For Illinois Gun Owners And Voters

Illinois gun owners and voters are faced with the choice today between Gov. Bruce Rauner (R-IL) and billionaire and Hyatt Hotels' heir J.B. Pritzker. From what my Prairie State friends tell me, Rauner has been somewhat ineffectual as governor but has vetoed some of the most egregious gun control legislation to come out of the Illinois General Assembly. Pritzker, on the other hand, promises to support the whole litany of gun control from gun bans to state licensing of firearms dealers. The RealClearPolitics poll average on this race gives a clear edge to Pritzker. It will stay that way if gun owners stay home.

Both the Illinois State Rifle Association and Illinois Carry are supporting Rauner who they say has had an open door to them. Expect that door to be nailed shut under Pritzker.

Illinois Carry sent this out yesterday by email. They are correct in asserting that if all FOID card holders voted the 2A that it might be safe in Illinois.

Candidate for Governor

J.B. Pritzker Announces :

"NO safe space for NRA in Illinois!"

J.B. Pritzker vows, “The NRA will have no safe space in Illinois if I am elected governor.”  That means NO safe space for you and me!

Governor Rauner is the absolute only logical choice for gun owners.  He has a FOID card and supports the Second Amendment. The Governor has provided IllinoisCarry access to his office and staff. He has sought our opinions on gun legislation.  This last legislative session, his veto and amendatory veto power was all that stood between gun owners and the anti-Constitution tyrants in Springfield.  

If Pritzker is elected – that protection will be gone and all he will need is a simple majority to pass all the horrible anti-gun bills that gun owners have been fighting against all these years.

Imagine how safe the Second Amendment would be here in Illinois if all 2,287,291 FOID card holders went into the voting booth Tuesday and voted for pro-Second Amendment candidates like Gov. Rauner.

The Second Amendment

Is At Stake On Nov. 6th!

We Urge All Gun Owners To Vote!

Foster Parents In Illinois Sought As Plaintiffs In 2A Lawsuit

Illinois Carry is seeking foster parents in Illinois as plaintiffs in a Second Amendment lawsuit. I'm guessing it will be similar to the recent lawsuit in Michigan. In that case, a Michigan foster parent sued the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services over a requirement that firearms and ammunition to constantly locked and inaccessible. A Federal judge said the suit should be allowed to proceed.

From Illinois Carry:

Are You An IL Foster Parent?

Are You Willing To Be A Witness/Co-Plaintiff In A Second Amendment Lawsuit?

Please contact IllinoisCarry spokesperson Valinda Rowe immediately by sending an email to:

VRowe@IllinoisCarry.com

Valinda Rowe has done incredible work in the Prairie State in advancing the cause of armed self-defense.

Illinois Governor Issues Amendatory Veto Of Assault Weapons Bill

Gov. Bruce Rauner (R-IL) issued an amendatory veto of Illinois HB 1468. An amendatory veto is when the governor replaces language in a bill passed by the Illinois General Assembly with his own language. The General Assembly has three options. First, do nothing and the bill will die. Second, override the veto with a three-fifths vote in each house and the original language becomes law. Finally, pass the law with the amended language with a simple majority.

IllinoisCarry has an extensive post on the amendatory veto which I am posting below. It does contains things that would be objectionable in a more pro-gun state but are seen as a compromise in Illinois. This would include things like a bumpstock and trigger crank ban as well as 72 hour waiting period on all gun sales.

From IllinoisCarry with links to their discussion forum and Gov. Rauner's veto message:

Gov. Rauner issued an amendatory veto yesterday of HB1468. The bill sent to the Governor's desk 60 days ago with a veto proof majority would have codified into law, for the first time in IL history, a broad brush definition of 'assault weapons'. As we had hoped, he stripped the 'assault' language out of the bill and instead opted for a 72 hr. waiting period on all gun sales rather than risk law abiding gun owners getting caught up in a felony trick bag set up by anti-Second Amendment democrats. In a surprising move, the amendatory veto also included instituting the death penalty for mass killers, freed up local revenue to fund resource officers and mental health workers in our schools, a ban on bump stocks, and set the framework for limiting people who are a danger to themselves or others from having access to firearms. 

