IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Judge Sue Myerscough, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois, Springfield Division, has granted IL Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s motion to dismiss the Second Amendment Foundation’s challenge of the statewide ban on carrying a firearm for personal protection.

On Friday, Feb. 4th, 2012, Judge Myerscough stated in her opinion:

“This Court finds that the Illinois “Unlawful Use of Weapons” and “Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon” statutes do not violate Plaintiffs’ Second Amendment rights. The United States Supreme Court and the Seventh Circuit have recognized only a Second Amendment core individual right to bear arms inside the home.”

SAF Attorney David Jensen immediately filed an appeal on behalf of the plaintiffs Michael Moore, Charles Hooks, Peggy Fechter, Jon Maier, Second Amendment Foundation, Inc., and Illinois Carry. The appeal will move the case to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In response to the judge’s ruling Alan Gottlieb, SAF Executive Director, made this statement, “We look forward to winning this important case on appeal even if it means going back to the United States Supreme Court for a third time. The Second Amendment does NOT say, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed except outside your home or that it only applies inside your house. We don’t check our constitutional rights at the front door.”

To follow the progress of the Moore VS Madigan challenge to the ban on Right to Carry in Illinois, go to IllinoisCarry.com.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois Proposed "Assault Weapons Ban" is Back & the Fight Is On

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Chicago legislators once again are trying to rule over gun owners statewide.

The outrageous “Assault Weapons Ban” is back via State Rep. Eddie Acevedo who represents District 2 in Chicago. HB1294 is a repeat effort to ban just about every sporting and self-defense gun owned in Illinois, along with magazines holding more than 10 rounds, unless of course you still have the receipt from when you bought the gun or magazine some 15-20-30 years ago.

This is another attempt by Chicago and Cook County’ to prevent law-abiding citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights.

Anti-Gun IL State Rep. Eddie Acevedo, vote this guy out...

Along with HB1294, Acevedo also introduced HB1599, increasing the penalty of being in possession of high capacity ammunition when commenting an offense – what’s that you say? What’s high capacity ammunition? Apparently it is anything 50 caliber or larger but no distinction is made between pistol, rifle, or shotgun ammo.

All shotgun ammo over .410 would be banned.

Acevedo’s trio of atrocities against gun owners includes HB1855 which would penalize the victims of gun theft by barring them from owning firearms permanently if they didn’t report a theft within 72 hours of knowing about it – but who is to determine when someone knew or should have know about a theft? There in lies the danger.

Call your State Representative TODAY! Tell him/her to vote NO on HB1294, HB1599, and HB1855.

To find your district or state representative, go to the Illinois State Board of Elections

Logan Square – Chicago Right to Carry Town Hall Meeting!
Monday, Feb.20, 2012
7:00-9:00 pm
Logan Square Auditorium
2539 North Kedzie Blvd # 15
Chicago, IL 60647

Winnebago County Right to Carry Town Hall Meeting!
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012
7:00 pm to 9 pm
Giovanni’s Conference Center
610 North Bell School Road
Rockford, IL

Please come show your support for Right to Carry. Bring your friends and family!

Do you have questions or concerns about Right to Carry? Come to the town hall meeting and let our panel of experts address those questions and concerns. 49 States Are NOT Wrong!!

Right to Carry Rally and March Coming!!
Watch for details as they develop at IGOLD.isra.org and to reserve a seat on one of the many charter buses headed to Springfield!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

2011 IllinoisCarry - A Year of Triumphs & Near Triumphs

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- A major triumph – IllinoisCarry, the ISRA, and NRA joined forces to produce an all new Right to Carry bill for Illinois.

This bill was voted on in the House on May 5, 2011, the first such vote in decades!

In a near triumph, we fell just 6 votes short of the needed super-majority of 72!

The narrow miss can be blamed directly on Gov. Quinn and the city of Chicago who pulled out all the stops in the final days before the vote to campaign against the measure. The bill, HB148, was put on postponed consideration and can be recalled for another vote between now and Jan. 2013. All supporters are working tirelessly to secure the needed handful of votes.

A major triumph – the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in Ezell vs Chicago. The court ruled the Second Amendment must be given the same measure of respect as the First Amendment, accused Chicago of thumbing its nose at the U.S. Supreme Court, and basically instructed the city to get their act together in regards to the individual right to keep and bear arms.

A major triumph – the barrier against Right to Carry is beginning to crack in the city of Chicago and Cook County. Elected officials are actually beginning to consider Right to Carry and are even hosting their own town hall meetings on the issue. This is new ground and could be just the break we need to garner the support needed to pass HB148. We feel this movement is due in large part to a group of dedicated IllinoisCarry, Second Amendment Sisters, ISRA and NRA members in Chicago’s black community. They have worked very hard on this issue holding several town hall meetings comprised of local Chicago folks. Our hats are off to these fine folks for their hard work and determination.

A major triumph, two lawsuits were filed challenging the ban on the Right to Carry for personal protection. IllinoisCarry is honored to be a plaintiff in the Second Amendment Foundation’s lawsuit Moore vs Madigan and the ISRA is spearheading a lawsuit with our feisty friend Mary Shepard. A favorable ruling from either of the court cases could expedite Right to Carry in Illinois.

IllinoisCarry spokesperson, Valinda Rowe, was awarded the prestigious Grass Roots Activist of the Year by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. This national recognition reflects the diligence and commitment to excellence our organization has come to represent.

We have held many, many town hall meetings from one end of the state to the other, printed mountains of fliers, and marched in parades. We have helped turn Right to Carry into a topic of conversation all over the state. We have seen legislators, who once laughed at the notion of Right to Carry, attending these meetings and even conducting their own town hall meetings to discuss the issue.

IllinoisCarry members have been regular contributors to newspaper, radio and TV programs all over the state, but most importantly inside the city of Chicago. They have testified in committees, met with legislators, marched on the capitol, gone to court, raised funds, produced videos and a host of other activities. All this from a grassroots, all volunteer organization that owns no equipment or property!

IllinoisCarry membership has grown tremendously in this past year, over 600 new members were added to our roster. That’s 600 more voices dedicated to being heard, and hopefully 600 more members to add to the nearly 7,000 who will attend IGOLD on Mar. 7, 2012. Our Illinois-specific web site is heavily trafficked by thousands of the most dedicated and involved members and elected officials in the state. This is the result of a lot of people doing a lot of work and doing it right!

