Thursday Bulletin – September 28, 2023
Executive Director's Message Richard Pearson |
The Autumn Equinox was this past Saturday 4th which officially began the first day of fall. It is lesser known as the Vernal Equinox. The last Supermoon of the season, typically called the Harvest Moon, will officially become full on Sept. 29. The Harvest Moon got its name before the advent of electricity, when
farmers used the light of the full moon to harvest their crops late into the night. The next notable seasonal event is the Winter Solstice. It will begin on Thursday, Dec. 21, and end on Monday, March 20, 2024. Never fear – winter will be here. It's been a busy week on both the state and national stage. The following articles include three news releases of great importance. *** Fix to Hunter Education, Archery in Schools, a Top CSF Priority, Heads to President’s Desk
ISRA gains nearly 100 new members as gun owners rally around the ISRA in the fight against new Illinois Gun laws.
CONGRESSIONAL SPORTSMEN’S FOUNDATION FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 27, 2023 September 27, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) – Moments ago, the Senate unanimously passed the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act (H.R.
5110), a bipartisan bill and a top priority for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), which now heads to the President’s desk for signature. This bill will address the unintended consequences caused by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) and its impact on federal funding for hunter education, archery in schools, wilderness courses, and many other important educational enrichment programs. The unanimous Senate passage of H.R. 5110 comes shortly after the
House passed the bill Tuesday night on an impressive vote of 424 – 1. The bipartisan H.R. 5110, led by Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Members Reps. Mark Green and Richardson, will ensure that critical enrichment programs for millions of students are eligible to receive federal funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and will resolve the funding limitations
under the BSCA. For the last few months, CSF has been working with Leaders and Members of the CSC to see that a legislative fix to the BSCA moves quickly through Congress to restore ESEA funding for hunter education, wilderness courses, archery in schools, school sponsored shooting teams, and other critical enrichment programs for students across the nation. As a result of these
efforts, Congress passed the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act in swift fashion, a sign of the wide-spread support for these programs and CSF’s ability to advocate for meaningful legislation for sportsmen and women. In June 2022, the BSCA was signed into law, which included language that amended the ESEA to these federal funds from being used for training school personnel in
the use of a “dangerous weapon”, which is defined in federal statute as “a weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, animate or inanimate, that is used for, or is readily capable of, causing death or serious bodily injury, except that such term does not include a pocket knife with a blade of less than 2½ inches in length”. This sweeping definition is impacting many programs that are foundational to our sporting heritage such as wilderness courses, archery in schools, hunter education,
school sponsored shooting teams, etc. Unfortunately, because of the plain definition of “dangerous weapon”, the BSCA language is limiting the funding opportunities for the school programs that are critically important activities for America’s students. “CSF extends our appreciation to CSC Members Reps. Green and Hudson for their commitment to sportsmen and women and the millions of
students across the country that participate and cherish these important programs,” said CSF President and CEO Jeff Crane. “It is encouraging to see Congress move quickly to restore ESEA funding for these programs, a clear sign that hunting, fishing, and other sporting traditions remain a non-partisan issue.” CSF thanks Reps. Green and Hudson for their leadership on H.R. 5110 and thanks
all of the CSC Members who stepped in to resolve the BSCA issues through a legislative fix. We look forward to seeing this legislation signed into law by President Biden. Contributed by: William H. Potts Jr., ISRA Lobbyist *** ISRA Statement on Tuesday's Judiciary Committee Meeting RELEASED ON - September 26, 2023 ISRA Statement on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee Hearing Examining “Victims of Violent
Crime in Chicago” The Illinois State Rifle Association – one of the oldest and most respected gun organizations in the United States, released the following statement: “As Chicago crime statistics continue to dominate national headlines, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx continues to deflect any
responsibility – and instead chooses to blame ‘weak gun protection laws’ instead of the violent criminals who to this day, continue to roam the streets of Chicago targeting innocent victims.
Since 2021, nearly 250 attorneys have resigned from Kim Foxx’s office out of frustration because of her failure to hold violent criminals accountable for their crimes. And as a result, victims’ families are suffering, and the criminals are
celebrating.