With the veto, the Governor protects Illinois gun owners from a  gun grabbing scheme which would have made firearm restraining orders easy to obtain, virtually no-penalty for false testimony, and taking firearms away from nearly anyone by almost anybody for any reason. With the amendatory veto, it becomes a roadblock with a  felony penalty for false testimony,  prevents vindictive grudges being used to take firearms from lawful gun owners while providing a process to curb mentally ill respondents - like the Parkland High School and Waffle House killers - who are a danger to themselves or others from legally possessing firearms . It also provides a clear and timely process for restoration of  rights when a person is no longer a danger.

The full text of the veto can be viewed here.  Discussion of the veto can be found on IllinoisCarry's discussion forum.

Witness Slips Needed In Illinois - II

Illinois Carry issued a more extensive alert yesterday.

The Wolves Are at The Door Witness Slips & Legislator Visits Needed! Our last Call to Action asked your help opposing SB2561 Prepackage Explosive Component in Senate Committee. Unfortunately the bill passed out of the Senate and is now scheduled to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on April 17. Your help is needed to prevent this once vetoed bill from reaching the Governor's desk again. Join us in opposing Senator Morrison's repeated attack on our rights. Another, more venomous attack by Ms. Morrison is her SB2314 Assault Weapons – Municipality, an attempt to repeal the State's sole authority to regulate “assault weapons”. This bill, when inserted into an earlier attempt to ban bump stocks, was described by a rabidly anti-gun House Member as a “poison pill” that killed his own work against us. We must fight an increasing patchwork of laws from one town to another.  Your witness slips opposing SB2314 will be the antidote to this legislative poison. Also in the Senate, SB2247 Ban Bump Fire Stockrepresents the work of a bizarre, newly formed coalition of anti-gun legislators who once stood with us. Make no mistake, we oppose SB2247 as much as we oppose any proposals made on behalf of the gun control groups vying for control of this state. We ask that you do the same. More critically, while your phone calls and witness slips are important, we must up the ante by making personal visits to our legislators' offices. Groups who oppose our rights have been making headway with this approach – an approach we must ourselves adopt in order to neutralize their work. Take the time to establish personal, face to face communications with your State Senators and Representatives. Together, we can counter the anti's lies with our truths. Join us in opposing these bills by filing witness slips today! Remember to log in to your account first, if you have one! File Witness Slips Now!   Detailed Witness Slip Instructions In order to avoid completing each field manually, at the top right  Log on  to your ILGA Dashboard or  Create a New Account  if you haven't already created one, then return to this email and click on the links for each witness slip.

SB2247 Ban Bump Fire Stock OPPONENT Click Here to Oppose this Bill A bill that would ban most custom trigger modifications.

SB2314 Assault Weapons - Municipality OPPONENT Click Here to Oppose this Bill A bill to make impossible the safe transport of common firearms within the state.

SB2561 Prepackage Explosive Component OPPONENT Click Here to Oppose this Bill A bill to make impossible the safe transport of common firearms within the state.

Witness slips can be tracked here:

SB2247 Ban Bump Fire Stock Track the Slips!

SB2314 Assault Weapons - Municipality Track the Slips!

SB2561 Prepackage Explosive Component Track the Slips!

Senate & House - Sustain the SB1657 Veto! Continue to call your State Senators and State Representatives in their Springfield offices. Remind them that you oppose SB1657 Gun Dealer Licensing, described by the Chicago Tribune as "government overreach". Ask them to sustain Governor Rauner's veto. House – Oppose Concurrence Votes! While speaking with your state representatives remind them to oppose the changes made in the Senate to HB772 Lethal Violence Order of Protection, HB1465 “Assault Weapon Age 21, and HB1467 Preemption Repeal.

Witness Slips Needed In Illinois - I

Both Illinois Carry and the Illinois State Rifle Association have issued alerts for anti-gun bills that are coming up this week in the Illinois General Assembly.

From Illinois Carry:

Emergency Action Alert! Witness Slips Needed! Moments ago, HB1470 Criminal Law Tech was added to the House Judiciary - Criminal Committee Schedule for the April 17 hearing.  Amendment 1 (HFA1) prohibits transfers of more than one gun per month, and establishes penalties for possession with intent to transfer. Please express your immediate disapproval of  this bill and amendment by filing witness slips opposing it. Remember to log in to your account first, if you have one!   Detailed Witness Slip Instructions In order to avoid completing each field manually, at the top right  Log on  to your ILGA Dashboard or  Create a New Account  if you haven't already created one, then return to this email and click on the links for each witness slip.