We are ready to start our Winter Tour 2012 of Town Hall Meetings in an effort to gain the handful of votes we need to pass Right to Carry. We don’t need all the legislators to vote for the bill, just enough of them.

There was a time when talking to legislators about right to carry they would laugh at us…WELL, THEY AREN’T LAUGHING NOW – now they are asking “How can I help”?!

Join us at IllinoisCarry.com and find out how you can help win back our Right to Keep and Bear Arms!!

A very special thank you to Barry Bourdage and the folks at Techpro for hosting the IllinoisCarry website.

Mark Your Calendars!

Schedule the day off from work!

Join the largest turn out of Right to Carry supporters Illinois has ever seen!

Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day

“IGOLD”

Wed. March 7, 2012

Prairie Capital Convention Center, Springfield, IL

10:30 a.m. – Doors Open

11:00 a.m. Concessions Open

Noon – Legislative Briefing

1:15 p.m. March to the State Capitol!!

Watch for details as they develop at IGOLD.isra.org and to reserve a seat on one of the many charter buses headed to Springfield!

UPDATE: Illinois Lawsuits

Challenging Ban On Right to Carry

We receive many emails asking for updates on the two Illinois lawsuits challenging the statewide ban on carrying a handgun for personal protection. You can follow details of both the Moore vs. Madigan and Shepard vs. Madigan lawsuits on IllinoisCarry’s discussion forum.

To date, a hearing was held on Aug. 4, 2011 on the motion for a preliminary injunction in Moore vs. Madigan . We are still waiting on a ruling from the judge.

In Shepard vs. Madigan, the attorneys filed a motion for a preliminary injunction but no hearing date has been set. The judge could set a date for a hearing or could go ahead and rule without a hearing. Until we hear something from the court, we continue wait.

Help IllinoisCarry.com in the Fight for Right to Carry
IllinoisCarry will be sponsoring and co-sponsoring very important Right to Carry events in the coming months. Resources are needed for fliers, supplies, location and booth rental fees, etc.. You can be a part of these important events by contributing to the cause with your dollars. Be a part of bringing Right to Carry to Illinois – whether it’s in a big way or a small way – it all helps to reach the goal! We can’t do it without you!

We thank each and every one of you for your diligence and commitment to the Second Amendment. Please feel free to forward this post to your friends, family, and other contacts.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- The tide is turning in Illinois and the signs are everywhere!

For example, a Chicago legislator and member of the Black Caucus hosts not one but TWO town hall meetings about the right to carry, several leading Chicago newspapers print lengthy articles about the controversial topic, and a TV interview of two individuals who work in the Chicago media reveals they are hearing folks everywhere they go speaking up in support of the Right to Carry.

With Wisconsin’s new concealed carry law going into effect Nov. 1, leaving Illinois the last and only state without such a law, the issue of Right to Carry has been brought into focus like never before. Law abiding citizens are now demanding to know why they should be denied their right to personal protection simply because they live in Illinois.

Rep. La Shawn Ford First Chicago Legislator to Host Own Right to Carry Town Hall Meetings

Chicago Rep.La Shawn Ford was the only legislator to vote “present” on the first Right to Carry bill to be voted on in decades in the Illinois House of Representatives.

That means, he is the only Chicago legislator who did not vote no on the bill. Stating he wanted to hear more from his constituents about the issue, he recently held his own Right to Carry town hall meeting, asking speakers from both sides of the argument to present their views.

The meeting was well attended and Rep. Ford’s comments since the meeting are drawing a lot of attention all across the state. According to articles in the Chicago Sun-Times and the Austin Weekly, Rep. Ford may become the first Chicago legislator to support Right to Carry!

He is hosting an additional town hall meeting in another part of his district. If you live in Rep. Ford’s district and support Right to Carry, do not miss this meeting!! Make sure you voice is heard !

Rep. La Shawn Ford Right to Carry Town Hall Meeting

Wed. Oct 12, 2011
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Oak Park village hall
123 Madison St.
Oak Park, IL

Rep. Jerry Costello III to Conduct Gun Rights Town Hall Meeting

State Rep. Jerry Costello II, D-Smithton, will host a gun rights meeting -
Tues. Oct. 11 6:30 p.m.
VFW Post 2698
1911 N. Market St.
Sparta, IL

The goal of the meeting is to update gun owners about efforts to pass concealed-carry legislation in Illinois. Also speaking will be Todd Vandermyde, the National Rifle Association chief lobbyist in Illinois, who will discuss NRA lawsuits to strike down some gun-control and anti-gun laws and statutes.

The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Costello’s office at 618-443-5757.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry Spokesperson, Valinda Rowe Named Second Amendment Grassroots Activist of the Year

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Hundreds of hard-core civil rights activists gathered in Chicago for the Gun Rights Policy Conference hosted by the Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Attendees spent two days listening to grassroots activists and organizers, authors, scholars, lawyers, politicians and others speak about the state of “gun rights” in these United States.

The authors talked about books, the lawyers talked about cases before the courts, and the activists, including Illinois Carry’s own Spokesperson Valinda Rowe, spoke about activism . . . but first, Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and the Second Amendment Foundation had something to say about her: Valinda has been selected as the Second Amendment Grassroots Activist of the Year!

The choice is an apt one; without Valinda Rowe and her steadfast husband, Mike, Illinois Carry would likely be unrecognizable.

Gottlieb cited accomplishments like Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day (IGOLD), Right to Carry town hall meetings in Chicago and across Illinois, and the key role Valinda has played in recruiting plaintiffs who’ve made history in courtrooms from Springfield to Chicago to Washington, D.C.

Congratulations, Valinda Rowe, from all of us at Illinois Carry!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Rep. Karen May voted against your constitutional right to carry a firearm for personal protection.

May stated in a recent press release titled: May Pleased as Concealed Carry Bill Fails

SPRINGFIELD, IL—State Rep. Karen May (D-Highwood) on Thursday released the following statement in response to the defeat of a House Bill 148 that would allow citizens to carry concealed weapons in Illinois: “Growing up downstate, I understand how important gun ownership is for many residents of Illinois, but in modern society, there is no need for regular citizens to carry loaded, concealed weapons in public. I voted against allowing concealed carry to make sure our streets remain safe and free from violence. “Our local police officers needevery tool they can get to keep our communities safe, and I am glad this bill failed sothat their jobwill not be more complicated by worrying about wild-west showdowns in our our community, even by well-intentioned individuals.”

She voted against HB148. Now she’s holding a town hall meeting to hear your questions and concerns.

