Executive Director's Message

Richard Pearson

Get Ready For IGOLD 2026!

IGOLD is only two weeks away!  Right now, the number of gun bills exceeds 350 and there will, undoubtedly, be more coming.  We will be entering the “tricky times” of the legislative process, which means language will be stripped out of bills and new language substituted, even though the title of bill does not change.  For example, a bill that deals with the telephone poles might become an anti-gun bill, but the title will still say telephone poles.  Every year I get complaints that this kind of action should be illegal.  Sorry to say, it is legal, and it is confusing on purpose.  It is also unethical, to say the least, and we have to make sure we stay on our toes!

I am also often asked why we have IGOLD on a Wednesday and not some other day of the week. The answer is that the legislature has to be there on certain Wednesdays.  Therefore, IGOLD is timed around deadlines in the Illinois General Assembly.  This year IGOLD is on April 15, 2026 and  April 17, 2026, is the third reading deadline for both the House of Representatives and Senate.  We want as many people there as possible.  We also want the viewing public and the press to see as many people there as possible during the legislative session.

In addition, I get calls stating some legislators may not be there.  For legislators not to be there before a deadline is difficult.  There are always a million things going on in Springfield and to schedule around them is nearly impossible.  We have to schedule IGOLD a year in advance, even though the Legislative calendar does not come out until December.  Unfortunately, we just have to pick a date and go with it.  That's why we need you in Springfield on April 15th!

See you at IGOLD!

We're Ready... Are YOU?

The Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day (IGOLD) will be held at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield, Illinois, on April 15, 2026.  Doors open at 10:00 AM.  This is your opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with thousands of law-abiding gun owners and send a clear message to lawmakers:

 WE WILL DEFEND OUR RIGHTS.

This year matters more than ever.  We are behind enemy lines.  There is no question about that.  When you are behind enemy lines, all like-minded groups must stick together.  This includes gun rights groups, hunters, gun collectors, gun shops, gun clubs, shooting ranges, FFLs, manufacturers and YOU. 

The so-called "Responsibility in Firearm Legislation" Act (RIFL Act), a bill under consideration in the Illinois House and Senate, would eliminate the sales of new firearms in Illinois by establishing an over-the-top licensing fee for manufacturers to be able to sell firearms to retailers (FFLs) in Illinois. The RIFL Act is the anti-gunner's dream.  If this legislation were to pass, no manufacturer would participate in this scheme.  No manufacturers means no merchandise, no more retailers, no more firearms sales.  Remember when they said that they are not against hunters, shooting clubs, individual law-abiding gun owners?  Well, that was all a lie, all along.  That is why IGOLD is so important this year and your participation is crucial!

Remember what Benjamin Franklin said (attributed to him during the signing of the Declaration of Independence): "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

Our special guest this year is David McDermott, founder of McDermott Law Group. With over 27 years of courtroom experience and national recognition as a self-defense expert, David brings insight, energy, and a fighter’s spirit.  You won’t want to miss his message.

IGOLD began in the early 1990's as Illinois State Rifle Association Lobby Day, and became IGOLD, Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day, with input and assistance from other gun groups in Illinois.  The goal was to put a face on Illinois gun owners.  In 2013, more than 8,200 gun owners filled Springfield.  One early attendee was Otis McDonald, whose US Supreme Court case, McDonald v Chicago, changed the nation, and helped pave the way for Illinois Conceal Carry.  IGOLD proves what happens when we stand together.  

Let’s pack the Bank of Springfield Center.

Set up carpools.  Organize your club. Sponsor a bus. Bring family and friends.

Politicians notice numbers.  The media notices numbers. And numbers send a message.

We will support those who support our rights.  We will oppose those who don’t. And we will never apologize for exercising the freedoms guaranteed to us.

Mark your calendar for April 15, 2026.
Doors open at 10:00 AM.
Springfield, Illinois.

The ISRA will be sponsoring a bus for Southern Illinois.  The pickup site will be at the Dairy Queen parking lot, 816 Lehmen Dr., Chester IL 62233.  The bus will arrive at 7:00 am and depart for Springfield at 7:15 am.  The cost per seat is $30.  Please contact Rick Hall at 618-317-1176 to reserve your seat. 

Let’s make this the biggest IGOLD yet.

We teach safety.  We stand for freedom.  We never back down.

See you in Springfield!

To Join or Renew Your ISRA Membership, CLICK HERE.

Chicago Democrats Forced FOID on Illinois – ISRA Battled a Rigged System

By Richard Pearson 

There are some who blame the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) for the passage of the Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) card. That criticism ignores the reality of the time – and the uphill battle the ISRA faced.

