In the wake of the Illinois General Assembly’s adjournment on May 31, gun owners can breathe easier. Several aggressive anti-gun measures — including the so-called “Glock Ban” (HB 4471), the RIFL Act, ammunition serialization proposals (HB 4414), and overly broad polling place restrictions — failed to advance.
As John Boch of Guns Save Life recently detailed in our post “Illinois Gun Owners Dodge Another Round of Radical Gun Control,” Illinois gun owners successfully dodged another round of radical gun control efforts. Boch highlighted how the ammo serialization bill, which would have imposed burdensome tracking and taxes on handgun ammunition, quietly failed to pass, along with the de facto Glock ban and the RIFL Act. He stressed the importance of sustained engagement, noting that this outcome shows what’s possible when pro-gun voices stay involved both publicly and privately, while warning that the fight continues into the fall veto session.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Review article “Freedom Held the Line: How ISRA Delivered Major Victories for Illinois Gun Owners in 2026” frames these successes almost exclusively through ISRA’s efforts. It reads as if Richard Pearson, the long-time ISRA Executive Director (or one of his ghostwriters) wrote it.
While ISRA’s longtime lobbyist Eddie Sullivan was actively engaged, he wasn’t alone. The IFOR lobbyist Josh Witkowski worked right alongside him. In some cases, Witkowski took the lead. What’s more, the NRA-ILA’s John Weber representing the nation’s TRUE premier gun rights organization. NRA’s membership in Illinois dwarfs that of the ISRA to put it mildly. Furthermore Guns Save Life also contributed through monitoring legislation, engaging lawmakers, and mobilizing grassroots support. Guns Save Life has been especially effective with its monthly GunNews and local chapter network, keeping members informed and activated with monthly meetings in ten cities across the Land of Lincoln.
Yes, this advocacy and grassroots coordination also includes Illinois Carry’s forums as well. Along with the assorted Facebook groups including IGOT among others.
Gently put, ISRA’s attempt to claim near-complete credit in that Illinois Review story feels more than a bit overstated. It underplays completely ignores the genuinely collaborative nature of Second Amendment advocacy in Illinois. Even the NRA routinely encourages its Illinois members to support ISRA, reflecting the reality of a team effort rather than a single dominant player.
These wins belonged to the broader pro-2A community — multiple organizations, lobbyists, and dedicated activists working together in a tough political environment. Exaggerating any one group’s role risks unnecessary division when the focus should remain on protecting rights for all Illinois gun owners. Sustained success will require continued cooperation, not competition for the spotlight.
Let’s admit it. The ISRA has become a secret society that are amateurs playing major league ball. We wouldn’t be in our position today if ISRA hadn’t presumed that they alone were authorized to negotiate our civil rights with the machine. But, members can’t vote for the leadership and they have no member meetings. Members have no input on anything. Why does anyone consider them the spokesperson for Illinois shooters? They take your money and want more.
ISRA supported legislation that gave us the FOID card. They also gave us the FOID Modernization bill which ended private transfers. Because as Pearson told us, if they didn’t negotiate then they wouldn’t have a “seat at the table” for negotiating future gun control in our state.
Hence why I haven’t renewed.
Kudos to John for calling them out for trying to take sole credit for “victories” (more accurate term is “not losing”), while still acknowledging their contributions and the role ALL groups played. That’s a great example of playing nice in the sandbox and working together, across groups, to try to keep what little rights we still have in this state.