Last week, supporters of Right to Carry filled the town hall meeting of Rep. Keith Farnham. Let’s do it again Saturday and show Rep. May we won’t stand for having our constitutional rights denied.

Let’s make sure she hears us loud and clear. If you live within driving distance of Highland Park, IL please attend this meeting and voice your concern about her voting NO on your rights!!

Make Sure Your Voice is Heard!!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Just one week after the IL House failed to pass legislation to restore the right to keep and bear arms to law-abiding citizens, two of the nation’s largest gun-rights groups hit the IL Attorney General’s office with both barrels!

The NRA is backing a lawsuit on behalf of lead plaintiff Mary Shepard, a church treasurer who was attacked by a 6ft. 245 lb. violent parolee. Mary Shepard is trained and licensed to carry a concealed firearm for personal protection in over 30 states – but not in Illinois, the only state left to completely ban her right to carry. The Illinois State Rifle Association joins Ms. Shepard as a plaintiff. The lawsuit names IL Attorney General Lisa Madigan as one of the key defendants. The NRA is represented by attorneys William Howard and Jeffery Cross of Freeborn & Peters LLP. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District, Benton Division. To read the text of the lawsuit click here.

The Second Amendment Foundation filed suit on behalf of Michael Moore, a retired correctional officer of Champaign and Charles Hooks of Percy. Named as defendants are Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and State Police Superintendent Patrick Keen. SAF is represented by attorneys David Jensen and David Sigale. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, Springfield Division. To read the text of the lawsuit click here.

IllinoisCarry knows in the battle to regain our rights we must fight not just on the legislative and electoral fronts but also on the judicial front.

We thank the NRA, ISRA, and SAF for their efforts on behalf of the law-abiding citizens of Illinois!!!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield, Il, -(Ammoland.com)- Illinois state representatives return to Springfield Tuesday, April 26 and many believe a vote on Right to Carry bill HB148 is imminent.

It is urgent that you call your state representative and firmly but politely ask them to support your right to protect yourself and your family. Urge them to vote YES on HB148.

Every single vote will be critical for passage of the bill and it is common knowledge that legislators in the northeast portion of the state tend to oppose this legislation.

If you live in the northeast part of the state, this call to action is especially important. If you have family or friends living in that area, please call them and urge them to contact their legislator.
Need help finding your state representative?
Go to Illinois State Board of Elections or call 217-782-2000

Get more information on Illinois Right to Carry Bill HB148

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Supporters of Right to Carry legislation in Illinois welcome the new support of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

Leadership from the organization voted this past week to add their support to Right to Carry bill HB148. Current text in the bill is considered a place holder for new text which is expected to be amended into the bill in the next few weeks.

HB148 now has the support of the Chiefs association, the Illinois Sheriffs Association, and the Chicago Police Department’s Sheriff’s Union.

Please join us at IllinoisCarry.com for the ongoing discussions about the bill and the support it is gaining as it makes its way through the legislative process.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Mary Shepard was severely injured when a vicious felon out on parole attacked her and a co-worker in a church in the middle of the afternoon on Sept. 28, 2009.

Ms. Shepard, 71, and her co-worker, an 84 year old woman, were assaulted, beaten, and kicked by their attacker who was 6 ft. 3 and 245 lbs.. After beating the two women, he stomped them in the head, neck, and face then left them for dead in the church.

Mary maintains that awful crime did not have to happen because long before the attack she had successfully completed five different firearm training courses including Personal Protection Outside the Home. She had also qualified for and had been issued two separate licenses to carry a firearm which are honored in over 30 states. However, Mary was not carrying the day of the attack because in Illinois carrying a loaded firearm in public by a citizen is considered a felony.

Watch Mary’s video recorded testimony above.

Mary was not released by her physicians to travel to the Capitol to testify in committee in support of HB148, a right to carry bill sponsored by Rep. Brandon Phelps, so her testimony was presented by her friend Valinda Rowe, spokesperson for IllinoisCarry.com.

The committee voted 12-2 to pass the bill out of committee. Reps. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, and Kelly Burke, D-Evergreen Park, were the two dissenting votes. The bill now proceeds to second and third reading, at which time a vote can be called.

Help get Mary’s message to all 118 representatives and 59 state senators by forwarding the link to her testimony to your legislators!

Then call to ask if they have viewed her message – keep calling until they confirm they have!

Demand they support your right to self defense

by supporting HB148 with their yes vote!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Several important pro-gun bills passed out the House Agriculture committee this past week and there seemed to be a repeating pattern to the votes cast.

The following bills have been passed in committee, all on a vote of 13/1/0:

• HB0003 – Firearms Municipal Regulation
• HB0004 – Firearm Owners Preempt Loc Gov
• HB0005 – Wildlife Code Case Definition
• HB0008 – Firearm Owners ID Premption
• HB0264 – Firearm Owners Preemt Loc Gov
• HB0265 – Crim Cd Firearm Transport

Seems most all the lone negative votes were cast by newcomer Rep. Kelly Burke (D) District 36, which is the Oak Lawn/Evergreen Park/Chicago Ridge/Hickory Hills area.

If you live in District 36, now would be a great time to contact Ms. Burke and politely let her know you expect her to protect your right to keep and bear arms. Urge her to vote in favor of the upcoming Right to Carry bill HB148 which will be heard soon in this very same committee.

Her email address is: kellyb@ilga.gov

It is our time!!!!!

Right to Carry Bill HB148 to be heard soon in House Ag. Committee!
Now more than ever we need Illinois gun owners and Second Amendment supporters to get involved in the legislative process.

1. Call/email/visit your legislators urging their support
2. of HB148.
3. 2. Make phone calls to committee members
4. 3. Recruit the help and support of all your friends.

Get Ready to Make Your Voice Heard!!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- This week members of the brand new 97th General Assembly will convene in the State Capitol in Springfield.

New legislators will be bringing with them added support for a Right to Carry law and plan to join the ranks of veteran legislators who have long supported Illinois joining the rest of the nation in becoming a “Carry State”.

Also in our favor – the U.S. Supreme Court rulings in Heller vs DC and McDonald vs Chicago, support from the Illinois Sheriff’s Association, 48 states which have Right to Carry concealed laws, Wisconsin which has the Right to Carry openly and soon to have a concealed carry law – leaving Illinois as the last and only state to completely deny the right to carry.

All these factors added to the increase in support by new legislators is very encouraging. IllinoisCarry expects to see major movement in a Right to Carry law this session.

It is our time!!!!!

Right to Carry bills HB148 and SB82 have already been introduced!

