witness slip over at IllinoisCarry.

Hey, while you're at IllinoisCarry.com getting those instructions, stop by the forums, join in the conversation and stay up to date!

Has the worm turned?

It appears that some Chicago residents have had enough.

A recent Town Hall meeting that the Rev. Sharpton meant to be about gun violence took a nice little turn and several folks had plenty to say. Clearly, they weren't interested in talking about gun violence.....

Jobs were a popular topic and it also seems that they're tired of Aldercritters that aren't representing them, not to mention some general unhappiness with the 5th Floor (the Rahm-father).

Rather than blab on, check out some video for yourself:









In other news, apologies for my lack of posting lately. We had a retirement at work that won't be replaced and lots of slack had to be picked up. My past few months have been work, sleep, work, be a dad, work, you get the picture.

Citizens of Colorado prevail! Now what?

By now many have heard that Senate President John Morse and Senator Angela Giron have been recalled. 

Good news for the good folks of Colorado and for all of American gun owners in my opinion. But the issue goes well beyond guns really, former Senate President Morse pretty much spit in the face of constituents when he admitted to Rachel Maddow that he told his state Senators to basically ignore them.

It's a real shame that Sen. Evie Hudak didn't join these two on their way out the door. Her comments to a rape victim were so far out of touch I still can't believe she spoke them. It may not be over for Sen. Hudak though, looks like those folks trying to push her out suspended their actions in order to help with the recall of these two.... now that this drive has been successful, Hudak may want to pay very close attention to what she supports.

My hope is that this will serve as a big wake up call to politicos all over our nation. Several Machine Dems in IL could certainly stand to be recalled, maybe (I won't hold my breath) this will open their eyes a bit and realize that folks are watching. If they aren't recalled, there's always the next election to sweat.

Maybe ol' Bloomberg will realize that people don't want his money involved or his opinion forced down their throats either.

IGOLD continued/afterthoughts

Just wanted to mention that Todd and Valinda weren't the only folks there speaking today, many others shared personal stories and words of encouragement. Among them were Otis McDonald (McDonald v Chicago) and Mary Shepard (Shepard v Madigan). 

Mary has been unable to attend the last couple of years as her Dr. hadn't released her to travel (at least that is my understanding...someone may correct me on that) and to hear her talk about being beaten and left for dead really struck a chord with everyone in attendance. It really couldn't have happened to a sweeter lady.

Once inside the Capitol I had the opportunity to thank her for standing up and taking her story to the courts, I can't imagine what it must be like to have to relate those events over and over again. While speaking with her I realized just how small of physical stature she is, I'm sure that she looks like an easy target for criminals and is.... as long as she remains unarmed. Being familiar with her story, I know that her attacker was approximately my size (6'2"/250) and standing there with her really illustrated just how much of a physical advantage someone my size would have over her. However, I know she's well trained and, if armed, she'd be a force to be reckoned with.

The media reports of attendees varies wildly, some stating that "hundreds" marched on the Capitol while others put the number between 3000 - 4000. My estimate was closer to  7000, I base this on the capacity of the main hall of PCCC (7700) and the fact that there were people all over the place outside the convention center. To say that it's tough to get an estimate on attendees is an understatement.

Yet again, the Capitol Police were heard to comment that IGOLD attendees are always a pleasure to work with and many look forward to it. Maybe they need to relay that to the "blood in the streets" crowd that wants to take away our firearms.

Sadly I wasn't able to get over to the grip-n-grin afterwards, the head cold that I thought I had shaken came back with a vengeance and I starting feeling pretty miserable while still inside the Capitol. Here's hoping that everyone there had a good time!

Thanks to everyone that puts on and attends IGOLD.... we ARE making a difference.

Location, location, location....

When the word "location" comes up this week, there's only one place YOU need to be:

IGOLD in Springfield, Illinois. 

Yes, YOU do need to be there because last week Speaker Madigan and the machine played games with our rights and it looks like the games are continuing this week. 

Last week it was concealed carry, this week they'll be looking to ban personal defense weapons (or what the media calls "assault weapons"). 

The details on last week are long and maddening, I'll refrain from getting into them here but I will say that we can't turn our attention away from things for even one day. If you'd like to read all about it, head over to IllinoisCarry.com for much discussion on events of last week. 

