Friday, May 31, 2013

It's a start!

HB 183 passed both houses in IL today after a couple of amendments were added. It's far from perfect but it's what we've got.

The question on my mind is this:
What happens if Gov. Quinn lets this sit on his desk after June 9? Will the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals say that no law is enacted and thus UUW/AgUUW are no longer enforceable?

Anyone that knows if that could happen, I'm all ears.

At any rate, lots have put in hard work and deserve much thanks. Lets all take a minute and send along a note of thanks to Todd V., Valinda Rowe, Rep. Phelps and all the others who have worked so hard to get us this far. We will need their continued support in years to come.

As always be sure to check out Illinoiscarry for updates.


- Posted on the move.

Friday, May 24, 2013

In case you haven't heard.....

IL HB2193 passed the house today @ 85/30/1 with Speaker Madigan voting "aye"..... no, that isn't a typo, he really did vote for it (after speaking about it on the floor).

Although it isn't the perfect bill - far from it actually - it is a place to start. The length of training and fees will likely be challenged in courts fairly soon I'd guess (if it makes it the rest of the way through the process, of course). Judging from the average cost of most training I'm familiar with, a permit will cost a citizen around $400 + after the process is complete. I know plenty of single moms and elderly folks that NEED a permit, but won't be able to afford one....so much for equal protection....for now anyway.

Of course, Chicago and some burbs get a big kick to the nuts with this bill.... the mag bans, CFP, "assault weapons" bans will all go away if the bill makes it through everything. No longer can a municipality say what its citizens can do with regards to firearms. I'm guessing Da Mayor is fuming about now.

As I mentioned, there's more to the process and Gov. Quinn has already issued a statement that he feels the legislation isn't right for IL and will work with the Senate to kill things there. The battle isn't over yet folks.

We do owe a few phone calls of thanks to the people that have worked on this for so long, even though some weren't included in the drafting of HB2193. Todd Vandermyde of the NRA and Valinda Rowe from Illinoiscarry.com have been working non-stop for YEARS to get a solid bill passed through the House.... I'm sure they'd both like a bit more with this bill, but reality has sunk in that the Speaker really gets what he wants. Representatives Phelps, Bost, Reis, Sacia and others also have defended our Rights throughout this battle and deserve a big thanks as well.

The sad part is this: We have all seen first hand how one man can wield enough power to basically rule an entire state. I'm not sure what the Speaker is up to, but there's something here that will pay off for him or his daughter at some point in the future. His 180 turnaround was nothing short of masterful and demonstrates exactly why he's been seated as Speaker for so long now.

There are things wrong with this bill, but it also  gets some other things right. I won't tell you that it's my pick of the littter... it's not even close. But I've also had to swallow a big pill, because I really thought that the Speaker would have his hands tied on this. Apparently, he's kin to Houdini.

As always, drop by Illinoiscarry.com to stay up to date.


Tuesday, May 7, 2013

They just won't admit it!

While it's been said that you should never give up.... The Chicago machine needs to get it through the collective skull that Concealed Carry (and maybe open as well) is coming to the Land of Lincoln.
The current word is that they are trying to amend a Senate bill that would allow home rule municipalities a 90 day window to pass local ordinances on CCW. This would mean a patchwork of laws across the state and a lot of good folks could be in violation for crossing a city border. No one could manage to stay informed of every local law.
Call your Senators, call your Reps. Remind them "no bad bills, no carve outs, ONE state-ONE law.
Don't forget to visit IllinoisCarry to stay up to date on the fight for your Rights!