Now more than ever we need Illinois gun owners and Second Amendment supporters to get involved in the legislative process.

• Watch every move the bills make at IllinoisCarry.com
• Monitor the hearings and debates live as they happen
• Know exactly when your support is needed to:

1. Call/email/visit your legislators,
2. Make phone calls to committee members
3. Attend committee hearings
4. Recruit the help and support of all your friends.

Get Ready to Make Your Voice Heard!!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Women of IGOLD Deliver Message to Governor's Office

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- You won’t want to miss the largest turn out of Second Amendment supporters Illinois has ever seen!

Where:
Thurs. March 10, 2011
Prairie Capitol Convention Center, Springfield, IL

• 10:30 a.m. – Doors open
• 11:00 a.m. – Concessions open
• Noon – Legislative Briefing
• 1:15 p.m. – March to State Capitol!

Watch for details as they develop at IGOLD.isra.org. and reserve a seat on one of the many charter buses headed to Springfield.

IGOLD t-shirts will be available for purchase prior to the event and at the PCCC. Monies raised from selling the t-shirts goes to help fund the event. We encourage you to support IGOLD by purchasing the official IGOLD t-shirts.

IGOLD has gained statewide and national recognition as a well organized and highly respected event. Each year, as the event has grown larger and larger we have gained the respect of City and Capitol police/security for the professional and orderly manner in which we conduct ourselves – as well as for our cooperation in helping to make the security screening process as expedient as possible.

To expedite security procedures it is best to enter the Capitol with the least number of items that must be opened, searched or screened. If you can narrow that down to a wallet that can be tossed on the scanner bed all the better!

We thank you for your cooperation – and so will Capitol security!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- By electing candidates who support the Right to Carry you are helping to insure a RTC bill can be passed in the very near future.

Be a prepared voter this Nov. 2. Vote for the candidates who support your Second Amendment rights – Know your candidates and where they stand on the Right to Carry a firearm for personal protection.

To find your voting district go to the State Board of Elections website and enter your address.

The site also offers information for the most frequently asked questions like where do I vote, how do I know if I am registered to vote, etc.

Some counties provide a sample ballot online that you can print out, mark your choices, and take into the voting booth with you. To find a sample ballot specific to your address go to your county’s website, locate the page for County Clerk or County Election Board. Not all counties have a website or provide online sample ballots. Locate your county here to see if they have a website.

If your county does not have a functioning website or does not offer a sample ballot you can find a list of candidates at these sites: Illinois.eVoter.com or Vote-IL.org.

You can check where candidates stand on gun rights at ISRA-PVF.org, NRA-PVF.org, and Project vote smart

If the candidate’s position is not listed on those sites then you are urged to call the candidate’s campaign office and ask specifically if the candidate supports the right to carry a firearm for personal protection.

By electing candidates who support the Right to Carry, we can be sure we will be heard in the next legislative session and brings us closer to our goal!

Join us at IllinoisCarry on Election Day for live commentary as the day unfolds and election results on the state and national level are announced.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Supporters of the Second Amendment battle to defeat the Chicago handgun ban know and revere Mr. Otis McDonald, the lead plaintiff in the landmark case which is bringing about change in gun laws all across the nation.

What many may not know is that this quiet, unassuming gentleman is a stalwart Democrat who has turned to Bill Brady, the Republican candidate for Illinois governor, in order to preserve and protect what he and the other three plaintiffs in the case fought so hard to win.

When incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn pushed for a ban on all semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and handguns and proudly announced he would ban any concealed carry bill that made it to his desk, Mr. McDonald knew he needed to do something to protect the rights he and the other plaintiffs had fought so hard to regain.

He decided to publicly endorse Sen. Brady for governor.

Mr. McDonald says he believes Sen. Bill Brady will stand behind his pledge to preserve and protect the Second Amendment.

Sen. Bill Brady has long been a friend to Illinois gun owners, speaking often at Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day. When hundreds of women gathered at the Governor’s office to demand their right to protect themselves it was Bill Brady who met with them because Pat Quinn wouldn’t even come to the door. Sen. Brady has said he will not only sign a Right to Carry bill but will work hard to make it happen.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)-  The governor of the last and only remaining state with no legal provision for law-abiding citizens to carry a firearm as an effective means of personal protection intends to keep it that way.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has proudly accepted the endorsement and approval of the most rabidly anti-gun group in the nation, the Brady Campaign.

Gov. Quinn, incumbent candidate for governor who has vowed to veto any Right to Carry bill that makes it to his desk, has proudly accepted the endorsement of Paul Helmke, the president of the Jim and Sarah Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (BCPGV).

Brady Campaign for the Prevention of Gun Violence

The BCPGV is not related to or connected with Sen. Bill Brady, also a candidate for the governor’s office and firm supporter of the Right to Carry for law-abiding citizens.

Join the discussion of this topic at IllinoisCarry.com.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Second Amendment Freedom Rally in Chicago

Illinois State Rifle Association

Illinois - -(AmmoLand.com)- The rally that celebrates the restoration of the right to keep and bear arms!

Don’t miss this event at the Thompson Center commemorating
the Supreme Court Victory in McDonald v Chicago!

Second Amendment Freedom Rally sponsors, Illinois State Rifle Association and IllinoisCarry.com, welcome the plaintiffs from the case! Other special guests include WVON’s Charles Butler & several local activists! Cisco Cotto from WLS-AM will MC this event!

Event Details
It is important that we put our best foot forward and present the best image of Illinois firearm owners – friendly, courteous, and respectful of the other attendees and our surroundings. Suggested attire is casual/business casual. The rally is outside on the plaza, bring sunscreen if you are so inclined. There is a food court in the downstairs portion of the Thompson Center if you need to grab a quick bite before or after the event. We have been instructed to keep the entrances to the Thompson Center clear and also that we stay out of the street and not cause a traffic hazard.

There are many ways to get to the Thompson Center via public transportation: CTA Trains and buses, Metra, Amtrak. Go to ChicagoRally.isra.org for more details.

Volunteers
Additional volunteers are needed for ground crew at the event, and will meet at 10:00 at the stage on the plaza. Contact Don Gwinn if you can help out, send mail to: dongwinn@thefiringline.com.

More Info
Go to ChicagoRally.isra.org for more details.
Email questions to ChicagoRally@isra.org.

Friday July 9, 2010 from 11:00am – 1:00 pm at the
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph St. in Chicago

About:
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 Visit: www.isra.org

IllinoisCarry.com

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Supreme Court announced its 5-4 decision today overturning the decades old Chicago ban on handguns!