HB1470 & HFA 1 OPPONENT Click Here to Oppose this Bill One gun per month and penalties for intent to sell a firearm

Witness slips can be tracked here:

HB1470 & HFA 1 Track the Slips!

Trouble Reading This Email? Click Here to View and Share as a Web Page

Senate & House - Sustain the SB1657 Veto! Continue to call your State Senators and State Representatives in their Springfield offices. Remind them that you oppose SB1657 Gun Dealer Licensing, described by the Chicago Tribune as "government overreach". Ask them to sustain Governor Rauner's veto. House – Oppose Concurrence Votes! While speaking with your state representatives remind them to oppose the changes made in the Senate to HB772 Lethal Violence Order of Protection, HB1465 “Assault Weapon Age 21, and HB1467 Preemption Repeal.

Two Steps Forward; Potentially Many Back In Illinois

As I reported yesterday, Gov. Bruce Rauner (R-IL) did the right thing and vetoed SB 1657 - the Gun Dealer Licensing Bill. However, there are many more bills out there that need to die. Moreover, the anti-gun forces are attempting to repeal the state law that pre-empts local regulation of firearms. You can imagine the regulations that would be enacted by Chicagoland politicians in the city and the suburbs.

On another note, kudos to the Iroquois County Board for its pro-Second Amendment resolution. The county is located in northeastern Illinois between Chicago and Champaign-Urbana on the Indiana border.

Illinois Carry has sent out this alert. If you are an Illinois resident, contact your representative and senator. Now.

Governor Rauner Vetoes Gun Dealer Licensing Calls for Bipartisan Solutions After a full court press, all hands on deck, Katie bar the door effort by the anti Second Amendment legislators in Chicago, Governor Rauner, with a stroke of his pen, has undone the heinous firearm dealer licensing bill. We've been working with the Governor and his staff from day one for just a time as this. IllinoisCarry has taken him at his word and with this, the worst gun bill to hit an Illinois governor's desk in decades, he has proven his mettle. IllinoisCarry extends our sincere thanks to the Governor, and to our members who supported him while considering this difficult, but well reasoned, decision. But the fight isn't over! We expect anti-gun Chicago legislators to attempt an override of the Governor's veto, and to pass several other pieces of legislation. An amendment has been filed on HB1465 "Assault Weapon" ban Under 21 proposing an "affirmative defense" for our youth who participate in shooting sports with adults.  This is a poor attempt to make shooting sports illegal for our children while seemingly addressing our concerns. An amendment was filed on HB1467 Bump Stock & Trigger Crank Ban to now include the repeal of state preemption of local gun law, turning a bill that some considered an acceptable loss into election year theater. New momentum was given SB2314 Assault Weapons - Municipality, the inspiration for elimination preemption, and SB2317 Crim Cd Trigger Modification,  yet another flavor of bump stock ban. Call Your State Senator! Tell your Senator to vote against any attempt to override Governor Rauner's veto of SB1657 Gun Dealer Licensing. Also urge your state Senator to vote No on the following bills and any amendments to these bills: HB1465 "Assault Weapon Under 21 HB1467 Bump Stock & Trigger Crank Ban SB2314 Assault Weapon - Municipality SB2317 Crim Cd Trigger Modification Contact information for your legislators can be found here. ###

