Right Reason on Second Amendment Rights
Springfield, Illinois
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Sangamon
County Rifle Association Right Reason on Second Amendment Rights Springfield, Illinois |
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 Legislative Update Tom Shafer SCRA Meeting, October 3, 2005 November 2005 GunNews SCRA member Tom Shafer delivered and in-depth legislative report. He briefed members on passage of S.397, a bill that provides protection for the gun industry against junk lawsuits by those opposed to firearm ownership opportunities for everyday Americans. The bill is currently awaiting approval in the US House. The US House is in session right now and you should still be calling and writing your representative and say we need this. Tell the Speaker to get this forward for a vote, we need to have this passed. Bush will sign it as soon as it gets to his desk. Shafer thinks everyone is in agreement that this bill will pass, we just need to keep pushing forward to get it done. The Illinois Veto Session Shafer talked about SB57, introduced by Senator Peter Roskam, that requires the Illinois State Police to end its practice of registering firearm owners and to erase its database of lawful firearm transactions. The Illinois State Police database has been used routinely by Mayor Daley's CAGE unit to harass lawful gun owners. SB57 was passed by the Senate by a 34-25 vote and, in the House, SB57 cleared by a margin of 69-42. Despite this solid bipartisan support, Blagojevich caved in to Mayor Daley and vetoed SB57 in August. An override during this veto session would force the State Police to end its practice of registering law-abiding firearm owners and to erase its database of lawful firearm transactions. It is disappointing that Illinois gun owners have to go through our lawmakers to pass a law that orders the State Police to do something that the FBI ordered them to do a long time ago. The FBI destroys these records after 24 hours. If it's good enough for the FBI, it's good enough for the State Police. It's a gun registration list and while little good will come of it, but in the wrong hands it can be used for mischief! Enter the Chicago Police. The Chicago Police have already made use of those records. They access them then knock on your door in the middle of the night asking to see all the guns you've purchased. Even downstate resident's aren't safe from this abuse. That's happened scores of times throughout the state. It's time to end this abuse of the illegal State Police gun register. Shafer said he will keep a close eye on this bill and report what happens. From the Capitol Index Return to Home Page |