Tuesday, May 15, 2007

People's Republic of Chicago - Criminal Empowerment Program

It appears that the leaders of the People's Republic of Chicago are at again with their Criminal Empowerment Program.

First a little Q and A (for all of you Outlook users notice that the answer comes after the question):

Q: What is the People's Republic of Chicago?
A: The state in the United States of America that is also known as the State of Illinois. The People's Republic of Chicago gets it's name because the current governor of the State is mostly a pawn to the Mayor of Chicago. What ever the Mayor wants, the state (governor) gives him. Hence the true leader of the state is the Mayor of Chicago.

Q: What is the Criminal Empowerment Program?
A: It's what the liberals try to “sugar coat” and call “Gun Control”. Gun Control, in their eyes, is the removal of any weapon (firearms mostly) from the hands of law abiding citizens.

Q: What is the effect of this?
A: More crime.

Q: Why?
A: Because “Gun Control” laws do not apply to criminals (they wouldn't be criminals if they did) and criminals benefit greatly from the increased power. As they say: “don't bring a knife to a gun fight”.


So, now that we understand what we're talking about, here's what People's Republic of Chicago - Criminal Empowerment Program has been up to:

May 2, 2007 - Springfield Report

Magazine Ban Introduced in the Illinois Senate

We spent all day today working against SB 1007. This is a very bad bill now that anti-gun Illinois State Senator Dan Kotowski (D-33) filed a magazine-ban amendment (Senate Amendment 1) to this existing legislation currently before the Senate.

As amended, this bill would ban the manufacture, possession, delivery, sale and purchase of standard capacity magazines with a capability of holding more than 10 rounds. The amendment is so poorly worded that it would also ban commonly used firearms with fixed, boxed or tubular magazines, including many lever action rifles, since the amendment's language does not limit the ban to detachable magazines.

This is a gun and self-defense ban that will stand no chance of curtailing crime and will only hurt law-abiding sportsmen, hunters and gun owners.

This legislation could be voted on at any moment. Please contact your State Senator today and urge him or her to oppose Senate Amendment 1 to SB 1007!


Please join the ISRA if you're not already a member.

May 9, 2007 - ISRA Alert
SB1007 passes IL Senate Vote

Today Senator Kotowski's magazine ban bill passed the Senate with 31 yeas, 26 nays, 1 present and 1 not voting. This bill is headed for the house. It will probably go to an anti-gun committee so it will likely pass out of committee easily to become a floor fight. Please be sure to call your Representative and tell them to oppose SB1007.

I would begin calling right away. We could see this bill next week in the House.

Pass this alert on to everyone you know and to every bulletin board.

Join the ISRA or recruit a new member today.

Please make a legislative donation today. This session is going to last along time and it will be expensive. Freedom is not free!

May 15, 2007 - Urgent Action Alert
SB1007 Magazine & Gun Ban

This is an Urgent Action Alert on SB1007, a bill sponsored in the Illinois Senate by career anti-gun Senator Dan Kotowski (D - Park Ridge) and Republican Senator John Millner from Bloomingdale. This bill would ban commonly available magazines for many firearms that hold more than 10 rounds, and would also ban many firearms with tubular magazines that more than 10 rounds, such as ever action rifles owned by cowboy action shooters and many shotguns. This bill does nothing to reduce crime and would penalize law-abiding gun owners in Illinois.

This bill passed the Illinois Senate last week on a 31 to 26 vote. It's now in the House Executive Committee and could pass out from that committee onto the floor of the House.

It's important that you to help make sure that this bill gets defeated in the Illinois House, as Governor Blagojevich would cheerfully sign it immediately if it ever crossed his desk.

Do your part by taking the following actions:
  1. Call your Representative and urge him or her to not support this bill, SB1007, to vote no on it should it come up for a vote. Even if you have received assurances in the past from your representative in the past that he or she is in your corner and supports the second amendment, do not neglect making that call on this bill.
    The ISRA webmaster and the ISRA staff in Chatsworth have fielded many calls and emails from angry and surprised gun owners whose Senators voted for this bill last week.

  2. Make a personal visit to your representative's local office in your district to show your support for the Second Amendment. Bring family members or a shooting buddy with you when you go. Leave a personal message for your representative urging the defeat of SB1007.

  3. Call the Springfield (217-782-3696) and district office (847-566-5115) of Illinois Representative Ed Sullivan, Jr. (R - Mundelein) and urge that he withdraw as Chief Co-Sponsor of this punitive legislation. Never mind that he's not in your district, his direct advocacy of this ban impacts all Illinois gun owners.

Please forward this alert to all bulletin boards.

If you are not a member of the ISRA, please join. Please get a friend to join.

ISRA is now supported by three lobbyists in Springfield. Please consider making a legislative donation to the ISRA.


May 15, 2007 - ISRA Press Release

Illinois State Rifle Association to Advise Members on Compliance With Kotowski/Millner Gun Ban

CHICAGO, May 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

The ISRA is advising its members, especially cowboy action shooters and gun collectors, to be prepared to dispose of firearms they may have in their possession.

This advisory comes in light of the passage of Senate Bill 1007, the Kotowski/Millner gun ban, which now resides in the House for consideration. Under SB1007, any firearm with a tubular magazine that accepts more than 10 rounds would be banned. As a result, many shotguns and most lever action rifles used by cowboy action shooters would be outlawed. At the present, there is no official guidance for citizens on how to comply with the gun ban.

The ISRA is also issuing an e-mail alert calling upon gun owners to visit their legislators' district offices to make clear their opposition to SB1007.

"SB1007 comprises one of the most sweeping gun bans in Illinois history," said ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. "Disguised as a 'magazine ban,' SB1007 actually bans a large number of rifles owned by collectors and used by participants in cowboy action shooting competitions."

"We are currently compiling a list of rifle and shotgun models that would be banned under SB1007," continued Pearson. "When that list is complete, we'll distribute it to shooters across the state so that they may be prepared to take whatever actions are necessary to comply with this misguided legislation."

"SASS and other cowboy action shooting enthusiasts will be hit especially hard by this legislation," said Pearson. "To date, our banned list includes such popular cowboy action shooting rifles as the Marlin 1894; Henry Rifles; Winchester 1866; Winchester 1873 and the Colt Lightning. These rifles are the mainstay of cowboy shooting -- which is the fastest growing and one of the most colorful of the competitive shooting sports."

"One would have expected a piece of junk legislation like SB1007 to be voted down handily," commented Pearson. "Unfortunately, several suburban Republican senators decided to stand with the Daley Administration and vote in favor of this gun ban. We've received hundreds of phone calls at the ISRA offices from gun owners furious at suburban Republicans for advancing this punitive proposal. What we have here in SB1007 is another example of the law-abiding gun owner taking it on the chin while violent robbers, rapists, muggers and murderers get a free pass."

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful, and responsible firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

In closing, please do something to end the "Criminal Empowerment Program" before it's too late!