Everyone and their dog from the gun control side of things are pressuring the Illinois General Assembly to pass gun control that’s patently unconstitutional. They simply don’t care about the rule of law, the Constitution and Supreme Court precedent.
So what’s happening? Both the House and Senate returned to session yesterday where nothing happened. The Senate had a LONG Democrat caucus. House members were “in session” for all of twenty minutes. No movement on anything publicly.
Privately, it’s a different story.
It seems like the real negotiation on this is happening in the Senate Democrat caucus. Sorry Bozo Bob Morgan, sponsor of 5855…
Leaks from the caucus suggest that they are going to let something come from the House to start the process. Exemption for manufacturing and off-duty police. (Looks like they found that those problems in 5855.) There would still be a ban on sales of black rifles, scary shotguns and extra-icky handguns for Illinois residents. There will likely be some form of grandfathering. Pretty much all of the remaining major areas (under 21s, mag grandfathering, etc. etc.) are subject to internal negotiations as they try to hammer something out that they think can get the votes and pass constitutional muster. (Psst: it won’t make it in the courts, but don’t tell them. You’ll take all the fun out of this for us.)
Obviously nobody’s seen the final language and it’s unlikely they found most or all of the dozen-plus major (fatal?) flaws in 5855.
Pressure’s building on them to “do something” today.
Rumor has it they think they have 60 votes and maybe a couple more to move 5855 as is in the House, but some Black Caucus members in the senate aren’t feeling real good about voting for it (but they probably will). But then again, our side believes the competing bill from the Senate will be tossed into the mix to cajole a couple of extra votes on the Senate side to ensure no surprises when it’s called for a vote at the last minute later this week or early next week.
Meanwhile our side is drafting our lawsuits. Have a nice day, Bozo Bob Morgan.
Here’s a roundup…
Gun-rights advocate Todd Vandermyde says they won’t negotiate despite hearing there could be amendments.
“They’re looking to modify the magazine limits,” Vandermyde told WMAY Wednesday. “We hear the number they’re kicking around now is 12. Not a big jump from 10 to 12. And we think that they’re having some discussions about the age limit stuff. I think reality is setting in with some people that they have constitutional issues with what they’re proposing.”
Vandermyde and others promise lawsuits will be filed challenging the various aspects of the proposed bill if it were to be approved and enacted.
Opposition continues to mount. Before the Christmas holiday, the Madison County Board voted to denounce House Bill 5855.
I’d add that Christian County, DeWitt County, Iroquois County and potentially some others have already passed county-level resolutions to block enforcement of 5855 or anything similar. A host of other downstate counties are likely to do so this week and next.
Giffords, the gun violence prevention group founded by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, says its polling shows views on assault weapons fall along party lines, with Democrats supporting a ban and many Republicans opposing it. Some questions in the poll might indicate the challenges lawmakers are facing as they consider the legislation.
Dozens of faith community leaders came together Wednesday morning to share their support and perspectives on proposed state legislation aimed at addressing one of the biggest problems to plague Chicago — gun violence.
Pastors, reverends, rabbis and imams, including the Rev. Michael Pfleger
Michael Pfleger, the priest who faces or has faced multiple child sex abuse allegations. You gotta love how the church polices its own when it comes to abusing little boys (and girls).
and Pastor Cornelius Parks, filled the stage of Good Hope Free Will Baptist Church in East Garfield Park — just blocks from where a deadly mass shooting took place on Halloween — to voice their concerns on gun violence across the city. They used the rally as a call for action to support House Bill 5855, or the Protect Illinois Communities Act.
It’s GANG VIOLENCE, not gun violence.
The legislation would ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, help to further implement Illinois’ Firearm Restraining Order law and address illegal gun trafficking in the state and is a response to the mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, where seven people were killed and dozens of others injured by a shooter using an assault-style rifle and high-capacity magazines.
Rep. Bob Morgan, a Democrat from Deerfield who was marching in the parade when the shooting occurred, introduced the bill in December after months of work by the Illinois House Firearm Safety and Reform working group, which he chairs. The group was formed in July with a goal of creating legislation that the General Assembly could pass to reduce gun violence in Illinois, he said.
And WGN…
The act would do a number of things, including banning the sale or purchase of assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. It would also raise the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21.
It would even extend the duration of a firearm restraining order from six months to one year. […]
The bill had two committee hearings last month. Legislators are returning to the Capitol Wednesday for a lame-duck session.
Currently, no hearing is scheduled in the session for this bill.
Don’t forget the Patch…
As of midday Wednesday, 35 state representatives, all Democrats, had signed on to Morgan’s bill as co-sponsors. It will still need to win approval in the state Senate, where similar measures have stalled in the past.
Democrats have supermajorities in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, which rewrote the state’s gun laws in 2013, but they have never called a floor vote on the issue of an assault weapons ban and it remains to be seen if it will called for a vote this time.
Gun owner advocacy groups have opposed the bill and pledged to fight it in court if it passes. The National Rifle Association, Guns Save Life and the Illinois State Rifle Association have called for their members to lobby lawmakers to vote against the bill.
Rallies in support of the bill are planned for Thursday in Springfield.
NBC Chicago gets in on the action as well…
Data obtained by NBC 5 Investigates shows that more than 73,000 residents filed applications for FOID cards in Illinois during the five months after the Highland Park shooting, marking a 19% increase over the months prior to the attack.
Those individuals who currently own weapons that are deemed “assault weapons” under the proposed legislation would have the option of registering those guns with the Illinois State Police, according to bill sponsors.
This grassroots effort is being led mostly by moms, as some call it a personal crusade. […]
“Grassroots”? LOL. Hey, here’s a free t-shirt and we’ll feed you pizza. Join us for a bus ride out of the city.
Three buses full of Chicago inner city folks advocating for taking away their own right to self-defense. Those are some smart cookies right there.
Here’s a clue:
Ashley Beasley is a parade survivor.
She will be on the buses with other moms Thursday morning to rally and meet with legislators in Springfield.
“For me, activism has been a huge part of therapy. Getting involved in trying to make change has been something that has helped me to take control,” Beasley said.
And last, but not least Sun-Times…
Legislators held a hearing on the bill in mid-December, when critics questioned its cost and constitutionality and supporters recounted the trauma of the year’s mass shootings.
There are enough Democrats in both state chambers to pass the bill without Republican support, but conservative, downstate Democrats have been wary of supporting similar bills in the past
In 2018, after the Parkland, Florida, school shooting that killed 17 people, Illinois tried to increase the age minimum to buy an assault weapon to 21. But the bill was vetoed by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, who had called for the bill to expand the purchase wait period for all guns to 72 hours and to institute a death penalty for cop killers.
In 2005, after a federal ban on assault weapons ended a year earlier, state Rep. Edward Acevedo, D-Chicago, sponsored a bill to ban semiautomatic assault weapons, assault weapon attachments, .50-caliber rifles and cap magazines at 10 rounds, similar to this year’s bill. But the bill failed after getting only 57 of the 60 votes needed.
Low information policies for low information voters…
The fear mongering democrats have contempt for our constitutions and our rights. Scare people enough and they think we will accept removal of our RIGHT to keep and bear arms. Many democrat state legislators are ideologically driven and have little respect for the law. They are unconcerned with whether their desires for government action are legal. Their basis for what is right or wrong is how strongly they ‘feel’ about it. If they think something ought to be this way or that, then they don’t care what the U.S. or State Constitution says or the reasons it was written that way. We the People have to remind them! A law which is repugnant to the US Constitution IS null and void as outside the scope of powers delegated to the Illinois state government; as written HB 5855 is nothing short of a dictatorial, unconstitutional power grab.
See how our Creator-given unalienable RIGHT [to self-defense] is converted into a privilege which is regulated, granted, or denied, by a law-breaking Illinois lawmaker? Every law-abiding Illinois citizen has a right to bear modern arms in defense of himself and the state; remember, Illinois’ laws are subservient to the US Constitution. HB5855 must be opposed at all cost.
Government is our SERVANT, not our master; why on earth would we allow our servant to ban our right to self-defend and leave us with useless arms. A well-armed man is a CITIZEN. A poorly armed man is a SUBJECT. Hunting and target practice were not cited as justification for the 2nd amendment by the framers. Self-defense and security of their life, property and liberty from criminals, invading armies, and a usurping federal government were the given reasons. Gun banning democrats need to identify the real problem, guns are NOT the problem, the problem is people who don’t respect and value human life, learned by the murder of over 61 million babies since 1973. Abortion sets the example of murder being a problem-solving tool, the democrats are responsible for teaching it’s okay to not value human life by example! Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. If you enact an unlawful gun ban, there will still be murderers who don’t value human life walking among us.
Instead of addressing the real problems the state of Illinois is facing. Our so called leaders are once again choosing to take dictatorial measures. No amount of feel good legislation. Will fix the problems they created. Period.