Iroquois County Board Passes Pro-Second Amendment Resolution! Tuesday night, Mar. 13th the Iroquois County Board voted to adopt the following resolution supporting lawful gun owners in Illinois.  We encourage other counties to adopt similar resolutions, and ask each of you to share a copy with your county board members! Copies of the resolution and contact infromation can be found here. RESOLUTION of the COUNTY BOARD OF THE COUNTY OF IROQUOIS, ILLINOIS Resolution opposing the passage of HB1465, HB 1467, HB1468, HB1469, SB1657, any trailer bill, or any bill similar too, or any bill where the 100th Illinois General Assembly desires to restrict the Individual right of US Citizens as protected by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution WHEREAS, the Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms is guaranteed as an Individual Right under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and under the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and; WHEREAS, the Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms for defense of Life, Liberty, and Property is regarded as an Inalienable Right by the People of Iroquois County, Illinois, and: WHEREAS, the People of Iroquois County, Illinois, derive economic benefit from all safe forms of firearms recreation, hunting, and shooting conducted within Iroquois County using all types of firearms allowable under the United States Constitution and; WHEREAS, HB1465 is a violation of the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution requiring responsible persons under 21 to surrender lawfully owned firearms or face becoming instant felons; fails to define how to relinquish firearms; only allows possession at Sparta shooting complex, but fails to provide similar exemptions for recreational shooting at gun clubs, private ranges or under supervision of responsible adult or parent, unless certified as a firearms instructor; WHEREAS HB1467 is violation of the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution requiring persons to immediately relinquish lawfully owned bump stocks or trigger cranks, while also failing to provide where and how to relinquish firearms devices, thus creating instant felons upon passage; WHEREAS HB1468 contains broad and unclear definitions which will cause confusion amongst firearm owners and dealers as to which type of firearm is subject to 72 hour wait period; bans nonresidents from purchasing certain long guns defined loosely as assault weapons, puts dealers in jeopardy of unknowingly violating the law; WHEREAS HB1469 is violation of the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution requiring persons to immediately relinquish lawfully owned magazines, fails to provide how to properly relinquish banned magazines, creates instant felons if enacted as written, creates conflicts allowing for sale to out of state persons while stating possession is a felony, bans body armor worn as protection for those who employ the use of chain saws, motorcyclists, range officers and firearm instructors, shop owners and employees who work in dangerous neighborhoods or during night shifts; WHEREAS SB1657 and trailer bills will create economic hardship on lawfully owned and operated, small business firearm dealerships, in effect forcing them to close; will create undue burdens and price increases on persons to lawfully purchase firearms; will have a direct negative impact on local economies thru job loss and sales tax loss; will create another layer of burdensome government regulation on top of the heavy Federal regulations; imposes new fees on top of existing Federal license fees; WHEREAS, Iroquois County Board, being elected to represent the People of Iroquois County and being duly sworn by their Oath of Office to uphold the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and; WHEREAS, the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate, being elected by the People of the State of Illinois and being duly sworn by their Oath of Office to uphold the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and; WHEREAS, The Governor of Illinois, being elected to represent the People of the State of Illinois and being duly sworn by your Oath of Office to uphold the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and; WHEREAS, proposed legislation, any bills similar to, under consideration by the Illinois State Legislature would infringe the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and would ban the possession and use of firearms, magazines, body armor now employed by individual citizens of Iroquois County, Illinois, for defense of Life, Liberty and Property and would ban the possession and use of firearms now employed for safe forms of firearms recreation, hunting and shooting conducted within Iroquois County, Illinois; WHEREAS, the proposed legislation potentially violates the 5th Amendment failing to provide just compensation under the takings clause, 8th Amendment imposition against excessive fines and punishments on law abiding citizens by punitive forfeiture/relinquishment of lawfully owned property, and Ex Post Facto Law Clause of the United States Constitution. NOW, THEREFORE, IT BE AND IS HEREBY RESOLVED that the People of Iroquois County, Illinois, do hereby oppose the enactment of any legislation that would infringe upon the Right of the People to keep and bear arms and consider such laws to be unconstitutional and beyond lawful Legislative Authority. BE IT FURTHER RESOVLED, that the Iroquois County Board demands that the Illinois General Assembly cease further actions restricting the Right of the People to keep and bear arms, and hereby demand that the Governor of Illinois veto all such legislation which restricts the Right of the People to keep and bear arms. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Clerk of Iroquois County is hereby directed to prepare and deliver certified copies of this Resolution to all members of the Illinois General Assembly and to the Office of the Governor. ###

Another Monday, Another Legislative Alert For Illinois

It's another Monday and the anti-rights forces are still working hard in Illinois. Thus, we have to work harder if we want to preserve our rights. Illinois Carry has issued an alert with specific things to do. Do it if you live in Illinois.

As to witness slips, it is a way for those in Illinois to register their approval or opposition to bills. I noticed going over the gun control bills that passed the Illinois House last week that the gun prohibitionists were more successful in getting their people to answer than we were. It takes minimal effort so there is no reason that those who believe in protecting our god given rights should not make up overwhelming majorities.

From Illinois Carry:

Our previous alert asked for calls to your State Representative under the category #3 - Call Your State Senator!  This section should read "Call your state Senator and urge him/her to oppose HB1465 Raising the Age to 21 to Possess Modern Sporting Firearms, HB1467 Bump Stock/Trigger Crank Ban, HB1468 “Assault Weapons” Ban." Our apologies for any confusion this may have caused.

