By Mike Keleher
OK, OK, the feel-good liberals and Governor of Illinois rammed through and signed their mangled “gun safety act” yesterday after running it through the political meat grinder all weekend. 2.5 million law abiding gun owners did not want it to go through but had no way to stop it since the liberals had all the votes in their pockets, and they get a feel-good law to hold up for their re-election bids (after all, once in office you spend most of your time working on getting reelected to keep that office power.)
As onerous as all of this was, the sun still came up today.
Guns Save Life and their fellow coalition members will be filing suit to first halt this law, and then get it completely overturned, as most of the contents are Unconstitutional and individual pieces copied from other anti-gun state laws have been consistently smacked down by state and fed courts to include the famous black robed singing group “The Supremes.”
I have also seen Gun Owners of America and the American Firearms Association, the Illinois State Rifle Association with the help of the Second Amendment Foundation all saying they will file suit as well. It is definitely on. Turns out even in this politically correct age you can go too far!
While this law was thrashing through the state congress this past week the NRA sent emails asking for money so they could do something…you know, something. These were different than their normal emails just asking for more money for you know… something. This time if you contributed money, you didn’t get the crappy pocketknife and sticker. Still waiting to see them make some promises or better yet take action in Illinois.
Here are two good news gun law stories that brightened my day today after watching the Illinois fiasco way too closely all week.
1. Federal Judge Halts NJ Law limiting Concealed Carry in “Sensitive Areas.”
A Federal Judge granted motion to temporarily strike down a new New Jersey law limiting concealed carriers from exercising their rights in “Sensitive Locations”. The idea the state could limit travel to a large list of identified public areas was joined by a ban on carrying on private property without expressed permission. So yes, despite the fact the courts required them to allow concealed carry permits, they did not want people licensed to legally carry to be able to carry in public or on private properties. Seem restrictive? You bet. Thank you judge for seeing this…and thank you Illinois Legislature for including very similar languages limiting firearms possession in their new Illinois anti-gun law. The Illinois section should be smacked down just like the New Jersey law.
New York passed a similar state law about “sensitive areas” this fall after they were beat down by the U.S. Supreme Court in June in the NY State Rifle and Pistol Association V. Bruen case, where they were trying to limit issuing carry permits only for “justifiable need.” New York state’s new “sensitive areas” rule was put in place in response to the Bruen case, and it was blocked by a U.S. Appeals Court in December 2022. Pretty sure the U.S. Supreme court won’t be too happy to see NY back on the roster later this year behaving like a spoiled kid who got caught misbehaving in 2022.
2. National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act Bill Filed in U.S. House.
With the new 118th Congress empaneled in 2023, one of the first bills to be filed was HR38 to allow national reciprocity for concealed carry permit holders. U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (R-North Carolina) filed the bill to set up the extremely common-sense idea that any law-abiding citizen issued a concealed carry permit, by any state, should automatically be allowed to legally carry concealed firearms in any state in the nation.
Your driver’s license is valid in every state. Even your marriage license is honored in every state-why not a state issued concealed carry permit? This national reciprocity idea has been knocked about in Congress for the last 20 or so years, and hopefully it is an idea whose time has come. A press release advises there is bipartisan support and has 118 original cosponsors.
Supporters cite the fact concealed carriers should be allowed to defend themselves and others and not have to stop at state lines to see if the next state recognizes their state permit. Detractors claim it is just dangerous for citizens to have guns and put others at risk in complete denial of all legitimate studies like those pioneered by John Lott where statistically areas with guns have always equated to less crime and concealed carriers have not added to street crimes.
HB38 is of course in its infancy and has to make it through committee for a chance to get voted on the floor like hundreds of other new bills who will be filed this year.
HB38 was observed sitting on some steps outside the capital this week with a young freckle face boy and observers overheard them sing. “I’m just a bill, I’m just a bill, sitting on capitol hill…”
Comments are closed.