Following on the heels of the Heller vs DC decision two years ago which ruled DC’s ban unconstitutional, the landmark case of McDonald vs Chicago finally brings the Second Amendment decision is a huge win for the entire nation but especially for Chicago residents who have for decades been denied the right to possess a handgun in their home.

Increasing opposition to the ban has been fueled by residents of the city demanding the right to protect themselves from the horrendous number of violent crimes in their neighborhoods.

The ruling is also a tremendous win for Illinois citizens whose state constitution holds that the right to keep and bear arms is “subject to police power”. The Court ruled the 14th Amendment incorporates the Second Amendment to the states meaning “ . . . the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” is a right protected even from local and state governments.  While this decision does not immediately change state law it does throw open the door to re-examination of current law and a whole new era of defining the words  “shall not be infringed”.

What does it all mean in our efforts to see a Right to Carry law passed in Illinois? It means a great deal in the IL General Assembly where some fence-sitters on the issue have been waiting to see “if” the Second Amendment truly does apply to the states.  It  will almost assuredly add votes to our side of the tally board and will make it increasingly more difficult to pass new laws restricting the right of a law abiding citizen’s to keep and bear arms.

Mayor Daley has vowed, regardless of the Supreme Court decision, to continue do everything he can to infringe on the Second Amendment rights of the people of Chicago – but he can’t do it alone - he must have the votes of the aldermen on the city council.  If you are a resident of Chicago, contact your alderman TODAY and demand they support your constitutional right to keep and bear arms.  Demand they put an end to Mayor Daley’s fanatical attack on their right to protect themselves and their families.

This is a great day in the history of this nation, the state of Illinois, and for the people of Chicago!!

IllinoisCarry extends our heartfelt gratitude and respect to the courageous plaintiffs who stood before the courts on behalf of all Americans – Adam Orlov, David and Colleen Lawson, and lead plaintiff Otis McDonald.  Thank you to the Illinois State Rifle Association, Second Amendment Foundation, lead attorney Alan Gura, and Chicago attorney David Sigale for making it happen!A copy of the ruling can be downloaded at SCOTUSblog.com.

Come Join with the Huge Celebration of McDonald vs Chicago Second Amendment Freedom Rally

Join the grassroots movement that is sweeping the state of Illinois— A movement to restore the Second Amendment right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms!

Do not miss this historical event in celebration of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in this landmark case to restore the Second Amendment throughout the nation! Sponsored by Illinois State Rifle Association and IllinoisCarry.com

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Many of you are asking about the status of Right to Carry bills in the IL General Assembly.

The legislators adjourned for the summer at the end of May and current carry bills (HB5221, HB6249, HB462) have been returned to committee where they wait further action which could possibly come during the fall veto session which begins Nov. 16, 2010.

Now is the time to concentrate on much needed efforts to insure pro-carry candidates are elected in the House, Senate, and the Governor’s office this fall!

A pro-carry governor who knows what the Second Amendment means and supports our right to protect ourselves and our families is essential! Gov. Pat Quinn has vowed to veto any Right to Carry bill that makes it to his desk.

Candidate Bill Brady has always been a supporter of the Second Amendment and has sponsored carry bills in the past.

The choice of who you will support for Governor and where you will spend your campaign dollars should be easy. But don’t stop there, get involved by volunteering to put out yard signs, work phone banks, march in parades, talk to your friends, family, and neighbors about who you support and why!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield IL --(AmmoLand.com)- One of the keys to securing a Right to Carry law in the state of Illinois is informing and educating the public about the Right to Carry and how successful it is in the 49 states where concealed or open carry is recognized as lawful.

IllinoisCarry working together with the Illinois State Rifle Association and Second Amendment Sisters is leading that effort by sponsoring town hall meetings all over the state.

Many residents of Illinois do not know Illinois is the last and only state which prohibits carrying a firearm for personal protection. With the media bias against the Right to Carry we cannot rely on the mainstream media to get the word out – we must take the message to the public.

Recent town hall meetings in McHenry, DuPage, Kane Counties and in the city of Chicago have been very successful and we are expanding our efforts all over the state and deeper into Chicago! Find a town hall meeting near you and invite your friends and family who have questions or concerns about the issue. Bring them to the meetings where those questions can be answered and their concerns can be addressed.

Please come join IllinoisCarry.com, ISRA, Second Amendment Sisters and many local featured speakers. Show your support for the right to carry and join in the effort to see a right to carry law passed in the state of Illinois! Don’t see a meeting in your area and would like to help organize one? Contact IllinoisCarry and let us know!

Will County Right To Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday May 25, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Lincolnway High School Auditorium
1801 East Lincoln Highway
New Lenox, IL

Winnebago County Right To Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday May 26, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Giovanni’s Convention Center
610 North Bell School Road
Rockford, IL

Cook County Right to Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Thursday May 27, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Serbian Social Center
18550 Stony Island Ave
Lansing, Illinois 60438

Rock Island County Right to Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Saturday June 12, 2010
9:00 am – 11:00 am
The Rock
302 First Street
Coal Valley, IL 61240

La Salle County Right To Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Sunday June 13, 2010
1:00 – 3:00 pm
The Pitstick
3401 N State Route 23
Ottawa, Illinois

St. Clair County Right to Carry
Town Hall Meeting
Friday June 18, 2010
7 :00 – 9:00 pm
VFW
5325 North Illinois Street
Fairview Heights, IL‎

Wayne-Jefferson-Richland-Effingham-Clay County
Right to Carry Meeting
Saturday June 6, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Outer West Delaware
Fairfield, IL

Help IllinoisCarry in the Fight for Right To Carry

We’re entering a very critical time in our fight for Right to Carry and restoration of the Second Amendment here in IL. Your dollars make it possible for IllinoisCarry volunteers to conduct these town hall meetings and educate the citizens of Illinois -
We need your support!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield IL --(AmmoLand.com)- Anti-gun owner State Rep. Harry Osterman (D-14) is desperate to undo the Illinois Supreme Court ruling that an enclosed console of a vehicle is a legal mode of transportation for an unloaded firearm.

Not having the votes in the House to ban consoles, built in storage boxes, and change what constitutes a “safe” container; he is trying to garner more votes by adding an amendment to HB 5849 which includes his convoluted feel-good, do-nothing language from HB 6123 about prohibiting sales of firearms to gang members.

