Illinois Gun Issues And A Call For Witness Slips

The Illinois General Assembly uses an interesting means to state your support for or opposition to a bill called Witness Slips. While probably not quite as effective as testifying in person at a hearing, it still allows the citizens of the state to comment on bills.

Illinois Carry sent out an email this weekend regarding gun bills, both good and bad, that need witness slips. So if you live in Illinois, please avail yourself of this opportunity to make your voice heard in Springfield.

Call to Action

Witness Slips Needed

Witness Slip Instructions

With the 100th General Assembly almost in full swing, the coming week brings several threats to our Second Amendment rights and the hope of advancing those rights, with your help.

Brush off the dust from your keyboards, find those old passwords, and let our legislators know that we remain unified in our support of the Second Amendment!
 

File Witness Slips Now!

Log On to the ILGA Dashboard, Create a New Account, or 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.

Oppose

HB271 Handgun Ammo Serialize - OPPONENT

HB329 Concealed Carry Prohibit Place - OPPONENT

HB504 FOID Card Terrorist Watchlist - OPPONENT

HB521 Lost & Stolen Firearms Penalty - OPPONENT

Support

HB308 Firearm Transport - PROPONENT

HB365 Firearms Military Non-Resident - PROPONENT

HB377 Concealed Carry Business License - PROPONENT

HB413 2nd Amendment Preservation - PROPONENT

Witness slips can be tracked here:


HB271 Handgun Ammo Serialize – OPPONENT

HB308 Firearm Transport – PROPONENT

HB329 Concealed Carry Prohibit Place – OPPONENT

HB365 Firearms Military Non-Resident – PROPONENT

HB377 Concealed Carry Business License - PROPONENT

HB413 2nd Amendment Preservation – PROPONENT

HB504 FOID Card Terrorist Watchlist - OPPONENT

HB521 Lost & Stolen Firearms Penalty - OPPONENT 

World's Best Dentist

When you go to the dentist to get a crown, you expect to leave with a substantial bill and a numb lip or face. I left with a little something extra.

Little is relative especially when talking about a Ruger Redhawk in .44 Magnum with a 6 inch barrel.

And now for the rest of the story as Paul Harvey would have said.

My dentist, Dr. F, is a huge fan of revolvers and he knows I am as well. We always chat about them along with whatever else he or I have either bought or shot lately. After discussing the new Colt Cobra we got around to other revolvers. He noted he had a S&W Model 29 which just wasn't that fun to shoot unlike his Ruger Redhawk. He then asked me if I'd like to try it out. Of course!

Now both the assistant and I thought he probably meant to try it out someday when I met him at the range. That thought was quickly dismissed when he left the room, came back, and then set the Ruger Redhawk above down on the counter! What he meant was that he was going to loan it to me to take home and try out at my own convenience.

Wow!

The funny part of the whole episode was when my appointment was over he just assumed I would be comfortable carrying this massive piece of hardware out through his waiting room as is. His assistant "D" asked would I like a bag and I, of course, said yes. While she was getting a bag, Dr. F. dug around his office and found a case for it.

So Dr. F's Ruger Redhawk is now sitting in my safe while I wait for a box each of .44 Mag and .44 Special ammo to arrive.

As I said in the headline, I have the world's best dentist. Not only is he really good at his profession but he is a gun guy who wants to share the experience. I am one lucky patient.

Caliber Wars Humor

While I was looking for another picture on Instagram this morning, I stumbled across this one which perfectly illustrates the pistol caliber wars between .45 ACP and 9mm Parabellum. It appears that poor .40 S&W in now being left out in the cold like a red headed step-child. As Michael Bane said in recent podcast, it may well end up as primarily a competition cartridge just like one of my favorites, the .38 Super.

Happy Wednesday!

H/T ENDO

NRA Going All In For Gorsuch

The NRA-ILA reacted very quickly to the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. They released a statement within minutes as well as this graphic which was placed on Instagram.

NRA Applauds Neil Gorsuch's Nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court
Fairfax, Va.— The National Rifle Association (NRA) applauds the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat on the United States Supreme Court.