"They" want an extremely restrictive "May Issue" law for concealed carry and use a lot of emotional wording to make that sound like a good thing. Here's a scenario that demonstrates why may issue sucks: 

        Let's say that back in High School I dated the current local Sheriff's sister and he was always very       protective of her and didn't care much for me. Now, I apply for a RTC permit....even though I have no criminal record or any history of mental illness, he chooses to deny me a permit simply based on his dislike for me having dated his sister. Or maybe I didn't donate to the Sheriffs' Association, or maybe he doesn't like the way I mow my lawn.... Seriously, "may issue" laws allow for this ridiculousness. 

We want a "shall issue" bill. This means that as long as you don't have a felony record, no history of mental illness, you currently hold a valid FOID and you have passed required training.... you receive a permit. If you are denied a permit, there MUST be a VALID reason for that denial and it must hold up under scrutiny of the law. Those that don't like shall issue will use emotion to try to convince you that it will result in handing out permits like candy to anyone that wants one, this is simply not the case. 

We also want preemption. Huh? This means that Chicago would have to abide by the same carry law as every other part of the state, we don't want to leave our Chicago citizens out to dry. 

Please call your Reps and Senators folks! Tell them:

NO bad carry bills

NO gun, magazine or ammo bans

NO to the city of Chicago's agenda until they respect the Second Amendment!!!

Also, I want to remind folks that you can watch committee meetings and floor debates LIVE online. It's my opinion that doing so should be required of every citizen, it really shows how inept some of our elected folks are. 

To do so, go to www.ilga.gov and find the row of wording (in the blue bar) at the top of the page, place your cursor over the word "House" or "Senate" and a menu will drop down. At the bottom of that menu, you'll find a link for audio/video. If there's anything going on live, you'll find the link on the age that opens up....just be sure to have your blood pressure meds handy if you need them. Some of these folks have no business "leading" our state. 

Never a dull moment

It's been an interesting January for gun owners in America and things are likely to stay that way for awhile. We've had new, nasty gun laws passed in NY, Executive Orders from the White House and Feinstein's newly tweaked AWB trotted out for our perusal. It's enough to make your head spin!

Let me start by saying that some gun owners in New York are standing up to say "NO!" and I applaud them for it, they don't want to register as they know that registration only leads to worse things down the road. You can read about it here and here if you'd like to know more. (I have no affiliation or experience with either place linked)

I have to admit that I'm curious just where the state legislators in NY think they'll house all those citizens that they're threatening with a year in jail for non-compliance. That could be a very large group to feed and shelter. It's also worth mentioning that, in their haste to pass new "feel good" laws, they failed to exempt police from them. I wonder how the NYPD feels about being limited to 7 round magazines? Then again, with the recent shooting record of the NYPD, that may make citizens a bit safer.

I should state that I am not really bashing the police here, but they are continually held up as "the people that are trained in firearms use" by some legislators and the media. It's my opinion that police aren't allowed enough range time to keep themselves proficient and I probably have more live fire training than most police do.

On to those Executive Orders.....frankly, only a few of them have any real merit:

#13 Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.
Makes sense right? If the courts would quit plea bargaining so much and actually punish some criminals instead of sending them back out, we might get somewhere. Notice how they slipped "gun" in there a couple of times? Couldn't we just as easily have said "violence" and "crime"?

#18 Provide incentive for schools to hire resource officers. 
Sounds good at first really, but I wonder what possible incentive is better than "keeping children safe"..... But hey, if they want to help pay for it I'm OK with it. I should think that the resource officers are to be armed though. (and didn't they say that it was un-affordable when the NRA suggested some security?)

#20, 22, 23 all deal with mental health issues and I think this is extremely important as we can link most every mass killing to mental health and some drugs used to treat such. I'm no expert on mental health so I'll leave it to others to decide if these actual proposals are worth anything.

In short, most of the 23 suck and a couple will absolutely rip apart health care privacy while others won't do squat to curtail any determined criminal.

Oh! Guess who supports these measures/EO's? The Communist Party! Seriously.
Read the story at that link and tell everyone you know. Why on earth would any American support a damned thing that the Communist Party backs?

That leaves us with Feinstein and her new 1994 AWB on steroids. What planet is this woman even from? This bill is so nuts that it shouldn't even be given a look....but it will because emotions are high.

Here's my fear: She purposely made this bill so restrictive that it can never pass, once she "realizes" this, she will back off a bit here and there. Pretty soon, those gun owners that are a bit squishy start supporting it because of all the compromise she's made and then it becomes law. Ugh.

What we need to do is absolutely melt down the phones, faxes and emails of every elected official we have and tell them to let her know we said "Pound sand!". Do it DAILY. Those elected should be so in fear of losing their jobs that they help this woman get on a plane back to San Francisco where she can retire and basically just go away. While they're helping her, they might consider retirement for themselves as some are seriously out of touch. 

For further discussion on these items and other things gun related, be sure to visit IllinoisCarry.com

IL Legislation update

The two bills that we are concerned with passed through committee today and are very likely to come to a floor vote tomorrow MORNING (Thursday, Jan. 3).

Please! Call and tell your senator and Senate President Cullerton to vote "NO" on these bills:

HB1263 which is a very far reaching semi-auto ban

HB815 which, among other things, would require registration of magazines that are capable of holding more than 10 rounds and whatever rifles and handguns can hold them....

Now, I have no idea how they would really expect to register a magazine, what with no serial number and all. Stupidity in action.

So, first thing in the morning, start calling your senator and then fax them too. In the meantime, send them an email.

There's also some folks saying that during the committee meeting, their names were read off as "proponent" of these, when in fact they are an "opponent". Is it a mistake or some really dirty pool? I hope we can find a way to hold their feet to the fire on this for sure!

Please see yesterday's blog post for links to contact your elected reps, I'm back to work and have an early morning tomorrow. I'll be calling senators on the drive in.

IL Legislators looking to ram gun control thru NOW

I regularly joke about the three people that read this, but today I seriously hope that MANY are reading and I can help get the word out.

NRA-ILA has learned that anti-gun legislators backed by Gov. Quinn intend to introduce legislation on January 2, 2013. The idea is that, with the support of anti-gunners that won't be back after losing elections, they can exploit the lame duck session and pass some very ugly regulations.

The known language attacks public gun ranges and would put them under control of the ISP and also ends any training of non-FOID holders even if properly supervised. So non gun owners that wish to learn more about firearms would be required to first undergo the FOID process just to touch a gun.

The usual magazine capacity and so called "assault weapons" bans are included, as well as a ban on pump action rifles.... No, really. This is said to be the most draconian gun language ever put forth in America and if you think dad's old shotgun that you hunt birds with is safe, think again.

Even though some of this could be found to be unConstitutional, it could also take years for courts to reverse it...and they know this.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... call your IL legislators tomorrow and call every day after that, tell them that we don't want ANY of these whacko ideas to become law.

(217) 782-4141 is the number to find out who your legislators are (if you don't know)

(217) 782-2000 is the main number for the IL General Assembly

Or you can also go HERE to plug in your address and get the contact info you need.

Also remember that on January 9, 2013 you may get a new legislator based on the last election and redistricting, so check those numbers or the link on the 9th for properly updated info.

As a last word, I'd also like to let you in on their tactics. One thought is that they KNOW this won't fly but it gives them room to back off but still implement lesser controls while looking reasonable. It's like a child asking for a new car but really only wanting a new bicycle...when the kid backs off a bit, the parent doesn't think the new bike seems like such a bad idea.

As always, join the discussion at IllinoisCarry and learn more.

Finally!

Yes, I know I'm a day behind....it's finals week and I have been grading projects and exams, so perhaps the readers (all three of you) will forgive me.

For anyone just coming out from under their rock:

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Illinois' total ban on carrying a handgun is un-Constitutional and has stayed this opinion for 180 days to allow the legislature to get a law in place.

Rep. Phelps had warned his fellow Reps that if they didn't accept HB148, the courts would ram concealed carry down their throats. I hope he enjoyed a cold beverage of choice last night!

Now we don't have to accept some watered down mess of a bill at all, it's the "other side" of the table that has to accept what we want. If they want to try a bill that sucks, we say no and let the 180 days pass... then current laws are null and void.

To everyone that has worked with us so far to make this happen: THANK YOU!

Now let's get back to work making sure the Machine doesn't try to screw us out of this.

Special thanks to BShawn over at www.illinoiscarry.com for the timer above!

Pike County is now Constitutional Carry (?)

If you keep up with IL gun Rights at all, then you've likely heard of an effort in Pike County to get a public vote on concealed carry. It was on the ballot yesterday and passed at ~ 85%, which means.... well, I'm not sure what it means. Read more here.