State Rep. Harry Osterman (D-14)

We all know it is already unlawful to transfer a firearm to anyone who does not have a valid FOID card – this is just Harry O.’s tactic to make it even more difficult for law abiding citizens to lawfully transport their firearms.

And that is not all, he has also filed an amendment to HB5480 (bans private sales of firearms) which would require the Illinois State Police to develops it’s own internet-based background check system for handgun transfers.

CALL YOUR State Representative today and urge him/her to oppose HB 5849 and HB5480!!

Help IllinoisCarry in the Fight for Right To Carry Support IllinoisCarry.com

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Women of IGOLD Deliver Message to Governor's Office

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield, Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- After entering the Capitol building, the women of IGOLD gathered in the rotunda for an address by Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno and Rep. Brandon Phelps.

Both legislators believe it is time for Illinois to join the rest of the nation by passing a Right to Carry law.

As has become the annual tradtion at IGOLD, each woman present then delivered a letter to the Governor’s office demanding that he support their constitutional right to carry a firearm for personal protection. And once again, in traditional fashion, the Governor was “unavailable” to speak with the women.

However, the Governor’s Intergovernmental Affairs Liaison did meet with the women and vowed she would relay the women’s message and letters to the Governor.

Women all over the state are encouraged to send their own letter to the Governor which states very clearly that if he does not support a woman’s right to self-defense then the women of Illinois will not support him with their vote in the fall election.

The letter is available below and for downloading and printing at IllinoisCarry.com. Print a copy for your female friends and family members, urge them to send a clear message to the Governor!

————————————————

Gov. Patrick Quinn
214 State House
Springfield, IL 62706

Dear Gov. Patrick Quinn,

I was very disappointed to hear of your lack of support for the women of Illinois and their great need to protect themselves and their loved ones against violent crime.

As you know, women are the prime target of violent assault, rape, and murder. Illinois women fall victim to the violation of nearly 4,000 orders of protection every year in Illinois. Thousands more of us are victims of random violent crime every day.

Here in Illinois I am not afforded the same protection women have in every other state in the nation. It is shocking in this day and age that the women of Illinois are relegated to hair combs, nail files, and car keys* with which to defend our very lives while the law-abiding and trained women of nearly 49 other states are licensed to carry a more effective means of self-defense.

Thousands of us have an out of state carry license which provides us the opportunity to protect ourselves and our families when we travel outside the state of Illinois. However, here at home – home where we should be and feel the safest – we are made, by law, to stand defenseless in the face of life-threatening danger.

Your vow to veto a License to Carry law which would provide a lawful means of self-defense for the women of this state is outrageous!! When the women of Illinois desperately need an advocate in the State Capitol, who will stand up for us? Who can we count on?

If you will not stand up for us in our need to protect our very lives – how can we stand up for you as Governor?

NO RIGHT TO CARRY? NO VOTE FOR PAT QUINN!

Sincerely,
Name:
Town:

* Illinois State Police website
www.isp.state.il.us/crime/saconfronted.cfm

————————————————

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day - Huge Success

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield, Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)-  Thousands of Illinois Second Amendment supporters marched to the State Capitol in Springfield last week to demand a Right to Carry law in Illinois.

An estimated 7,000 turned out for the largest Second Amendment march in Illinois history.

The crowd enthusiastically called for “Concealed Carry, NOW”. The huge turnout signals a real surge in public support for a carry law similar to laws in 49 other states. Illinois is the last and only state that still denies its law-abiding citizens the right to carry a firearm for personal protection.

Attendees were treated to a surprise address by Mr. Otis McDonald, key plaintiff in the McDonald vs Chicago lawsuit

The big event began with a rally at the Prairie Capitol Convention Center. Attendees were treated to a surprise address by Mr. Otis McDonald, key plaintiff in the McDonald vs Chicago lawsuit challenging the Chicago handgun ban. Oral arguments in that case were heard recently in the U.S. Supreme Court. A final ruling by the SCOTUS will have far reaching effects on firearm restrictions all across the nation.

Mr. McDonald’s soft spoken and heartfelt address to the crowd was met with thunderous applause and numerous standing ovations – a fitting tribute to Mr. Donald’s patriotic stand to regain a Constitutional right for us all.

The march to the Capitol, led by the women of IGOLD, was punctuated by choruses of “Hey, Governor, leave our guns alone”, a response to Gov. Quinn’s vow to veto a Right to Carry bill if it made it to his desk. After another brief rally on the Lincoln Steps attendees entered the Capitol Complex to lobby their legislators, Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, and President of the Senate John Cullerton in person.

After the lobbying was over, the huge crowd returned to the PCCC to meet with legislators and a special address by Sen. Bill Brady, gubernatorial candidate and strong Second Amendment supporter .

Photos and videos of the event are available at IllinoisCarry.com.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield, Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- HB6249 A Right to Carry bill sponsored by Rep. John Bradley passed out of the House Agriculture & Conservation committee this past week with a vote of 11-1.

It is now placed on the House calendar for Second Reading. HB462, another Right to Carry bill sponsored by Rep. Brandon Phelps is scheduled to be heard by the same committee on March 9, 2010 and is expected to pass out of committee with the same support.

Click on the bill numbers above to see if your Representative is one of the co-sponsors of these bills. If their name is not listed as a sponsor, call them and urge them to support your right to protect your self and your family. Urge them to show their support by signing on as co-sponsors of these bills.

If your representative does not support your right to carry, be sure to inform him/her they will not have your support in the next election!

Lobby in person for the Right to Carry, March to the State Capitol, and make your voice heard! Don’t miss an important opportunity to show your support for the Right to Carry!

Join the largest group of Second Amendment supporters IL has ever seen.

IGOLD participants will present their message to their state representative, state senator, the Speaker of the House, and the President of the Senate!

Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day – IGOLD
Wed. March 10, 2010
Prairie Capitol Convention Center, Springfield, IL

Doors open at 10:30, Concessions open all day,
Pre-rally 11:45, Legislative Briefing Noon,
March to Capitol 1:15 pm!

IGOLD.isra.org
Deadline to reserve a seat on one of the many charter buses from around the state is Mon. Mar. 8th!

To expedite security procedures it is best to enter the Capitol with the least number of items that must be opened, searched or screened. If you can narrow that down to a wallet that can be tossed on the scanner bed all the better!

We thank you for your cooperation – and so will Capitol security!

IGOLD Marshals Needed!
Like to help others? Familiar with the State Capitol Complex? Volunteers for the IGOLD ground crew are needed. They are the friendly, smiling volunteers who assist at the Prarie Capitol Convention Center and the march to the Capitol. Once inside the Capitol they help direct attendees to their legislators offices.
If you would like to volunteer, please go the IGOLD Volunteer page for more info.

