Thursday Bulletin – November 14, 2024 
 

Litigation Update

ISRA Statement on Harrel v. Raoul

By Executive Director Richard A Pearson

The ISRA and our partners in the Harrel v. Raoul had a great victory on Friday the 8^th of November.  I would like to thank the great work of our partners which includes the Second Amendment Foundation, Firearms Policy Coalition, Dane Harrel, Marengo Guns, and C4 Gun Store. A special thanks to ISRA attorney David Sigale.

From the very beginning the ISRA Harrel v. Raoul case was designed to win at every level which includes the Federal District Court, the Seventh Circuit Court, and the Supreme Court of the United States. We – along with the plaintiffs in the three other cases that were consolidated with ours - painstakingly assembled evidence which we presented in this case. Approximately 10,000 pages of evidence were presented in this case, plus witness testimony. The judge ruled the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA) and the registration scheme accompanying it unconstitutional. At the same time the judge issued a permanent injunction enjoining the state of Illinois from enforcing this act, but also issued a 30 day stay on the permanent injunction. The stay postpones the judgment’s effect in order to allow for the State of Illinois, which it has already done. This means the case is already at the Seventh Circuit, which likewise means the case will hopefully progress to the Supreme Court as rapidly as possible.

I believe we will win this lawsuit, and I also believe this lawsuit will have a ripple effect on other cases before various courts in Illinois and throughout the country. Judge McGlynn’s opinion is so well written and backed up by so much evidence that other courts and other judges will have to consider it. One of those cases would be the Anderson case which considers the Illinois ban on suppressors, and the Reece case which deals with “Liberty Week”, and other cases in various courts around the state.  It will also add constraints on the Illinois Governor and the Illinois General Assembly which would make them consider legislation more carefully that might be unconstitutional.

What does this case mean to Illinois gun owners right now? First, during the stay of the injunction you can’t do anything at this time. Further, we believe the State will seek a similar stay from the Seventh Circuit pending appeal. Without an extension of the stay by the Seventh Circuit, on December 9^th Illinois citizens will be able to purchase firearms covered by the PICA act, pickup firearms that were purchased during “Liberty Week”, and basically go on purchasing, owning, possessing firearms covered by the PICA act as they did before the act. 

What do I expect the Seventh Circuit to do? In our quest for a temporary injunction which happened earlier this year, the Seventh Circuit overrode the temporary injunction issued by Judge McGlynn, which ended “Liberty Week”. That does not mean the Seventh Circuit will do the same thing this time. One reason that the temporary injunction was not upheld was the evidentiary hearing had not been heard. Courts seldom issue temporary injunctions without an evidentiary hearing. I believe the Seventh Circuit will make an effort to expedite the case. However, I would remind everyone that the courts make their own schedule and there is no law requiring them to do it within a certain amount of time. However, whatever the outcome of the case at the Seventh Circuit level (whether the case is only heard by a three Judge panel or subsequently heard by the full en banc Court), we believe the Harell v. Raoul case and accompanying cases will eventually be heard by the Supreme Court of the United States. 

I believe our case will be heard by the Supreme Court of the United States, possibly with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals’ Bianchi v. Brown decision out of Maryland, which is now the subject of a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court. Depending on how that case progresses we may find ourselves filing for Certiorari alongside the Bianchi case, or waiting to see what the Supreme Court does with it.

I would like to thank all of our ISRA members for all of their support. Bringing cases like Harell vs. Raoul would be impossible without our members. If you are not a member, please join.

The Fallout from Pritzker's Unconstitutional Gun Ban - Executive Director Richard Pearson talks about the status of the Harrel v Raoul lawsuit, Judge McGlynn's findings on Friday, and the repercussions for Illinois gun owners and other drastic laws as well.

Legislative Update

There are three bills rumbling around in veto session.  We expect to see action on these bills in Lame Duck Session which could begin as early morning of January 8, 2025.

All of these bills put law abiding gun owners in jeopardy.  These bills can be followed by going to our website where they are updated within minutes of changes being made to them.  I urge everyone to refresh themselves on witness slips by watching the tutorial on our website.

To the bills;

HB5888 and SB3737 -  Lost and Stolen Firearms

SB2633 “Karina’s Law”  -  There are going to be amendments to this bill and there may be other bills introduced that we have not seen yet.

HB5891 and SB3527  -  Safe Storage of Firearms.

The situation is extremely fluid.  We will keep you updated.

Reminder – Key Tag Donation

If you have not sent your donation in for the Key Tag mailing, please try to do so as soon as you can.

Education & Training
 

ISRA Academy is continuing to offer CCL renewals each month

11/14/2024 (Thursday) 1:00pm – 4:00pm

11/30/2024  (Saturday) 1:00pm – 4:00pm.

CCL Class

Last Minute Discount for 16-Hour CCL Class. Please call the office between 8am and 4pm to register for the November 16 & 17th CCL Class for $150. This is only applicable to the November 16 & 17th Class. 

Defensive Handgun Training 2-Day Course 

John Farnam from Defense Training International (DTI) is holding this 2-day course at the ISRA Range in Bonfield, IL.

11/23/24 (Saturday)  9:00am – 5:00pm.

11/24/2024 (Sunday)  9:00am – 5:00pm.

Defensive Handgun Training 2-day Course Registration HERE. 

NRA Basic Pistol Instructor Couse – 

1/11 (Saturday) & 1/12/2025 (Sunday). 

Glock Armorer Course – 2/11/2025 (Tuesday) at ISRA Range in Bonfield, IL.                                                                           Glock Armorer Course Registration HERE.

Glock Operator Course – 2/12 (Wednesday) & 2/13/2025 (Thursday) at ISRA Range in Bonfield, IL.                                                            Glock Operators Course Registration HERE.

Pistol Optics Principles with Brian Hill of the Complete Combatant – 

4/12 (Saturday) & 4/13/2025 (Sunday).

*** Please contact academy@isra.org for any training or class questions.

If you would like to donate to us, please visit:  https://isra.org/support-us/
Thank you for your support!

GET IN THE FIGHT, STAY IN THE FIGHT, JOIN THE ISRA

To Join the ISRA, Go To: https://isra.org/join-us/ 

ISRA members: The Spring and Summer 2024 Shooter is now on our website at: https://isra.org/illinois-shooter-newspaper/

The Illinois State Rifle Association

is the home of marksmanship in Illinois

Tidbits

November 15, 1777 – The Continental Congress had moved to it's temporary headquarters in York, Pennsylvania.  There they constructed the first legal document leading to the formation of the United States of America.  The document was the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.  It took until 1781 for all 13 colonies to approve it.  The Articles of Confederation was improved upon again in 1787.  Finally, it was decided  that it was simply best to replace the Articles of Confederation with what would be known as the Constitution of the United States.

November 17, 1965 – United States First Cavalry Division is ambushed in the la Drang Valley.  Although declared a victory for the United States, the North Vietnamese learned a valuable lesson about American forces.  They had to engage American forces in close combat so U.S. artillery and air-fire could not be used without endangering American lives.  It became the North Vietnamese practice for the rest of the war. 

November 18 1863 – Abraham Lincoln travels to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for the dedication of a cemetery for soldiers killed in the battle of Gettysburg.  The battle took place between July 1^st and July 3^rd, but it turned the course of the war.

The Gettysburg Address really isn't that long, but it is magnificent in it's wording and thoughtfulness.

November 19, 1863 – Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address.  The Gettysburg Address is about 2 minutes long.  Lincoln thought no one would remember his words, but he was wrong on that one.

November 20, 1945 -   The Nuremberg Trials began.  The purpose of the Nuremberg Trials were the prosecution of Nazi war criminals. Before the trials could begin, the four major powers – the United States, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union, had to work out how to prosecute these war criminals.  The four different nations had their own laws.

In August of 1945, representatives of the four countries met and worked out the London Charter of military tribunals. The Nuremberg Trials were overseen by four judges, one from each country.

The 12 major architects of the Nazi policy were tried first.  These trials went on until 1949.  Before they were completed, 5025 individuals were tried and 806 of those were executed.

Nuremberg, Germany, was chosen because it was relatively unscathed by World War II and because many Nazi rallies were held there. The idea was to try the defendants in Nuremberg to bring closure and officially put an end to the Third Reich.

Other Events & 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. 

If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class, let us know the details, and we’d be happy to post it in our Weekly Range Schedule.

Nov 16 – 17   Crown Point Gun Show, Lake Co. Fairgrounds, Crown Point, IN

Nov 23 – 24   Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds

Nov 30 – Dec 1   Central Illinois Gun Collectors Gun Show, Sangamon Co. Fairgrounds, New Berlin, Sat 9am - 3pm; Sun 9 am - 2pm, Admission $5 adults

Nov 30 – Dec 1   Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau Co Fairgrounds, Princeton

Dec 7 – Dec 8  Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club House, Chillicothe

Dec 8   Kane County Gun Show - Kane County Fairgrounds

Dec 14 – Dec15  Kankakee Gun & Sportsman's Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds

Dec 14 – Dec15   Peoria Gun & Knife Show – Exposition Gardens, Peoria
Dec 21 – Dec22   Crown Point Gun Show, Lake County Fairgrounds, Crown Point, IN
Jan 4 – Jan 5, 2025   Decatur Gun & Knife Show, Decatur Conference Center & Hotel, Decatur, IL

Jan 12, 2025  Kane County Sportsman's Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL

Jan 25 – Jan 26, 2025   Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL

Feb 1 – Feb 2, 2025   Bloomington Gun & Knife Show, Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL

Feb 8 – Feb 9, 2025   Quad Cities Gun Show, QCCA Expo Center, Rock Island, IL

Feb 9, 2025  Kane County Sportsman's Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL

Feb 15 – Feb 26, 2025   Central Illinois Gun Collectors New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL

March 9, 2025  Kane County Sportsman's Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL

March 29 – March 30, 2025   Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL

April 13, 2025  Kane County Sportsman's Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL

ISRA Grassroots Monthly Meetings
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights!

East Central Illinois - 3rd Thurs – Clifton Sportsman’s Club, 3106 US-45 #52, Clifton, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm

Northwest Suburban - 3rd Tues – Golden Corral, 1591 S. Randall Rd., Algonquin, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm

South Suburban/Cook County - 2nd Thurs – Kenootz Pizza, 4659 147th St., Midlothian, IL; Doors open 6:30pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm

Will County - 3rd Wed – Silver Dollar Restaurant, 422 E. Mississippi Ave., Elwood, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
 

Stand Strong &
Thank you for being a member!

If you are not an ISRA member,  join today!

Donate: https://isra.org/support-us/

Visit www.isra.org

Upcoming Meetings: https://isra.org/isra-activities-and-events/

Upcoming Range Events: https://isra.org/the-range/#range-calendar