Please note, the following couple of bits are reliant on a weapons carrier that is not otherwise barred from owning a firearm and is of age, etc.
The Sheriff says he won't be arresting anyone for carrying a weapon and the State's Attorney says he won't be willing to prosecute anyone (provided they were arrested in the first place, possibly they expect the ISP won't be so friendly).

I'm no lawyer, but I'm betting that the IL AG's office is going to have something to say. I'm also betting that it won't be favorable. As far as I'm concerned that office can pound sand, but sadly they are the law.

So that leads to the question of whether Pike can do this or not, it isn't uncommon for Home Rule communities to make state laws tougher (see Chicago's gun laws) but to make the laws lighter is certainly not common and I'm not sure if it's legal.

For the record, I hope it is legal as it's a sharp stick in the eye of the Chicago Machine, I also hope that it finally brings RTC issues in IL into the mainstream. There are so many people out there that still aren't aware that EVERY state but IL has some form of carry for self defense. (That's why I bother with these ramblings, to spread the word)

Some are worried that this will work against efforts for a statewide/pre-emptive RTC law, others are saying that this is the kick in the pants that the legislature needs (particularly those reps in the NE part of the state). I have to admit that I'm still undecided, it is certainly a small victory and sends a message that people do want the legal ability to protect themselves.

Either way, it's bound to be an exciting topic for some time to come. You can check out more opinions and thoughts over at IllinoisCarry.

IGOLD: March 7, 2012 - be there!

Just a quick reminder to everyone that Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day (IGOLD) is nearly upon us. Come march on the IL Capital with us this week and show legislators that self defense is in everyone's best interest.

A new way to contact legislators has come to my attention, thanks to some folks at IllinoisCarry.com.
Basically, it allows us all to send our opinion of a bill while it's in committee and hopefully get a bad bill stopped there (or push a good bill through, of course). They are called Witness Slips and some excellent directions for filling these out are available here: Call to Action!  (instructions are in the first post)

Sadly, the legislators are apparently not bound to use these for direction. Last week in committee the Executive Committee Chair commented that the slips resembled the Springfield phone book on one anti-gun bill in particular....but the bad bill still sped through the (heavily Chicago based) committee handily. At any rate, it provides a record of IL residents feelings on the bill and might make a legislator think twice before hanging his/her constituents out to dry.

I also wanted to share a link with the random readers here, it's a police officer's blog and he recommends that everyone own and learn to use a weapon for their own defense. He even provides a breakdown of the  process/time involved in a 911 call. I think it's an excellent piece to share with friends that say "Well, I'd just call 911, the police will protect me".
Thoughts from behind the badge

Hope to see you at IGOLD on Wednesday!

Happy New Year

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy New Year, I hope it brings great things for you and yours!

My wish for the New Year :      RTC in Illinois. 
HB 148 is still an active bill and is, in my opinion, our strongest chance of getting RTC via legislature this year. Of course, we still have 2 major cases in courts that will very likely sway things in our direction, but often the courts move very slowly. 

There are a few elections in which I think we'll see opposition to the incumbents and RTC will be a big contender in the debates that are coming.

IGOLD is right around the corner....we want to see you and 10,000 (or more) of your closest friends in Springfield this March! Start talking with friends and loved ones now and make your plans.

All in all, there appears to be a slow but steady swing towards restoring our rights here in the Prairie State, folks are realizing that RTC is the norm in 49 other states and many more are simply fed up with criminals having free reign over the streets.

So, jump in and hang on...let's bring RTC to IL this year!

It's that time...

Hey folks, the Fall Veto Session is upon us and the questions on many minds are:

Will Rep. Phelps bring HB 148 to the floor again?

and: Has it gained the needed support?

I'm confident that at least one vote of support has been added, based on reports from "up North" concerning a very thoughtful young Rep. who seems to actually REPRESENT his constituency.
There were a few Town Hall type meetings over the past few months that have illustrated the overwhelming public support for RTC in IL, perhaps those in office have taken note and will rethink their personal positions.

Considering all of the support HB 148 has received from Law Enforcement bodies, it should be a no-brainer to support the bill, but we can't get complacent about it either.

Please call, write, email or send smoke signals to YOUR Rep. and make sure they know that We, the People want RTC in IL....just like the other 49 states! Hopefully, you've remained in contact with them throughout the summer and they already know!

If they don't support it, remember them at election time!

