Thursday Bulletin – January 11, 2024
Executive Director's Message Richard Pearson |
DAN CAULKINS v. GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER LAWSUIT Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decided not to review the Dan Caulkins v. Governor JB Pritzker lawsuit. Many people think that this lawsuit was about the Illinois Assault Weapons Ban, but that is not true. The Caulkins v. JB Pritzker case is about the workings of the Illinois State Legislature and their procedures related to passing the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA). SCOTUS
traditionally has not interfered with the procedures, rules, and workings of State Legislative bodies. This is the likely cause why this case was turned down. We would like to remind everyone that the ISRA is NOT involved in any way with the Caulkins v. JB Pritzker case. Our lawsuit is Harrel v. Raoul, and we are presently working on an appeal for SCOTUS to review our
case. That appeal must be presented to the Supreme Court by March 10, 2024. Based on recent rulings by SCOTUS, we have a good chance of winning our case. You can see the video below for more information: Please subscribe to our social media and YouTube content to stay up to date on the latest developments. Just click the logos below. Illinois State Police Won't Pursue Charges for Unregistered Guns. With under 2% of the FOID card holders registering firearms with the Illinois State Police (ISP), the ISP has announced it will not pursue charges for unregistered guns. The portal reportedly will remain open so people can still register them.
For most gun owners in Illinois their act of civil disobedience is sending a message and likely won’t actually result in prosecution. Of course, we hope we will win in our suit at the U.S. Supreme Court! The ISRA has Long Supported Concealed Carry on Public Transportation. That is now against the law in Illinois. Over the weekend, a man on parole
for armed robbery, beat a 61-year-old woman on the Red Line train, leaving her brain dead. Well, this woman may have not wanted to carry concealed, but at least she would have the opportunity to, if it wasn’t against the law, and might be alive today. NICS Gun Sales for December 2023 and the Rest of the Year. The number of gun sales estimated using the National Instant
Background Check System, or NICS, for December of 2023 was about 1.74 million guns. This was the fourth-highest number of gun sales for December in the NICS system. The number of background checks was about 2.73 million. This was the sixth-highest December for NICS background checks. 2023 had the fourth-highest total for gun sales of any year recorded by the
NICS system, about 15.31 million, which is virtually tied with the total gun sales for 2016. The total number of privately owned firearms in the United States is estimated at 503 million, or about 1.5 privately owned guns for every individual. In 1949 Albert Einstein wrote an article in “Monthly Review” magazine in which he
addressed his concerns about the national media. In the article, Einstein warned that the very rich would control the means of communication and it would be almost impossible for ordinary people to make informed decisions based on what the media reported. Albert Einstein wrote about the conditions in 1949. He would really be upset about those same issues in 2024, which are much worse than they were in 1949. Federal Appeals Court Restores Block of California’s CCW ‘Sensitive Places’ Law. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed an earlier order which put a hold on a lower court ruling that blocked California’s new law prohibiting concealed carry in most public places. This is a significant victory for gun rights and Second Amendment advocates. Bombshell Poll: ‘More Than 20%’ of 2020 Mail Voters Engaged in Election Fraud. A bombshell report from Rasmussen, the veteran polling firm, says a recent survey found, “More than 20% of voters who used mail-in ballots in 2020 admit they participated in at least one form of election fraud.” Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day (IGOLD) will be on Thursday, April 18th this year. If your gun club, gun shop, hunting group and/or
organization is thinking about bringing a bus to IGOLD with your members, NOW is the time to plan it. If you are bringing a bus, please let us know by April 1st. The bus parking and shuttle bus will have to be paid for in advance. Please notify the ISRA Office and speak with Shirley at 815.635.3198 Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4pm. You can also email Shirely at shirley@isra.org. If you email Shirley, please put BUS NOTIFICATION in the subject line. We will update you on IGOLD as we get closer to the date. Tidbits
January 11, 1908 – Theodore Roosevelt declares the
Grand Canyon a national monument. January 12, 1888 – The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard strikes in Northwest Plains of the United States. The blizzard was so named due to most of the 235 people that died in the blizzard were children trying to get home from school. The temperature fell 100° in 24 hours, and the snow accumulated to 5 feet or more.