In Illinois, Democrats like Gov. JB Pritzker and Kim Foxx have declared war on the 2nd Amendment and are deliberately targeting law-abiding citizens and their lawful right to bear arms – blaming the guns for the crimes rather than the criminals committing them.
We
applaud U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee for coming to Chicago and shining a light on the violent crime plaguing the city, and we remain grateful to the brave police officers who put their lives on the line each day under such difficult circumstances.”
To join in the fight and donate, please visit www.isra.org *** President Biden Launches Gun-Control
Office
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 22, 2023
ISRA Statement on the Establishment of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The Illinois State Rifle Association – one of the oldest and most respected gun organizations in the United States, released
the following statement:
“President Biden’s announcement that he is establishing the first of its kind White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention is a declaration of war against the 2nd Amendment and sets in motion – using federal resources, an office that will be used to target law-abiding citizens and to promote unconstitutional assault weapons ban legislation that will convert many legal firearms into
illegal firearms – in an effort to criminalize a citizen’s lawful right to bear arms.
While anti-gun activists are celebrating today, the ISRA will not back down and we will continue our fight to protect the right to bear arms for all law-abiding citizens, not just in Illinois, but across the country.”
To join in the fight and donate, please visit www.isra.org
Here’s the link to the Illinois
Review where article first appeared: https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2023/09/mayor-brandon-Jonson-toni-preckwinkle-attend-white-house-event-announcing-the-creation-of-the-office-of-gun-violence-prevention-state-rifle-assoc-responds.html Currently we have nothing new to report on the legal front. We will keep you posted. *** *** Body found in Mississippi may be suspect shot in attempted home invasion An
18-year-old who was found dead in a backyard in Moss Point, Mississippi this week may have been involved in a nearby attempted home invasion, according to authorities. The woman was discovered Jayrell Cox in her yard on the morning of September 22nd, but police in the Gulf Coast community didn’t publicly connect the discovery with the robbery attempt until this week. Police report that a homeowner in the same neighborhood found two armed men under his carport while exiting his house. When the two men tried to enter the home by force, the homeowner and the two-armed suspects reportedly exchanged gunfire. The two suspects fled on foot, according to the homeowner. The homeowner told police that he did not know if he had shot either one of the suspects. The next morning, Cox was found in the backyard of a nearby home. In fact, this is the second attempted home invasion in two months that has resulted in a fatality in the small Mississippi town, though the robbery attempt last month ended with the resident shot and killed. Being able to fight back in self-defense is a
necessity, and with two headline-grabbing attacks in two months the good people of Moss Point have had a couple of painful reminders of the importance of our Second Amendment rights. Remember, this can happen anywhere at anytime. The point is once again we are seeing the situation of people facing multiple attackers. You have to be ready. You have to
be trained. In a few days, we will be offering a class by Massad Ayoob which you will see listed further down in this bulletin with details and how to sign-up. This is a great class to take for home defense to learn how to effectively protect yourself and your loved ones. *** Garden State anti-gun Senator should reap what he
sows. Long-time anti-gun U.S. Senator “Shady Bob” Menendez, D-NJ, is facing indictments on bribery charges - again. Doesn’t it seem odd that the most anti-gun senators also seem to be the most corrupt? Menendez is just another example of the long line of the same kind of action. He deserves the same treatment that he is known for spouting off
about licensed carry holders bringing their arms into the Garden State: “Throw ‘em into prison for five years”. How about we take away his pension! *** This is the latest on gun sales from the NICS numbers and gun sales for August 2023, fifth highest on record for August: The National Instant
Background Checks (NICS) done by the FBI, and the estimated gun sales derived from those checks were about 2.14 million in August of 2023. The number of gun sales was estimated at 1.06 million. There have been about 14-million-gun sales per year, on average, for the last five years. *** The 38th
Annual Gun Rights Policy Conference was held this past weekend, 9/22 – 9/24, 2023, attended by our current president Doug Mayhall, past president Don Moran and ISRA board members Gretchen Fritz and David Lombardo, and former ISRA board member Kim Beard. We were joined by Massad Ayoob, President of the Second Amendment Foundation, and Alan Gottlieb, Chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep & Bear Arms. We are very proud to win this award. We have won this award numerous times including similar awards from other firearm associated organizations. The question is why do we keep winning these awards? The answer is: We keep fighting; We keep trying our best to protect you and our Second Amendment rights. That is why people stand by the ISRA. It’s why you should be a part of the ISRA, too. LEFT: Massad Ayoob (Pres. 2nd Amendment Foundation), Don Moran (past ISRA Pres.), Alan Gottlieb (Chairman, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep & Bear Arms), Doug Mayhall (ISRA Pres.)
RIGHT: Robyn Sandoval (Exec. Dir of A Girl and a Gun), Doug Mayhall (ISRA
President) LEFT: Gretchen Fritz (ISRA board member), Don Moran, Alan Gottlieb, Doug Mayhall & David Lombardo (ISRA board member)
RIGHT: Kim Beard (former ISRA Board Member), Doug Mayhall If you are not a member, click here, so you can join us. *** The Illinois
legislature Veto session schedule. Our state legislature returns for veto session October 24. That’s in 26 days. Petition filing begins in 60 days. The March primary is in 173 days and the November general election is in 404 days. Tick tock. *** Of interest to all
waterfowl hunters: Federal adds two 28-gauge, 3-inch, ¾-ounce loads in shot size No. 3 or 4 to its popular Black Cloud Waterfowl product line-up. “The technology blend of FLITESTOPPER Steel, zinc plated premium steel and FLITECONTROL FLEX wad, is highly effective in these loads. They pattern very tight and hit hard.” said Dan Compton, Federal Shotshell Product Director. Don’t forget Deer archery season starts Sunday, October 1st. ***** TIME IS RUNNING OUT…. The Illinois State Rifle Association is offering a special sale on Life and other upgraded memberships. Please check your mail and take advantage of this offer. Upgrades must be postmarked by Oct. 16. If you didn’t receive it in the mail, please call the office at (815) 635-3198. We can easily upgrade your membership on the phone. ***** Tidbits
September 30, 1954 – The USS Nautilus commissioned
The worlds
first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus was important because it projected the U.S. power and position around the world, at the time of the Cold War. September 31, 1776 – George Washington’s first army George Washington was very unhappy at the
disorganized and undisciplined militias that were supposed to make up his army. Just at the right moment Friedrich Von Steuben, a Prussian officer, showed up. Washington immediately appointed him to his staff, and Von Steuben started drilling the newly formed U.S. Army into a unit that could challenge the British army. Von Steuben also wrote the first book the U.S. Army had on training and discipline. October 1, 1890 – Establishment of Yosemite National Park The home of such natural wonders as Half Dome and the Giant Sequoia trees. Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were declared a national park by Congress. It was signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison, and paved the way for generations of hikers, campers, and nature lovers,
along with countless “Don’t Feed the Bears” signs. Native Americans were the main residents of the Yosemite Valley, located in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain range, until the gold rush of 1849. October 1, 1946 – Nazi war criminals death sentence Twelve high-ranking Nazis are sentenced to death by an international tribunal made up of representatives from the United States, the USSR, France, and Great Britain. It was the first trial of its kind in history, and the defendants faced charges ranging from crimes against peace to crimes of war and crimes against humanity. October 1, 1949 – Emergence of the People’s Republic of China Naming himself head of state, communist revolutionary Mao Zedong officially proclaims the existence of the newly reformed country. The loss of China, the largest nation in Asia, to communism was a severe blow to the United States, which was still reeling from the Soviet Union’s
detonation of a nuclear device one month earlier. October 3, 1863 – Lincoln proclaims official Thanksgiving holiday President Abraham Lincoln announces that the nation will celebrate an official Thanksgiving holiday on November 26, 1863, in expression of gratitude for a
pivotal Union Army victory at Gettysburg. The new holiday will forever be celebrated on November 26, 1863. *****
At the Range
Click here to view the entire calendar. All classes and events are open to the public & all range members, unless otherwise noted. The Illinois State Rifle Association is the home of
marksmanship in Illinois. Our F-Class League State Championship results are in. Here’s some highlights from coach Mike Symmers. - We hosted 42 competitors.
- 2-day match, 100 shot aggregate
- State Champion is Geoff Bushelle, scored 996-60X
- FTR winner Mike Catena scored 986-44X
- Joe Meyer set a new National Record (pending) with a score of 200-30X
- Competitors came from Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and
Texas
_______________ Massad Ayoob’s MAG 40 Class October 5, 6, 7 and 8 Massad Ayoob will be back teaching. A MUST HAVE CLASS! For every person concerned about self-defense, concealed
carry license holders, and concealed carry instructors.
Please click here for details on how to sign up. _______________ ISRA Black Powder State Championship October 15 @ 7:00 am - 3:00 pm Black Powder rifles with iron open sights; flintlock-rifles or smooth bore. Open to public.
Registration at 7:30am. Adults: $20, Juniors under age18 – $15. Walk-ins welcome: $25, Juniors $20. CONTACT: Thomas Fahrenbach at tef1@att.net, or Tom Spurlock at tom.spurlock@outlook.com _______________
Focus On – ISRA Academy Sept. 30 – AWA
Monthly Meeting Oct. 1 – Bonfield Muzzle Loaders Black Powder Oct. 1 – ISRA Academy NRA Range Safety Officer Class Oct. 3 – Tuesday Night
Irregular Rifles Oct. 4 – Bench Rest League Oct. 4 – Paper Steel League Oct. 5,6,7,8 – Massad Ayoob’s MAG 40
Class |
9-28 - Women's Team Pistol Practice - Range 1 - 4:00-6:00 9-29 – No Classes 9-30 - ISRA Steel Challenge - Range 8, 9, 10, 11 - 7:00-5:00 9-30 - Troop 17 - Range 1, 2, 6, 7, Pavilion - 8:00-8:00 9-30 - AWA Monthly Meeting - Clubhouse-9:00-10:00; Range 10-10:00-12:00 10-1 - Bonfield Muzzle Loaders-Black Powder - Clubhouse & Range 2 (7:00-2:00), Range 6 (12:00-2:00) 10-1 - ISRA 3Gun - Range 8, 9, 10, 11 - 7:00-2:00 10-1 - ISRA Academy NRA Range Safety Officer Class - Clubhouse, Range 1 - 8:00-5:00 10-2 – No Classes 10-3 - Tuesday Night Irregular Rifles - Range 3 & Pavilion - 11:30-Dusk 10-4 - Benchrest League - Range 4 - 8:00-Dusk 10-4 - Paper Steel League - Range 11 - 5:00-Dusk 10-5 - Massad Ayoob's MAG-40 - Range 11 & Clubhouse - 8:00-6:00 The ISRA Range offers great classes and leagues for shooting enthusiasts! Interested in joining a league? Just show up 15 - 30 minutes early. Range memberships are
available. A day at the ISRA Range is always a great day! Thank you
for being a member! Upcoming Gun Shows While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be accurate – sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only. Sept. 30 – Oct. 1 Central Illinois Gun Collectors Assoc. Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New
Berlin October 8 Kane County Sportsman's Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles October 22 McHenry County Gun Show, McHenry County Fairgrounds, Woodstock October 28 – 29 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County
Fairgrounds, Princeton November 4 – 5 Decatur Gun & Knife Show, Decatur Conference Center, Decatur November 4 – 5 ECA Hunting & Trade Shows, Belle-Clair Fairgrounds, Belleville November 4 – 5 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee
County Fairgrounds, Kankakee November 12 Kane County Sportsman's Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles November 19 McHenry County Gun Show, McHenry County Fairgrounds, Woodstock November 25 – 26 Central IL Gun Collectors
Association, Sangamon Co. Fairgrounds, New Berlin November 25 – 26 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton November 26 Lake County Gun & Sportsman Show, Antioch VFW, Antioch December 2 – 3 Will County Gun Show, Will County
Fairgrounds, Peotone December 2 – 3 Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club House, Chillicothe December 9 – 10 Bloomington Gun & Knife Show, Interstate Center, Bloomington December 9 –
10 Peoria Gun & Knife Show, Exposition Gardens, Peoria December 10 Kane County Sportsman's Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles December 16 – 17 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee County Fairgrounds December 16 – 17 ECA Hunting & Trade Shows, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield December 17 McHenry County Gun Show, McHenry County Fairgrounds, Woodstock
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