Today proved a trying day for the good guys in Springfield.  Going into the day, we had a gentleman's agreement with Senate leadership to give the Suppressor Bill a free and fair vote on the Senate floor before the end of session.  Senate President John Cullerton looks as though he's reneging on that agreement.  What's more, Senator Don Harmon and quite possibly Cullerton himself are pressuring fellow Democrat Senators to back off their earlier support for the bill.  One of these Democrat Senators, Scott Bennett of the 52nd District (Champaign/Danville area) initially voted for the bill back in April 2015.

I spoke with Senator Bennett this morning, along with the NRA-ILA's Shannon Alford.  Bennett "clarified" his support saying he was okay with suppressors for long guns while hunting, but he was dead set opposed to suppressed handguns and he didn't really see a need for allowing suppressors at shooting ranges.  He trotted out his A-rating from the NRA proudly, and said if he had problems with the bill as an A-rated candidate (2nd mention of his rating), then he imagined a sizeable majority of the Senate Democrat caucus felt the same.

In short, Senator Bennett's NRA A-rating looks as though it's fast going up in smoke.  You can't be pro-gun if you don't vote pro-gun.  You won't keep good ratings if you don't support gun rights.  Suppressors are legal in 42 states, including every state between California and the East Coast – except Illinois.  Bennett's apparently new-found objections precluding his support are excuses.

Illinois State Senator Scott Bennett is playing with fire.  It's time gun owners apply some heat to Senator Bennett's feet.  After all, the famous Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen once said, "When I feel the heat, I see the light."  

Call Senator Bennett's Springfield and Champaign offices. 

There are a couple of other Democrat Senators who are in the same boat, and we'll find out Tuesday if they've seen the light.  If not, they will certainly feel our heat in the coming session.

In other news from today:

Senate Bill 1824 – Sentencing Enhancements for Repeat Felons with Guns

Upon our arrival, we found SB-1824 wasn't going to be called in the House Judiciary Committee.  Seems the Black Caucus wanted to trade sentencing reform on other offenses in exchange for the enhanced penalties for convicted felons caught committing more crimes with an illegally-possessed gun.  The sense I got was that the bill's sponsor wasn't up for that or an agreement couldn't be reached, so it didn't get called.

I overheard an exciting "conversation" between a Chicago Democrat Senator and three women lobbying against the sentence enhancements (pictured below).  The women sounded as though they were lobbying for more money for youth programs instead of enhanced sentences.  (Why do some people think that throwing more money at "programs" can fix dysfunctional parenting?)

The Senator abruptly cut them off.  The Senator told them that youth programs are nice, but that "we" as the State of Illinois, need to communicate to these young black males killing one another in Chicago that there will be serious consequences for carrying a gun illegally.  The three women pressed their case (were they lobbying for the Boys and Girls Clubs or something?) and the Senator almost berated them for their opposition to taking violent bad guys off the streets of Chicago.

Frankly, I found it very refreshing to hear a Chicago Democrat advocate getting tough on repeat violent offenders who carry guns (illegally).

Moms Demand Action and ICHV were present.

Well, three moms and two from the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.  Colleen Daley (no relation to the former mayors), right, ICHV's Executive Director walked into the capitol complex with me this morning in fact.  They spent their day traipsing around from office to office urging Democrats to oppose the suppressor bill.  I meant to chat with Colleen to see if they had anything else on their plate for the day, but other behind the scenes lobbying tore me away from doing so. 

In short, it's high time to turn up the heat on squishy-soft downstate Democrats who like to campaign as pro-gun candidates to their constituents, only to vote with Senate President John Cullerton once they arrive in Springfield.

Make those calls.  If you're an NRA member, you've probably already received an email (and perhaps a call if you're in a critical district) urging you to contact your Illinois State Senator.  Do so Tuesday.  It won't matter after that…