Illinois Responds

The State of IL AG's office has responded to the Motion for Preliminary Injunction of UUW (Shepard v Madigan) and although I'm nowhere near a lawyer, it looks to be full of holes to me.

Apparently they feel that (among many other things) a currently law abiding citizen can turn into a bloodthirsty killer at any instant. They also claim they aren't infringing rights and therefore don't need to justify the UUW law.

Look folks, there is ZERO legal method of carry in Illinois. Period. My opinion is that if the legislature can't pass a concealed weapons permit system, then the state must allow open carry as a default. We simply must have a way to defend ourselves, the state certainly can't do it for each of us.

As I said, I'm no lawyer and I can't decipher a lot of the lawyer-speak in the response. If you'd like to read the filings you can find them at post # 191 on this thread at Illinois Carry and join the conversation about them there.

IL is now unofficially THE exception to the rule

Yep, it's been a long time since I've posted. Apologies on that, things have been crazy to say the least.

Anyway, if you haven't heard, the WI Senate passed their RTC bill today by a vote of 25 - 8. It's projected to walk through the House and then get a quick signature by the Governor. This leaves the citizens of IL as the ONLY Americans that are completely denied the use of a handgun to protect themselves outside the home.

Sad, but true.

Chicago has been in the news a lot lately with the "flash mob" attacks, people are getting beaten down for the contents of their wallets and their cell phones. Only in Chicago could such a thing happen with such frequency. Still the pols up there cry that RTC will only make things worse... I don't understand how they even believe their own BS. Actually, I don't think they do. The pols have protection and as long as they are safe, they don't care about the citizens walking up and down the streets.

Let's fix this problem and soon. Give the law abiding citizen the opportunity to defend themselves.

Until then, shame on IL.

Legislators respond, Suits filed and more!

The past week has been especially busy: dealing with the disappointment of HB148 not receiving 71 votes, final exams and everything else.

The week did see a few people get responses from their legislators concerning their "no" vote on HB148. It seems that fear of their constituents having guns continues to plague these folks, perhaps they should practice being more responsible citizens themselves?

One member over at illinoiscarry.com gives his take on what most of these responses boil down to:

Dear so and so, thank you for voicing your concerns with me. Illinoisans, such as yourself, are too stupid to take their responsibilities into their own hands, therefore I will do it for you. I am the ruling class, you are the pee-on class. Please contact me with any further concerns you have so that I can put you back into your place again!

After reading some of the responses the "no" voters sent out, I have to agree that this is exactly what they seem to be saying. I hope to see them voted out in the next election cycle. Especially the ones that had said they would be "yes" votes and then folded on us. (Are you listening Ms. Davis?)

Anyway.... Yesterday we learned that both the NRA and the SAF have filed suit against the state of IL and the total ban on carrying a firearm for defense. All I can say is: OUTSTANDING!

Rep. Phelps warned the legislators that if they didn't pass HB148 they could count on seeing the matter in court at great cost to the state, glad to see that not much time was wasted in making that happen.

I'm not familiar with the plaintiffs named in the SAF suit, but I am familiar with the story of Mary Shepard, the NRA/ISRA plaintiff. Mary and her coworker were attacked in a church, brutally beaten and left for dead. (You can see a video of Mary telling her story in a previous post)

Hats off to Mary and the other plaintiffs, it takes a lot of courage to go forward with something like this and I'm sure it will be painful for Mary to relive her ordeal for the courts to see.

Best of luck to all the plaintiffs, their suits will impact all Illinois residents.

In the meantime, maybe the House can see the writing on the wall and see fit to pass HB148 if Rep. Phelps would like to bring it up again? Sure would save a lot of court costs!

Find more info at the respective links below:
SAF Complaint

NRA/ILA press release

Open Letter to IL House of Representatives

Hi folks, I may get called out for being lazy today, but I wanted to share this letter with you (with the author's permission, of course). 
It was written by BudMan5 from the IllinoisCarry.com forums  and is one of the most well thought out letters I have read so far.

After reading, feel free to swing by the forums, join up and help with the cause! 

Dear Illinois Representatives.

I am a retired Illinois Police Chief and a retired US Army First Sergeant as well as being a lifelong Illinois resident.

I am writing to all of you, en masse, because in my mind, all of you are representing me regardless of from which District you were elected.

From my personal experience, I want to stress to you that laws forbidding the right to carry a concealed weapon only affect law abiding citizens. The only thing those laws accomplish is to ensure that criminals have available victims.