Help IllinoisCarry in the Fight for Right To Carry

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- Two anti-gun owner bills will be heard tomorrow morning in the Senate Criminal Law Committee. SB3092 is a handgun dealer licensing act similar to HB180 in the IL House.

SB3036 would ban semi-automatic assault weapons, some assault weapon attachments, any .50 caliber rifle, or .50 caliber cartridge and would give current owners of such items 90 days to prove ownership to the Illinois State Police after the law going into effect.

• SB3036 – ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
  Sponsor: Antonio Muñoz
  Criminal Law Hearing Feb 24, 2010 9:00AM Capitol 212 Springfield
• SB3092 HANDGUN DEALER LICENSING ACT
  Sponsors: Sen. Don Harmon
  Criminal Law Hearing Feb 24, 2010 9:00AM Capitol 212 Springfield

Call these committee members immediately – let them know IL firearm owners are not about to give into this nonsense. Urge them to Vote NO on SB3036 and SB3092!

• Chairperson : D Michael Noland (217) 782-7746 (217) 782-2115 FAX
• Vice-Chairperson : D Kwame Raoul (217) 782-5338
• Member: D William R. Haine (217) 782-5247 (217) 782-5340 FAX
• Member: D Dan Kotowski (217) 782-3875
• Member: D A. J. Wilhelmi (217) 782-8800

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois Citizens Turn Out in Force to Support Right to Carry

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- Pundits say the issue of carrying a firearm for personal protection is a geographical issue – a downstate issue. Some upstate legislators deny right to carry is a statewide issue and argue lllinois citizens north of I-80 have no interest in the right to carry a firearm for self-defense.

Without a doubt, they were proven wrong this past week when a standing room only crowd of 500+ citizens from all over McHenry County turned out in support of Right to Carry in Illinois!

Women and men crowded into the packed Lakemoor Banquet Hall, in Lakemoor, IL to show their support for the right to carry and to learn what they can do to push the Illinois legislators to pass a right carry law in Illinois. Those in attendance voiced their displeasure with being denied the same rights that law-abiding citizens have in 49 other states. 48 states have some form of concealed carry law and open carry is recognized in the state of Wisconsin, leaving Illinois as the last and only state with no provision at all for the carrying of a defensive firearm and considers it a felony to do so.

The hugely successful town hall meeting was the kick off event for the newly formed McHenry County Right to Carry Association. The MCR2CA is a non-partisan group dedicated to advancing the right to carry for citizens of Illinois. To learn more about this group and to add your support go to MCR2CA.com.

The group partnered with IllinoisCarry.com to bring the issue of Right to Carry to the people of McHenry County. Speakers for the event included Pres. of the new organization, Lou Rofrano; Lee Lexow, Vice-President McHenry County Sportsman Association; Valinda Rowe, IllinoisCarry.com spokesperson; Mike Weisman, First Vice President Illinois State Rifle Association; Julie Chiabe, President McHenry IPSIC Sport Shooters; Nick Provenzano, candidate for McHenry County Board Dist. 3; Joe Walsh, candidate for U.S. Congress 8th District; and McHernry County Sheriff Keith Nygren.

The idea for the town hall meeting began when one man decided to get involved – Lou Rofrano contacted Valinda Rowe of IllinoisCarry and asked what he could do to advance Right to Carry in Illinois. Having conducted many successful Right to Carry town hall meetings, IllinoisCarry worked with the group throughout the planning process.

If you would like to help organize a Right to Carry town hall meeting in your community contact Valinda Rowe at IllinoisCarry.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- On Monday, December 7, 2009 IL Farm Bureau delegates gathered in Chicago voted overwhelmingly to support Right to Carry legislation in Illinois.

Earlier in the year Farm Bureau delegates from the White/Edwards County area submitted the issue to be considered by the Farm Bureau Policy and Development committee who then sought input from members on the issue of whether or not Illinois should join the other 48 states in the nation and pass a law providing for the lawful carry of a firearm for personal protection of self and family.

Doug Anderson, White County Farm Bureau manager, reported the majority of those offering input supported the issue which was then placed on the agenda for consideration by the delegates at the annual meeting.

The resolution endorsing Right to Carry passed with a large majority voting in favor of the measure. Right to Carry legislation will now be added to the list of issues Farm Bureau lobbyists will work toward advancing when the General Assembly returns to its regular session in January.

IllinoisCarry is proud our friends in the Farm Bureau see the importance of this issue. We are proud to have worked with them in providing data and background information on the success of Right to Carry in other states. And we are proud to have them join the fight for our right to self-defense in the state of IL!

Welcome, friends, welcome!

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

IllinoisCarry.com

Bellevue, WA - -(AmmoLand.com)-We are very excited to see the Second Amendment Foundation joined by the Illinois State Rifle Assocciation on the behalf of four Chicago residents submitted its brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case McDonald vs Chicago.

The brief was prepared by attorney Alan Gura who was also the attorney for the widely known Heller case which successfully challenged the Washington D.C. handgun ban last year.

The brief is available for viewing and downloading at ChicagoGunCase.com. The brief presents an excellent and compelling argument as to why the Second Amendment should be incorporated into the states. Many Second Amendment supporters will find the brief easy to read and comprehend. It has been said by some IllinoisCarry members who have read it to cause “goosebumps” in its scope, clarity, and purpose.

Oral arguments are expected to be heard early next year and perhaps a ruling by mid-year. The restoration of the Second Amendment rights of Illinois citizens will be greatly affected by the ruling in this case and we shall continue to watch future developments very closely.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois.

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- Americans watched in shocked outrage as the murdered were carried away and the wounded were rushed to emergency rooms. Attacked, gunned down, murdered and UNARMED in a Gun Free Zone.

What was more shocking – that the murderer was a fellow officer or the fact that our own military, our soldiers who are trained for combat, are rendered defenseless on their own home base?

Or maybe it was more shocking to hear Mayor Daley of Chicago blame America’s love of guns for the 13 deaths and untold injuries?? How far can his sick opposition to firearms go? Is it beyond his comprehension that the carnage would have continued if not for a gun in the hands of a civilian policewoman. Is it beyond his grasp that the only way to stop a violent killer with a gun is a good guy/woman with a gun?

Mayor Daley refuses to see – it isn’t the gun – it’s the hand that wields it.

