Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Legal & Legislation

Illinois: Chicago Mayor Proposes Statewide Handgun Registry

Friday, February 10, 2012

Contact your state Legislators TODAY and urge them to oppose this blatant attack on your gun rights!

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) is trying to advance the anti-gun legacy of the man he replaced, former Mayor Richard Daley (D), by proposing a statewide handgun registry.  Daley was well-known as an anti-gun zealot who promoted draconian gun control policies on a regular basis for two decades as Chicago’s Mayor.  Emanuel is no stranger to anti-gun policies, of course.  He served in the anti-gun administration of President Bill Clinton (D), followed by several years in Congress where he consistently earned an F-rating from the NRA-PVF.  Before being elected Mayor of Chicago, he was Chief of Staff to anti-gun President Barrack Obama (D).

Emanuel’s registration scheme would cost law-abiding gun owners $65, presumably for each handgun, which would add yet another superfluous bureaucratic fee a law-abiding citizen must pay before they are allowed to exercise their Right to Keep and Bear Arms.  Illinois residents must already acquire a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card before they may lawfully own ANY firearm, and nobody may lawfully acquire a new firearm in Illinois without first showing a valid FOID card.

While this proposal has yet to be finalized and introduced in Springfield, the NRA will strongly oppose any effort to impose a firearms registration scheme.  When asked about this proposal, pro-gun state Representative Brandon Phelps (D-118) told the Chicago Tribune, “Number one, my first response was, ‘I don’t know why you’re trying to do this statewide because we don’t want your policies on us downstate.’”  Phelps, who represents a southern Illinois district, went on to say, “Number two, it’s never going to work.  They’re trying to go after criminals.  They’re never going to register their guns.  They won’t pay the fee.”  The NRA agrees with Representative Phelps, especially when he refers to the proposal as a “slap in the face of every law-abiding gun owner.”  Please take a moment to contact your state Representative and Senator to tell them to reject any firearms registration scheme proposed by Rahm Emanuel!

Contact information for your state Senator can be found by clicking here and state Representative contact information can be found here.

In addition, please continue to voice your objections to House Bills 1294, 1599 and 1855, which the NRA previously reported on here.  These anti-gun bills could be considered at any time.

TRENDING NOW
Redditors Embarrass Virginia Assembly’s Chief Gun Banner

News  

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Redditors Embarrass Virginia Assembly’s Chief Gun Banner

In late August, Virginia State Delegate Dan Helmer (D-10), who represents a portion of the Northern Virginia D.C. suburb of Fairfax County, took to Reddit for an “ask me anything” (AMA) question and answer session.

Virginia Case Shows Gun Control is Aimed at Decent Citizens, Not Criminals

News  

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Virginia Case Shows Gun Control is Aimed at Decent Citizens, Not Criminals

Economics has a concept called “revealed preference.” The gist is that a person’s observed actions reveal more about their preferences than what a person might profess to favor. 

Promise to Practice: Federal Firearm Rights Restoration is Now a Reality

News  

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Promise to Practice: Federal Firearm Rights Restoration is Now a Reality

The federal government’s promise to provide a pathway to restore firearm rights is no longer merely a commitment on paper. 

Unhealthy Exposure: Gun Ban Advocates Allergic to Defensive Gun Use

News  

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Unhealthy Exposure: Gun Ban Advocates Allergic to Defensive Gun Use

One of the narratives invented by gun control activists and their political allies to try to make their agenda more palatable to the general public has been to recast gun crime as a “public health ...

NRA Files Amicus Brief in Supreme Court “Assault Weapons” Cases

Saturday, September 5, 2026

NRA Files Amicus Brief in Supreme Court “Assault Weapons” Cases

The National Rifle Association, alongside the Independence Institute and the American Suppressor Association, filed an amicus brief on Friday in the consolidated cases Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, which challenge the "assault weapons” bans ...

Federal Court Strikes Down NFA Registration Requirements for Suppressors, Short-Barreled Rifles, and Short-Barreled Shotguns in NRA Case

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Federal Court Strikes Down NFA Registration Requirements for Suppressors, Short-Barreled Rifles, and Short-Barreled Shotguns in NRA Case

In another major victory for the National Rifle Association and law-abiding gun owners, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas today held that the National Firearms Act’s registration and approval requirements for ...

Questions and Answers About the Texas NFA Case

News  

Monday, August 17, 2026

Questions and Answers About the Texas NFA Case

On August 12, we reported on an important development in the ongoing litigation over the National Firearms Act (NFA) filed by multiple plaintiffs in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. These included, ...

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

News  

Friday, March 21, 2025

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

On March 20, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published an interim final rule entitled, Withdrawing the Attorney General’s Delegation of Authority. That bland title belies the historic nature of the measure, which is aimed at reviving ...

Biden-Era “Engaged in the Business” Rule (Again) Ruled Illegal

News  

Monday, August 31, 2026

Biden-Era “Engaged in the Business” Rule (Again) Ruled Illegal

The anti-gun programs and policies of the Biden-Harris administration have been falling like dominoes, lately.

What Does the Texas NFA Decision Mean for You?

News  

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

What Does the Texas NFA Decision Mean for You?

On August 5, 2026, Judge Wesley Hendrix of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas held that the National Firearms Act’s registration and approval requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.