“President Trump has made an outstanding choice in nominating Judge Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court. He has an impressive record that demonstrates his support for the Second Amendment,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director, NRA-ILA. “We urge the Senate to swiftly confirm Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, just as it did in confirming him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit by a unanimous voice vote.”

During his tenure on the Tenth Circuit, Gorsuch has demonstrated his belief that the Constitution should be applied as the framers intended. To that end, he has supported the individual right to self-defense. Specifically, he wrote in an opinion that "the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to own firearms and may not be infringed lightly."

“On behalf of our five million members, the NRA strongly supports Judge Neil Gorsuch's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. We will be activating our members and tens of millions of supporters throughout the country in support of Judge Gorsuch. He will protect our right to keep and bear arms and is an outstanding choice to fill Justice Scalia's seat,” concluded Cox.

And from Instagram:

We will need the NRA going all in for Judge Gorsuch as the battle lines were being drawn in minutes. The NY Times had an editorial out within minutes calling it a "stolen seat" and Merrick Garland "better qualified". I'm sorry but mere tenure on the bench does not make you a better judge or better legal mind. It only means you are older.

SCOTUS Pick To Be Announced Tonight

President Trump's nominee to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia will be announced tonight, in prime time, at 8pm EST. During the campaign, Mr. Trump released a list of 21 potential nominees. That list has been whittled down to the two or maybe three finalists.

The three reported to be on the final list are Judge Thomas Hardiman of the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Neil Gorsuch of the 11th Circuit, and Judge William Pryor of the 5th Circuit. Of those three, Judge Pryor is considered to be the most contentious choice as he was barely confirmed when appointed to the Court of Appeals. He is also a protegee' of Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions.

According to CNN, Judges Hardiman and Gorsuch have been brought to Washington which would seem to indicate it is now down to those two.

The SCOTUS Blog has done a good job of summarizing the background of the three finalists.

• Judge William Pryor
• Judge Thomas Hardiman
• Judge Neil Gorsuch

All three are youngish, conservative, and have good credentials. However, only Judge Hardiman has ruled on Second Amendment issues directly. He had a 40-page dissent in Drake v. Filko which centered around the impediments that New Jersey puts on obtaining a carry permit. His dissent would make him appear to believe that the right of self-defense is guaranteed both inside and outside the home. Second Amendment attorneys David Jensen and Alan Gura were the attorneys of record for the plaintiff in the appeal. Jensen commented on a post I had on Facebook today that he thought it was a good dissent. That sounds good to me.

Of course, given President Trump, this could all be window-dressing and he nominates either Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) or Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). They would already be in DC and bringing Judges Hardiman and Gorsuch to town was to throw off the media.

UPDATE: Politico and Independent Journal Review are reporting that "Trump insiders" have confirmed that Judge Neil Gorsuch will get the nod. We'll see.

UPDATE II: Interesting trivia on Judge Gorsuch - his mother was Ronald Reagan's first head of the EPA, Anne Gorsuch, who was forced out of office over a House contempt citation pertaining to toxic waste clean-up records. She was never charged with a crime despite allegations.

North Carolina Offers Turkey Hunting Seminars

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in conjunction with the National Wild Turkey Federation will be offering free turkey hunting seminars across the state in March. It is intended for both beginners and advanced hunters in advance of the spring turkey season.

As an aside, have you ever noticed how many turkeys you see within urban areas and in the city limits when turkey season starts?

More details and locations from the NCWRC below:

RALEIGH, N.C. (Jan. 30, 2017) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, along with the National Wild Turkey Federation, is offering 14 free turkey hunting seminars across the state in March.

The seminars, which will be held from 6 to 9 p.m., are open on a first-come, first-serve basis to all ages and skill levels, although participants 16 years and younger will need parental permission to register. Pre-registration is required and participants must register online.

Among the topics that will be covered during the seminars are biology, hunting methods, calls and decoys, firearms and ammo tips, camouflage clothing, and turkey processing and cooking techniques. A question-and-answer session, along with a brief overview of hunter recruitment, retention and re-activation (R3) initiatives, will conclude each seminar.