Mayor Daley thinks it’s right and necessary to disarm everyone – the innocent people of Chicago and even our military men and women. He thinks it’s okay, he has his body guards.

But it’s not okay! Call your U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative today – demand that our armed military men and women who put their lives on the line in combat be armed when they put their lives on the line at home as well.

Call your State Senator and State Representative and demand that the right to lawfully carry a firearm for self-defense be restored to the good people of Illinois – the one and only state left that does not recognize that right.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois.

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- In a huge win for Illinois gun owners, the Illinois Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment, announced this morning that an enclosed center console of a vehicle is indeed considered a legitimate case for transporting a firearm within the meaning of the IL Criminal Code sec. 24 -1.4(c)iii:

(iii) are unloaded and enclosed in a case,
firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container by a person who has been issued a currently valid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card; or

The case in question, People vs Diggins, involved the transportation of two unloaded firearms and two loaded magazines in the console of a vehicle driven by an individual in possession of a valid FOID card.

In unanimous agreement the justices ruled the trial judge erred in denying defense the right to argue that a console is considered a “case” or “other container” under sec. 24 -1.4(c)iii and for instructing the jury that the console is not considered a “case”.

This ruling would also seem to resolve the question as to the legality of transporting unloaded hanguns in the glove box of a vehicle by IL citizens in possession of a valid FOID card.

Because there is a disagreement between the arresting officer, defendant, and a witness at the scene as to whether or not the console was completely closed at the time, the Diggins case has been remanded back to the lower court for further proceedings.

Illinois License to Carry Petition
Please sign this online petition in support of a License to Carry law in Illinois. The petition is the project of Robert Moon. Results will be sent to IL Gov. Pat Quinn and state legislators.
IllinoisCarry.com video Rights Denied in Illinois

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois.

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)-Today the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will hear an appeal of the case of the McDonald vs Chicago lawsuit concerning Chicago’s ban on handguns . The lawsuit was filed over a year ago on June 26, 2008 on the heels of a favorable ruling by SCOTUS in the Washington, DC vs Heller case . In that case the Court ruled the Washington, DC handgun ban unconstitutional.

The Illinois State Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of four Chicago residents, Otis McDonald, Adam Orlov, and Colleen and David Lawson. The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ban and the case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The case, now known as McDonald vs Chicago, is being viewed by many Second Amendment supporters as a possible historic landmark in the battle for the right to keep and bear arms. The Second Amendment is the only amendment listed in the Bill of Rights that the Court has not applied to the states or what is known as “incorporated” to the states. States and local governments have interpreted that lack of incorporation to mean they can issue any restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms they deem appropriate – up to and including outright bans on whole classes of firearms such as handguns.

McDonald vs Chicago offers the U.S. Supreme Court the opportunity to not only strike down the Chicago handgun ban but also makes it possible for the Court to incorporate the Second Amendment to the states. The Heller case didn’t call for a ruling on the issue of incorporation because that case involved a federal entity, Washington, DC, and did not involve a state or local government.

If incorporation takes place, state and local governments will be called to recognize the Second Amendment and law-abiding citizens will then begin to have a reasonable expectation of exercising their right to keep and bear arms.

Congratulations to the Illinois State Rifle Association, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the plaintiffs in bringing this case before the U.S. Supreme Court. You can follow the case at ChicagoGunCase.com.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois.

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- You did it!! All your help and all your phone calls in support of HB182 and HB3714 have paid off and the bills have now been signed into law. The two new laws which IL firearm owners fought hard for will offer increased protection for law-abiding Illinois gun owners.

HB182 – Until HB182 was signed into law IL firearm owners could be in possession of a loaded firearm in their own home, on their own property, or in their own fixed place of business. HB182 will now extend lawful possession to other legal “dwelllings” to which you are invited such as a relative’s or friend’s home.

HB3714 - Until HB3714 was signed into law it was a mandatory condition of probation for a FOID card to be revoked. HB3714 states the mandatory revocation of a FOID card would apply only when the offense is a felony or involved intentional or knowing infliction of bodily harm or threat of bodily harm.

Thank you to NRA lobbyist Todd Vandermyde who went toe to toe with the opposition and fought hard to see this new legislation become reality. Another huge thank you to the Illinois State Rifle Association for their tireless efforts to see these bills passed and signed into law.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois.

IllinoisCarry.com

Bartonville, IL - -(AmmoLand.com)- It is a well known fact that Chicago poses the biggest obstacle we face in getting a license to carry law passed in the state of Illinois.

We must educate a population – an entire generation that has been brainwashed into believing all guns are bad and only a criminal would want one.

We must educate the good folks of Chicago that it is our constitutional right to keep and bear arms. We need your help as we focus our efforts to this purpose.

IllinoisCarry, SAS, and CORE-Chicago plan to team up again for the annual African Festival at Washington Park on Labor Day weekend – Sept. 4-7th! This is a major cultural event and presents the opportunity to educate thousands about the Second Amendment.

We will need your help to make this happen – If you would like to contribute financially or join our Chicago network of volunteers for this event or future events, please email IllinoisCarry.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois.

IllinoisCarry.com

Bartonville, IL - -(AmmoLand.com)- The Aug. 3 issue of FarmWeek, a publication of the Illinois Farm Bureau, featured its annual Policy Development Supplement.

Among several topics on which the Policy and Development committee are seeking input from members is the issue of whether or not Illinois should join the other 48 states in the nation and pass a law providing for the lawful carry of a firearm for personal protection of self and family.

The full page article is very comprehensive, concise, and a balanced presentation of both sides of the issue. It can be read at the link provided below.

If you are a Farm Bureau member you are encouraged to take the “7 Minute Challenge” by reading the article and answering the questions posted at the end.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois.

IllinoisCarry.com

Bartonville, IL - -(AmmoLand.com)- Town hall meetings are being held all over the state as U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives return to their home states during their break from business as usual in the Washington, D.C..

Local and state office holders along with candidates who began filing petitions to be on the Feb. 2010 primary ballot are also holding town hall meetings throughout their districts. This is the time for citizens to attend these meetings, to stand up for their rights, share their concerns, and to remind our public servants that they work for us.

Watch your local newspaper, check with the offices of your elected officials and candidates, sign up for their email newsletters and alerts so you will know when and where you will have the opportunity to be heard.

There are many important issues facing Americans today and we should take every opportunity to stand and be counted and remind our elected officials they took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. This is especially important here in Illinois where our Second Amendment rights are severely restricted.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois.