Call to Action

Anti-2^nd Amendment politicians in Springfield have filed HB5855 with the full support of the most anti-gun Governor this state has ever seen, Gov. Pritzker.  The proposed legislation, which they hope to vote on in early January, would ban certain semi-automatic pistols, rifles, and shotguns along with any magazine that has a capacity of greater than 10 rounds including any magazine for your handguns. While technically they are not coming for your kids, the Government believes they know best and will not allow any person under 21 to have a FOID card unless they are in the military.

Cliff Notes version of HB5855:

• Effective date is the Governor’s signature
• Bans manufacturing, delivering, selling, or purchase of “Assault Weapons”
  • Specifically identifies over 100 types of Pistols, Rifles, & Shotguns
  • Catch all “Assault Weapons” definition based on characteristics of firearm and attachments
• Bans Possession of “Assault Weapons” 300 days after the effective date
  • Grandfathers existing firearms if they are registered with the Government
  • Specific registration scheme plus a $25 per person fee
• Bans manufacturing, delivering, selling, purchase, and possession of Large Capacity Magazines
  • Defined as any magazine that can hold greater than 10 rounds
  • A person becomes a felon upon the Governor’s signature for possession
    • They do not grandfather existing magazines
• Bans devices that can convert a semi-automatic firearm to automatic
  • Bump stocks & switches are the common names
• No FOID cards for those under 21
  • The Government evidently knows more on how to raise your kids than a parent

We have consistently heard from anti-Second Amendment legislators that they “don’t want to take away your guns, we only want common sense gun reforms.” Under HB5855 their first step is to take away your magazines and force law-abiding citizens to register their firearms.  The legislation goes beyond magazines used in semi-automatic rifles to also include magazines used in millions of commonly owned handguns.  Their next step is to use that very registry to take away your firearms.  The anti-gun crowd’s agenda has always been to incrementally peal back the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Illinois citizens.  The Illinois State Rifle Association will not be entering into any negotiations on this piece of legislation.  Elections have consequences.  We will see the State of Illinois in court should this bill be enacted into law.

So, are you angry?  Good, so are we.  As law-abiding citizens the time is now to take a stand for our constitutionally protected rights.  It is time to use our 1^st amendment rights to protect our 2^nd amendment rights.  We will have more emails to follow but know this, collectively we have until early January to let our voices be heard.

Please remember dues and donations to the ISRA are NOT tax deductible.

Regards,

 

Richard A. Pearson
Executive Director
Illinois State Rifle Association