For example, in Plainfield, Nebraska, 3 children who lived less than 90 yards from the schoolhouse became lost in the blizzard on the way home and died of hypothermia. It was the worst blizzard in recorded history of the Northwest Plains. The blizzards in 1886, 1887, and 1888 destroyed most of the cattle herds in the Northwest Plains. One of those most affected was a rancher by the
name of Theodore Roosevelt. January 13, 1929 – Wyatt Earp dies in Los Angeles at the age of 80. When Wyatt Earp died, one of the legends of the old west died. January 14, 1784 – The Continental Congress ratifies the treaty of Paris ending the war for
independence. This was actually the second Treaty of Paris. The first Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763 in which Britain officially agreed to end the Seven Years’ War. In the United States, this was known as the French and Indian War. In the treaty ending the war for independence, Great Britain agreed to abandon all forts, properties and areas listed in the second Treaty of Paris but did
not do so. It wouldn’t be until the War of 1812 that Great Britian actually abandoned all the forts and properties it agreed to, in the 1784 treaty. January 15, 2009 – US Airways Captain Sully Sullenberger successfully lands his airplane in the Hudson River after hitting a flock of geese which knocked out both airplane engines. Captain Sullenberger
was an experienced fighter pilot before he became a commercial aviation captain. He also taught commercial pilots emergency landing procedures. All 155 people aboard survived. The worst injury was two broken legs. Several other passengers were treated for bruises and for hypothermia. A flotilla of commuter ferries, sightseeing boats and rescue vessels hastened to the scene. Sullenberger
was the last to leave his airplane. He was a true American hero. January 16, 1919 – The 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is ratified. The 18th Amendment banned the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for human consumption. The goal was to reduce crime, but it had the opposite effect. Crime became embedded in
the United States, and eventually lead to the rise of such criminals as Al Capone, Bugs Moran, and many others. Nine months later, Congress passed the Volstead Act which enabled the enforcement of prohibition. The government ordered poison to be added to regular alcohol to encourage people not to drink. This government program killed somewhere between 10,000 and 25,000 Americans. Another
example of how the government protects you by killing you. January 17, 1966 – A B-52 bomber accidentally loses an H-bomb off the coast of Spain. The accident occurred when the bomber collided with a KC-135 jet tanker during a refueling operation. It was carrying 3 bombs, none of which were unarmed. Later a submarine spotted the bomb, and it was
miraculously recovered. The Illinois State Rifle Association is the home of marksmanship in Illinois 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. We are glad to announce that we will have an M1 Maintenance Class scheduled for Saturday, March 23, 2024, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the ISRA Range in Bonfield, IL. We have a highly qualified
instructor, Larry Collinson, who has been with Springfield Armory for a long time. Mr. Collinson is an expert on the M1 Rifle. You will learn to take apart, clean, reassemble, and maintain your M1 Garand Rifle during this class. The class size is limited to 32 people. The cost is $65 (ISRA member) and $110 (non-member). Lunch will be provided. If you have special dietary needs, you will need to provide your own lunch. There will be no walk-ins allowed. To register, contact the Office at 815.635.3198 and talk to Mel or Shirley. You can also e-mail them at mel.hitchens.isra@gmail.com or shirley@isra.org. Winter Wars THIS SATURDAY Registration – Walkins Welcome Our first big event of the year is Winter Wars on the 13th of January, held at the ISRA Range. Registration is from 8 am – 9 am, the match begins at 9 am and runs until 5 pm. This is a
fun time to commemorate the winter battles and the rifles used in them. These would include, but not limited to 1903 and 1903-A3 Springfield Rifles, 1917 Enfield, M1, M1 Carbine and M1As. Non-US Rifles would include Enfield SMLE Rifles, SVT-38/40, SA80, Mosin Nagant, SKS Rifles, AK Rifles, KAR98K, and other miscellaneous rifles. This is the perfect time to dig those rifles out of the closet and have some fun with them. There will be a warm campfire, hot coffee and chili for all. Come out and
enjoy the fun. Walk-ins are welcome. The registration fee is $30. Please bring 40 rounds of ammunition per battle with you. Full details of the event are in the latest Illinois Shooter newspaper. For more information, email wnbilotta@comcast.net. Late registration is at 8-8:30 am, Safety briefing starts at 8:45 am, First shot is at 9:00 am. You must be present for the 8:45 am safety briefing to fire the match!
Please print this downloadable form, fill it out and bring with you: The ISRA Range is located at 1589 N 7000w Rd, Bonfield, IL 60913. 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. Jan 12 – 14 Hannibal/Quincy Gun Show, Admiral Coontz Armory, Hannibal, MO Jan 13 – 14 Belleville Gun & Knife Show, Bell-Clair Fairgrounds, Belleville Jan 13 Davenport Gun & Knife Show, Mississippi
Valley Fairgrounds, Davenport Jan 14 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles Jan 20 – 21 Dubuque Gun & Knife Show, Grand River Conference Ctr., Dubuque Jan 20 – 21 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds Jan 27 – 28 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton Feb 3 – 4 Bloomington Gun & Knife Show, Interstate Center,
Bloomington Feb 10 – 11 The Quad Cities Gun Show, QCCA Expo Center, Rock Island Feb 11 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles Feb 17 – 18 Central Illinois Gun Collectors, Sangamon Co Fairgrounds, New Berlin, www.cigca.net Feb 24 – 25 Decatur Gun & Knife Show, Decatur Conference Center,
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