Legislative Alert Phone Calls & Witness Slips Needed! Witness Slip Instructions THE SKY TRULY IS FALLING If you are a gun owner IN ILLINOIS!! Right now, there is a bill on the Governor’s desk that would put most of our local firearm dealers out of business.  This anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment bill is the worst we have seen in decades.  We hope the Governor will do the right thing and veto this bill.  Please call him and urge him to veto SB1657 Gun Dealer Licensing. Gun Dealer Licensing.  Several more anti-Second Amendment bills passed the House and have been sent to the Senate - from banning possession of "assault weapons" by those under age 21, to bump stock and trigger crank bans, to a 72 hour wait requirement for so called "assault weapons".    Under the guise of ‘common sense gun laws’, the devil is in the details. These bad bills reach far beyond their titles and will be used to greatly expand unreasonable restrictions on our rights. In this first part of our call for action we ask that you #1 - Call Governor Rauner! Please call the Governor's office at 217-782-0244. Explain to the person you speak with that SB1657 Gun Dealer Licensing targets honest business men and women who are not the source of Chicago's violence. Politely impress upon him that the Illinois gun owners who helped elect him to office expected his support in return, and that this election season is the perfect opportunity to show that he does stand with us. #2 - Call Your State Representative! Call your state representative and urge him/her to oppose HB1664 Dangerous Person Hotline. #3 - Call Your State Senator! Call your state Senator and urge him/her to oppose HB1465 Raising the Age to 21 to Possess Modern Sporting Firearms, HB1467 Bump Stock/Trigger Crank Ban, HB1468 “Assault Weapons” Ban. Contact information for your legislators can be found here. #4 - Call House Republican Leader Jim Durkin! HB1469 Magazine & Body Armor Ban prohibits all magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. We have an opportunity to keep this bill stalled in the House, but we need your help. Call Mr. Durkin in his Burr Ridge office at  630-325-2028 and in his Springfield office at 217-782-0494. Explain to Mr. Durkin that as House Minority Leader, voters throughout the entire State expect conservative leadership to respect the Constitution – and we expect him to urge the Republican caucus to oppose HB1469. #5 File Witness Slips Now! Please file witness slips opposing several bills scheduled to be heard in House Committees this week. Remember to log in to your account first, if you have one! To avoid having to complete each field manually, Log on to your ILGA Dashboard (or Create a New Account if you have not already done so) then return to this email and click on the links for each witness slip. If you do not wish to create an account, simply click on each witness slip link and complete the required fields manually: I, IDENTIFICATION: Enter your personal information. Enter "NA" for the Firm/Business or Agency and Title fields unless you are officially representing an organization. II. REPRESENTATION: Enter "Myself" unless representing an organization. III. POSITION: Unless instructed otherwise for a particular bill leave the description field at its default value "Original Bill". Indicate your position by selecting the "Proponent" or "Opponent" radio button. IV. TESTIMONY: Select the "Record of Appearance Only" radio button. If filing manually, complete the Captcha challenge and agree to the ILGA Terms of Agreement. Then click Create Slip

HB3390 Firearm Owners ID Revoke Click Here to Oppose this Bill Illinois law requires that lost or stolen firearms be reported to authorities with 72 hours. HB3390 discriminates against residents of higher crime areas by revoking the FOID Card persons who have been the victim of a theft more than 3 times

HB4502 Display of Imitation Firearms Click Here to Oppose this Bill Attacking our First Amendment rights as much as our Second, this bills prohibits open display of paintball and air guns.

HB4880 Crim Cd Prohibit Bump Stocks Click Here to Oppose this Bill A sign of clear disrespect for gun owners and the Constitution the sponsor swore to uphold, this bill is a back up plan in the event earlier bump stock bans fail.

HB3390 Firearm Owners ID Revoke Track the Slips!

HB4502 Display of Imitation Firearms Track the Slips!

HB4880 Crim Cd Prohibit Bump Stocks Track the Slips!

Special Call to Action - Deerfield Residents The Village of Deerfield will consider amending its storage requirement to ban the possession of defined firearms with the Village limits. Deerfield residents are encouraged to attend the Board Meeting Monday, 3/5/2018, at 7:30 PM. The Village of Deerfield, IL 850 Waukegan Road Deerfield, IL 60015