Executive Directors Message

It is the New Year and a sample of the challenges gun owners will face has already reared its ugly head.  The problem is SB337, a bill Governor Rauner has said he would veto but he may not get the chance.  SB337 could survive the 100th General Assembly even though it is not supposed to.  The reason for this is a flaw in the Illinois Constitution.  The term used is sine die which means all legislation will die upon adjournment of the General Assembly.  That is normally how it works.  The Illinois Constitution provides the new Governor will be sworn in on the 2nd Monday of January and the General Assembly will be sworn in on the 2nd Wednesday of January.  The problem is that this New Year’s fell on Tuesday which means the General Assembly will be sworn in first.  Normally, that is not a big deal but this year it is.

The reason it is going to be a big deal, at least for gun owners, is because of SB337.  The Constitution requires that a bill must be certified and sent to the Governor in 30 days.  To keep all of this straight in your mind it looks like it could work this way: SB337 has a hold on it, placed there by John Cullerton, the very anti-gun President of the Illinois Senate.  If the hold is taken off and sent to Governor Rauner, it will be vetoed and that will be that (at least on SB337).  If the hold is taken off and certified by the new General Assembly, the bill will be sent to newly elected Governor Pritzker and he will sign it.  The question is this: Can the new General Assembly certify a bill it has not passed?  The Illinois Constitution of 1970 does not address that question.  The Illinois Constitution simply says it must be certified by the General Assembly.  The reason is simply that the Framers of the Constitution never foresaw this problem.

The idea of a hold was to work out technical issues in a bill.  In this case the hold was used for political advantage which is not nice but, nevertheless, that is how it was used and there is no prohibition against it.  The courts may have to decide that one.

Situations like the one involving SB337 expose the dangers of government and how the rules can be manipulated.  Humans created government in an attempt to bring some sort of order into society.  In the movie The Patriot, Mel Gibson’s character questions war with the King of Great Britain with the question, why should I trade 1 tyrant 3000 miles away for 3000 tyrants one mile away?   The reason for the question is that all governments can be tyrannical no matter what their form.  The problem with governments and the people who create them is that there develops an immediate need for self-preservation that can easily turn dark and vicious.  Democracy is supposed to control the dark side of government but clearly has not.  The States of Illinois, California, New York, New Jersey and others prove my point.

Governments and the power of those governments are like a drug that is needed to stay alive.  With drugs we entrust doctors and pharmacists to prescribe and oversee their administration so we don’t take too much.  Too much of any drug can kill us.  We elect legislators, governors and judges to act in a similar capacity with government.  The problem is we have elected political drug addicts.

Thanks for being a member.

Upcoming Events: ISRA Calendar
For more information, visit www.isra.org

Saturday, January 5, 2019
Range Work Day
Illinois Concealed Carry Renewal Class

Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Air Rifle League & Practice

Saturday, January 12, 2019
Winter Wars XV
ISRA Concealed Carry Renewal Class

Saturday, January 19, 2019
New RSO Orientation

Illinois Gun & Trade Shows

Joliet Moose Gun Show
Joliet, IL – Joliet Moose Lodge
Date: January 5, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 8:00-4:00
Admission: $6.00

Peoria Gun Show
Peoria, IL – Exposition Gardens
Dates: January 12 & 13, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 8:00-4:00
             Sunday: 8:00-2:00
Admission: $6.00

Kane County Sportsman’s Show
St Charles, IL – Kane County Fairgrounds
Date: January 13, 2019
Hours: Sunday: 7:30-1:30
Admission: $5.00

Champaign Gun Show
Champaign, IL – Hilton Garden Inn
Dates: January 19 & 20, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 8:00-4:00
             Sunday: 8:00-2:00
Admission: $6.00

Kankakee Gun Show
Kankakee, IL – Kankakee County Fairgrounds
Dates: January 26 & 27, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 8:00-4:00
             Sunday: 8:00-2:00
Admission: $6.00

Galesburg Gun Show
Galesburg, IL – Knights of Columbus
Dates: January 26 & 27, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 9:00-5:00
             Sunday: 9:00-3:00
Admission: $5.00

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