Illinois Legislative Update 5/14/04

This week, the House passed SB 2165, which seeks to provide an affirmative defense for a gun owner if he uses a firearm prohibited by local ordinance in defense of himself or others. This bill now heads to the Senate for concurrence, where it has already passed once with strong, bipartisan support. Please call your State Senator at (217) 782-4517 and urge him to support this critical reform.

In addition, SB 2386, which also seeks to prohibit civil suits against a gun owner who uses a firearm to defend himself or others, has now passed both the House and Senate, and heads to Governor Rod Blagojevich (D). In other good news, SB 2156, the "Illinois Hunting Heritage Protection Act," has now passed both the House and Senate, and is awaiting action by the Governor. This legislation seeks to provide protections for the future of hunting in Illinois. Be sure to call Governor Blagojevich at (217) 782-6830 and urge him to sign SB 2165 and SB 2386, and remind him that both passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. Governor Blagojevich continues to threaten to veto any and all pro-gun reforms unless he also is sent anti-gun legislation.

In that vein, Chicago Democrats continue their efforts to resurrect attacks on gun shows and semi-automatic firearms. SB 947 is an assault on Illinois gun shows that seeks to tax firearm sales, register transfers, and increase the waiting period. It is being promoted in spite of anti-gun organizations that admit that there is no gun show "loophole" in Illinois. This bill has been on life support since last year, but anti-gun extremists are doing everything they can to revive it. The gun-ban crowd also continues to target semi-automatic firearms. Last year`s gun ban bill from Chicago Mayor Richard Daley (D), SB 1195, failed to garner enough support to pass, and similar legislation introduced this year also failed to move before legislative deadlines had passed. Nonetheless, it is clear that banning semi-automatics remains a serious threat, and the word is, that Governor Blagojevich will work to have a ban introduced next week. Blagojevich and Deputy Governor Bradley Tusk (D), a former staffer of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), will be working overtime to build support for their gun-ban agenda. Please be sure to call your State Senators at (217) 782-4517 and urge them to oppose any attacks on gun shows or semi-automatic firearms. For additional contact information, you can use our "Write Your Representatives" tool at www.NRAILA.org.