Dates and locations are:

March 1

Pitt County Extension Center, Pitt County
403 Government Circle, Suite 2, Greenville, NC 27834
GPS Coordinates: (35.638284, -77.360689)

March 2

N.C. State University Engineering Building II (EBII), Wake County
Classroom 1025
3114 Engineering Building II
890 Oval Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606
GPS coordinates: (35.772173, -78.674353)

March 7

Pasquotank County Extension Center, Pasquotank County
1209 McPherson Street, Elizabeth City, NC 27909
GPS Coordinates: (36.298477, -76.235738)

March 8

Onslow County Extension Center, Onslow County
4024 Richlands Hwy., Jacksonville, NC 28540
GPS Coordinates: (34.781641, -77.494023)

March 9

Craven County Extension Center, Craven County
300 Industrial Drive, New Bern, NC 28562
GPS Coordinates: (35.142969, -77.158907)

March 14

Mountain Horticulture Crops Research and Extension Center, Buncombe County
455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC 28759
GPS Coordinates: (35.424879, -82.560748)

March 15

Cumberland County Extension Center, Cumberland County
301 East Mountain Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28306
GPS Coordinates: (35.012639, -78.893928)

March 16

Bass Pro Shops, Cabarrus County
8181 Concord Mills Blvd., Concord, NC 28027
GPS Coordinates: (35.367147, -80.718964)

March 21

Brunswick County Extension Center, BLDG. N, Brunswick County
25 Referendum Drive, Bolivia, NC 28422
GPS Coordinates: (34.056713, -78.165797)

March 22

Haywood Community College, Haywood County
185 Freedlander Drive, Clyde, NC 28721
GPS Coordinates: (35.525949, -82.927936)

March 23

Caldwell County Extension Center, Caldwell County
120 Hospital Avenue NE/Suite 1, Lenoir NC 28645
GPS Coordinates: (35.922477, -81.523500)

March 28

Catawba County Extension Center, Catawba County
1175 South Brady Avenue, Newton NC 28658
GPS Coordinates: (35.647028, -81.223360)

March 29

Forsyth County Extension Center, Forsyth County
1450 Fairchild Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27105
GPS Coordinates: (36.128816, -80.225864)

March 30

Guilford County Extension Center, Guilford County
3309 Burlington Road, Greensboro, NC 27405
GPS coordinates: (36.084624, -79.738867)

“This is the third year the Wildlife Commission and the National Wild Turkey Federation have offered these expanded, statewide seminars prior to the start of the spring gobbler season and they have been very popular with both novice and experienced turkey hunters,” said Walter “Deet” James, the Wildlife Commission’s hunting heritage biologist. "New for 2017, we have combined both introduction and advanced segments into one seminar thereby eliminating redundancy and the need to attend multiple seminars. In short, we will continue to improve the cooperative seminar series based on conservation partner and attendee feedback."

The statewide season for male or bearded turkey only is April 8 through May 6, with a youth-only week from April 1-7. Regulations and restrictions on turkey hunting, including information on youth season, are available in the 2016-17 Inland Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations Digest.

For additional information, contact James at 919-707-0059; mobile, 984-202-1387 or hunting.heritage@ncwildlife.org.

Visit www.ncwildlife.org/hunting and click on the “What to Hunt” link for information about wild turkeys in North Carolina.

Punching Back Twice As Hard

Everytown for Gun Safety (sic) likes to parachute their New York attorneys into states out West in order to push their gun control agenda. This is why you get initiatives in Nevada and Washington State and bills like in Colorado that read like New York law and not the laws of those respective states.

Another place Everytown has parachuted one of their carpetbagging attorneys is Missoula, Montana, They are successfully sought to have the City of Missoula adopt an ordinance that would force NICS checks on all private transfers even though this is in conflict with state law.  Attorney General Tim Fox issued an opinion on this matter which states, "the Montana Legislature has prohibited all forms of local government from exercising regulatory power over the purchase, sale or transfer of firearms."

The city is home to the University of Montana. That plus the school system and the two hospitals are the largest employers in the city. As you might guess, the city trends liberal and tends to be a blue spot in a sea of red. Clinton beat Trump here 53% to 37%. It was only one of six Montana counties that Clinton carried out of a total of 56 counties.