To understand what happened, you have to understand what Illinois was like decades ago. Gun ownership was a normal part of life. Kids rode their bikes with BB guns or .22 rifles across the handlebars. Shotguns were used to control pigeon populations around churches and grain elevators. High school students often kept firearms in their trunks so they could go hunting after school. No one thought twice about it.

The ISRA itself was not a political machine. It was founded in 1903 to promote marksmanship and prepare citizens for national defense. In the 1960s, dues were just a couple of dollars a year.  Leadership often paid expenses out of their own pockets. There was no lobbying arm, no legal war chest, and no organized political infrastructure.  There were no legislative funds, and lawsuits to defend gun rights were not even part of the conversation

From 1968 through 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court did not recognize the Second Amendment as an individual right. That would not come until District of Columbia v. Heller in 2008, followed by McDonald v. City of Chicago in 2010 – ironically, a case the ISRA itself helped bring.

Before those rulings, Illinois law treated firearm ownership as something “subject to the police power.”  ISRA attorney Victor Quilici challenged the FOID Act twice in court and lost both times – not because the arguments were weak, but because the legal framework at the time simply did not recognize individual gun rights.

At the same time, gun owners were not politically organized. There were hundreds of sportsmen’s clubs across Illinois, but they focused on hunting and shooting sports – not politics. The NRA’s lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action, did not even exist until 1974.

Then came the political reality – and the rise of one of the most powerful political figures in American history.

 

In 1955, Richard J. Daley became mayor of Chicago, and that is when gun control efforts in Illinois began to take shape in a serious way.  Daley pushed aggressively for firearm restrictions through the Chicago City Council and used his growing influence to shape statewide policy.

By 1968, both the federal Gun Control Act and Illinois’ FOID Act were passed. The catalyst for these laws was a series of high-profile assassinations, including President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.  While criminals intent on violence are not stopped by laws, these tragedies gave gun control advocates the political opening they needed.

At the federal level, Senator Thomas Dodd led the charge to pass the Gun Control Act of 1968.  In Illinois, there was no more powerful force than Mayor Daley.  His political machine was unmatched.  In many ways, he wielded more influence than any governor in the country. The FOID Act did not emerge in a vacuum – it was part of a broader, coordinated national push for gun control.

When the FOID Act was passed, Illinois was operating under the Constitution of 1870. That system allowed for three State Representatives from each district – two from the majority party and one from the minority. In Chicago, that typically meant two Democrats and one Republican. Downstate, it meant two Republicans and one Democrat. It ensured that every region had a voice.  That changed with the 1970 Constitution which eliminated that structure and consolidated power.

In 1967, many Illinois residents – including future advocates – had never even heard of the ISRA.  When news of the FOID Act broke over the radio, it caught people off-guard.  People were trying to grasp what was happening. Concerned citizens went directly to their elected officials, only to be told the same thing: opposition didn’t matter.  Mayor Daley had the votes, and the bill was going to pass.

The ISRA and its volunteers were not prepared for that level of force. They were ordinary citizens – all of them were volunteers – with limited resources.  Yet they did fight back.  They pushed against full firearm registration and succeeded in stopping it.  What remained was the FOID card – a compromise forged under immense political pressure.

That context matters.

It is easy, decades later, to say they should have refused outright.  But that ignores the legal reality, the lack of resources, and the overwhelming power aligned against them.

The truth is simple: the ISRA did everything it could.

They fought without funding. They fought without legal precedent. They fought against one of the most powerful political machines in American history.  And, in the end, they prevented something even worse.

Critics today benefit from rights that were only secured decades later – thanks in part to battles the ISRA continued to fight, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Before passing judgment, remember this: the ISRA did not fail. They were outmatched, out-funded, and politically overpowered – and they still stood their ground and fought anyway.

Legislative Update 

The Illinois Legislature is out of session for the holiday.  They reconvene on 4-14-26.

The number of bills to be heard and the description of the bills is so long that we have provided a link to view them. Please CLICK HERE.

You can find the House calendar HERE and the Senate calendar HERE to view all the legislative session deadlines.

You can follow along by clicking the ISRA Legislation Page.

Thank you for your support and I will see you at the Illinois Gun Owner's Lobby Day (IGOLD) on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

Thank you for standing with the ISRA and for defending the rights of law-abiding Illinois gun owners.

Not an ISRA member?  Join the ISRA and support 2A rights in Illinois - CLICK HERE.

Litigation Update 

We are still waiting to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the Viramontes vs. Cook County Semi-Auto Ban Case.  We are also still waiting to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the Schoenthal vs. Raoul Case (concealed carry on public transportation).  And we are waiting on a decision from the Seventh Circuit on the PICA Law which bans semi-auto firearms in Illinois.   Waiting, waiting, waiting.  

To follow the cases the ISRA is tracking, visit the ISRA Litigation page - CLICK HERE.