It is easy to confirm that laws banning concealed carry by merely examining the Cities where laws have banned possession. Our own Chicago leads the list in violent crimes even though a total ban on possession of firearms in Chicago was in effect for more than forty years.

The anti-gun folks are always referring to the “NRA and the gun lobby”, but they never come out and admit that the ‘gun lobby’ is actually composed of every day citizens, just like you and me.

The continuous claims that “blood will run in the streets” has not happened in any of the other forty-eight States that have already enacted concealed carry laws. Why does the Illinois General Assembly consider Illinois citizens different from the rest of the country?

President John F. Kennedy, in Profiles in Courage, profiles senators who crossed party lines and/or defied the public opinion of their constituents to do what they felt was right. Our Constitution describes the right to keep and bear arms as a fundamental right and that right has recently been confirmed by the United States Supreme Court. President Kennedy was also a Life member of the National Rifle Association.

I ask you each to examine your conscience concerning this issue. I am asking each of you to decide, not as your party dictates, but on what is right or wrong and what the people of Illinois really want.

I already can legally carry a concealed firearm because of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act. My Illinois concealed carry permit, authorized by the Illinois General Assembly, states on its’ face, “For those who have served and earned the privilege”.

In my mind, I earned the right bear arms as a result of my American citizenship as did my wife and son and all of the other American citizens living in Illinois. The citizens of Illinois deserve the same right granted to Americans all across the country. The right of self-defense.

There are times in all our lives when we are offered the choice of making a decision based on what is right or wrong, good or bad. This is a time to choose the very hard right and good decision and not the easy bad or wrong decision.

BudMan5

RTC gets even more support!

Just listened to Todd Vandermyde (NRA lobbyist for IL) on Cam & Company and he says that HB 148 (Family and Personal Protection Act, AKA Firearms - Concealed Carry) got a nice bit of support today from the Illinois Chief of Police Association.

The Chiefs Association had shown some support earlier in the month but did ask for a small change or two in the bill, sounds like the main one being "duty to inform". This means that a person with a concealed carry permit must tell an officer that they are armed during a traffic stop, etc. 

Apparently some of the Chicago area Chiefs, who don't typically attend the Chiefs meetings, arrived in efforts to sway the vote...but it didn't work. Rumor has it that the Chicago Machine is running around like their hair is on fire! 

So, for the record, HB 148 now has the support of the following police organizations: 

IL Chiefs Association

Chicago Police Sergeants Association

IL Sheriffs' Association

So far the ISP remain neutral. 

Don't think the battle is won though, stay on the phones, write emails and letters....try to get YOUR elected officials to support and co-sponsor HB 148! If they already do, THANK them! 

My thanks to the the law enforcement agencies listed above for standing up for what's right and just. 

What a (short) strange trip it's been.

Looks like the Chicago Mayoral election is a done deal, with Rahm Emanuel winning with approximately 55% of the vote at last check. He needed 50% +1 in order to avoid an April run off and it looks like he's managed it.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/22/breaking-cnn-projects-emanuel-wins-in-chicago/

I doubt that this really comes as a surprise to most folks, the media had crowned him some time ago and the public apparently followed right along. I read several "on the street" interviews with Chicago folks, all appeared to be in favor of Rahm, many because...... he knows President Obama.

I'm not sure how knowing the President qualifies one to be the mayor of the 3rd largest city in the nation, but apparently it carries weight with some folks. Personally, I would hope that no one noticed if I knew either of them (I don't, at any rate).

While it's too early to know how his election will affect the state of the 2nd Amendment in Chicago (and possibly the rest of IL), we can confidently say that Rahm is no friend of the 2A. I'm sure state legislators near the city will be clamoring to win his approval and willing to do anything to appease him....which will affect the rest of us.

How can we prevent this? Get on the phone or computer, (politely) call your elected folks and ask them to support and sponsor HB0148 and other Pro 2A legislation. Find out which ones may be on the fence and call them too, even if you don't live in their district....this affects the entire state and they should be reminded!

Call Senate President John Cullerton's office and ask him to support same. (217) 782-2728

All in all, today wasn't a bad one in the IL General Assembly. Six (6) Pro 2A bills passed through the House Ag & Conservation Committee with 13 "yes" and 1 "no" on each. More info and discussion can be found  HERE