The most difficult year gun owners have ever faced is about to begin in the General Assembly.  I want everyone to understand that the ISRA lobbying team will be doing everything possible to protect your Second Amendment Rights.  I know these are troubling times and gun owners are worried and frustrated.  There are a few who have called legislators names.  That is not helpful.  The ones that I know about were not ISRA members but we are still painted with the same brush.  When that happens and we try to talk to legislators the name calling becomes the topic and we never get to discuss the bill or issue that we were there to talk about.  It simply makes our job more difficult.

I will not mince words.  This is going to be a tough year and we need everyone’s help.  The Committee hearings will begin very soon and we will need everyone to submit witness slips when needed.  We will do our best to keep you apprised of the situation.  While it has been gratifying to see the number of new members joining or rejoining the ISRA, we need many more.  If you are not a member, become one.  If you are a member, please recruit two or three more. 

Gun bills are coming like hail stones in a thunderstorm in Springfield.  As I write this, there are 44 gun bills, so far, but there will be more.  Most anti-gun bills fall into more than one category.  Think about these as you read through them.  The categories are as follows:  Bans on certain firearms or parts, making firearms and ammunition more costly, making firearms burdensome to own or use, making firearms harder to purchase and making firearms socially unacceptable to own.  These categories can be further subdivided but we are just generalizing here.  Before I give a few examples remember that the target of these laws really is the legitimate firearm owners.  None of these laws have little, if any, effect on criminals.

Here are a few examples:

HB 174 - Lost & Stolen Firearms – Penalty:  If this bill passes, the firearm owner becomes the victim twice.  First, when they get their firearm stolen and then they are punished for not reporting it within 72 hours of discovery.  The felony levels increase if it happens more often.  The punishment is a class 4 felony which, of course, means that not only will you be punished for the felony, but you will also lose your FOID card.  Who will be affected by this?  The law abiding gun owner.  The criminal who stole the firearm doesn’t care and may be getting a lesser punishment than the victim.

HB 899 - Firearms Owners ID – Revoked: This bill provides that the Department of State Police shall revoke for one year a person’s FOID card if a person reports 3 separate incidents in a 2-year period.

So, isn’t this a dandy situation.  Under HB 174, if you don’t report a firearm lost or stolen, you lose your FOID card and under HB 899, if you do report your firearm lost or stolen you lose your FOID card. 

The Ammo Tax Bill, SB 121, is another beauty.  This bill puts a $.01 tax on every round of ammo that is sold in Illinois.  That includes everything, .22’s, shotgun shells and center fire ammunition.  The claim is that this will create a Community Mental Health Services Fund.  As I have said before, mental health funding is a problem but why is it the gun owners’ responsibility?  The State of Illinois created the local problems when they closed Zone Centers years ago and literally left those folks who needed help out in the cold.  We now call them the homeless.  If anyone thinks the state will reserve this or any other earmarked money for what it was intended, they are smoking dope.  Remember the lottery and how it was supposed to fund schools?  After a few years that money disappeared into the General Fund and the same will happen to this money.  The purpose of this tax is to burden gun owners.  The mental health idea is just putting lipstick on a pig.

While at the SHOT Show I sought out the Springfield Armory 911 in .380.  Many believe the .380 to be too wimpy of a round but I believe that is no longer true with modern self-defense loads.  The question that always arises is would you rather have a 9mm or a .45; the answer is yes, but one has to take other considerations into account like concealability, weight, how you will carry the firearm and who is using it.  The Springfield Armory 911 in a .380 is basically a shrunken 1911 and comes with the ergonomics similar to a full sized 1911.  Notice I said similar.  Recoil management was easy with the little 911.  It is light, easy to conceal and I had all A zone hits at 15 yards.  I can certainly recommend the Springfield 911 in .380.  It is not all that expensive either.

The following are a few events you may want to attend:
February 16^th - we will be at the White Tails Dinner in Cobden.

February 23^rd and 24^th - Bill Potts and I will be making presentations at the Bloomington Gun Show regarding what is happening in Springfield.  If you are an ISRA member, bring your ISRA membership card and you will get $1.00 off admission.   

March 2^nd - we will have a rally in Quincy at the Eagles Lodge from 10am until 2pm.

Don’t forget IGOLD on March 27^th in Springfield.

Thanks for being a member.  If you are not a member, join today!

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

Saturday, February 9, 2019
New RSO Orientation

Tuesday, April 12, 2019
Air Rifle League & Practice

Saturday, February 16, 2019
ISRA Concealed Carry Renewal Class

Monday, February 18, 2019
Illinois Concealed Carry Renewal Class

Saturday, February 23, 2019
Emergency Self-Aid/Buddy-Aid for Trauma Injuries Course

Illinois Gun & Trade Shows

Mattoon Gun Show
Mattoon, IL – Cross County Mall
Dates: February 9 & 10, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 8:00-4:00
             Sunday: 8:00-2:00
Admission: $6.00

Aledo Gun Show
Aledo, IL – Aledo VFW Hall
Dates: February 9 & 10, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 8:30-4:00
             Sunday: 8:30-2:00
Admission: $3.00

Kane County Sportsman’s Show
St Charles, IL – Kane County Fairgrounds
Date: February 10, 2019
Hours: Sunday: 7:30-1:30
Admission: $5.00

Regional Firearms Auction
Rock Island, IL – Rock Island Auction Company
Dates: February 14-17, 2019

Illiana Gun Show
Danville, IL – Knights of Columbus Hall
Dates: February 16 & 17, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 9:00-4:00
             Sunday: 9:00-3:00
Admission: $3.00

Highland Gun & Knife Show
Highland, IL – Lindendale Park
Dates: February 16 & 17, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 9:00-5:00
             Sunday: 9:00-3:00
Admission: $6.00

New Berlin Gun Show
New Berlin, IL – Sangamon County Fairgrounds
Dates: February 16 & 17, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 9:00-4:00
             Sunday: 9:00-3:00
Admission: $5.00

McHenry County Gun Show
Woodstock, IL – McHenry County Fairgrounds
Date: February 17, 2019
Hours: Sunday: 8:00-1:00
Admission: $5.00

Kendall County Gun Show
Yorkville, IL – Kendall County Fairgrounds
Dates: February 23 & 24, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 8:00-4:00
             Sunday: 8:00-2:00
Admission: $6.00

Bloomington Gun & Knife Show
Bloomington, IL – Interstate Center
Dates: February 23 & 24, 2019
Hours: Saturday: 9:00-5:00
             Sunday: 9:00-3:00
Admission: $6.00

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