However, Everytown and their carpetbagging attorney did not count on Gary Marbut and the Montana Shooting Sports Association. Using freedom of information requests, they established that Everytown attorney Jonas Oransky provided certain council members what appears to be legal advice on the Missoula ordinance and its legality. Mr. Oransky, however, is not licensed to practice law in the state of Montana. It is illegal in Montana like in most states to practice law without a license.

Marbut and the MSSA have filed a formal complaint with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel with copies to the Montana State Bar Association and the Montana Attorney General's Office. Marbut had this to say:

“It is a criminal act in Montana for a person who is not licensed to practice law to hold himself out as an attorney and to provide legal advice or services. It would be disappointing if members of the Missoula City Council have relied on criminal acts of someone from New York City in formulating public policy deemed suitable for Montana people.”

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel is saying that they don't have jurisdiction over Mr. Oransky. However, both the State Bar and the Attorney General's Office say they are investigating the matter. Mr. Oransky declined to comment to local radio station KGVO on the issue. Missoula Councilman Bryan von Lossberg confirmed that he reached out to Mr. Oransky for advice but said he was not under any retainer.

Bar associations tend to be very protective of their local turf and do not take kindly to unlicensed, out of state attorneys practicing law in their state. This is a great move on the part of the Montana Shooting Sports Association. Other local and state gun rights organizations would be wise to emulate them and use their own state's FOIA to dig into communications between public officials and Everytown. Where it can be established that apparent legal advice was given, it's time to nail them if the attorney is not licensed in that state. Carpetbaggers who connive with local scallywags to limit enumerated civil rights should be dealt with harshly.

For Illinois Residents - A Tax Alert

The power to tax is the power to destroy is an abridged quote from the great orator, lawyer, and politician Daniel Webster. Illinois politicians know this all too well and now are seeking to add a 5% tax to club membership dues. So if your local rifle and pistol club charges you $200 a year in dues, your actual cost will now be $210 with that extra $10 going to the State of Illinois.

Illinois Carry has issued an alert on SB009 which, due to an amendment, would impose this very tax. Senate Amendment 2 specifically includes gun clubs, hunting clubs, and fishing clubs by name as "amusements".  I know that the Prairie State's finances are none too solid but I think a tax on the right of association as it were is going too far.

From Illinois Carry:

Call to Action - Oppose SB009 Revenue Various

(Tax on gun clubs, ranges, and hunting clubs)

Contact Your State Senators This Week!

In our first Call to Action of the newly seated 100th General Assembly, we bring to your attention SB009 Revenue Various.

SB009 started as a simple question of creating new taxes, a question too easily answered "yes" in this state.  It is now more than that.  Much more. 

Senate Amendment 2 seeks to impose 5% membership and service taxes:

> In addition to the amusement tax on ranges already imposed by several municipalities
> In addition to the Cook County tax on firearms and ammunition
> In addition to the proposed fees covering the cost of serializing ammunition under HB271
> In addition to the already costly training and license fees required to carry a concealed firearm in Illinois
> In addition to the cost of hunting licenses
> In addition to current local, state and federal sales taxes on products associated with membership and use of hunting and gun clubs, training, and competition.

These new taxes were not, of course, presented in a forthright way that would foster open debate.  Instead, they were hidden in amendments to SB009 among a plethora of other taxes, filed quickly and quietly on a bill positioned to move through the Senate at a moment's notice.

We must recognize that the more the state taxes our ability to train, compete, and hunt the more it discourages the very practices that foster safe firearm ownership.  The more it encourages people to purchase products and services elsewhere.​

The truth will be SB009's greatest obstacle.  Spread some truth, and spread our rights.

Beginning Monday, 1/30/2017, please contact your State Senators in their district offices. Politely explain that SB009 is no longer as it seems. Let them know that while we can debate the wisdom of burdening Illinois with additional taxes one thing is not debatable. The State does not have proper authority to tax our Second Amendment rights. Contact information for your State Senator can be found here.