ISRA-PVF Advises Illinois Legislators That Votes On SB1034 Will Serve As 'Litmus Test' For 2012 Endorsements

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the ISRA Political Victory Fund (ISRA-PVF):

The ISRA-PVF is warning members of the Illinois General Assembly against being duped into voting for one of the most extreme pieces of gun control legislation to come before that body.

SB1034 began life in the Illinois Senate as a bill to combat drug abuse.  After moving to the Illinois House, SB1034 was hijacked by Chicago politicians, gutted of its original language, and transformed into legislation that would severely impact the rights of law-abiding firearm owners.

Proponents of SB1034 have been intentionally misleading legislators by claiming that the bill merely reforms the Illinois Firearm Owner's Identification card (FOID) regulations to allow for continued access to the FBI background check system.  The untold part of the story is that the bill would also enact a slew of onerous restrictions on lawful firearm owners.  Among these proposed restrictions would be:

• A 60-day waiting period during which new residents of Illinois would be prohibited from purchasing firearms or ammunition.
• Greatly expands the list of misdemeanors that will disqualify an individual from owning firearms.  Something as simple as a shouting match with one's brother over a football game could result in a permanent revocation of one's right to own firearms.
• Allows gun control groups to testify against issuance of FOID cards to individual citizens.

The push for these new regulations on the part of the Illinois State Police is understandable given the agency's traditional hostility towards private firearm ownership.  That history of hostility notwithstanding, Eric Holder and his US Department of Justice (DOJ) have sweetened the pot by promising the Illinois State Police lucrative monetary grants should SB1034 be passed.  The DOJ's interest in SB1034 stems from the fact that the restrictions hidden in SB1034 are part of DOJ's national agenda to restrict individual gun rights.

"Somebody out there is working hard to confuse legislators as to just what SB1034 entails," commented ISRA-PVF spokesman, Richard Pearson.  "So I will take this opportunity to make things crystal-clear."

"The defeat of SB1034 is a top legislative priority," continued Pearson.  "Thus, how a legislator votes on SB1034 will determine whether or not his or her campaign gets an ISRA-PVF endorsement.  It is pretty safe to say that nobody who votes for SB1034 will receive an endorsement for the 2012 general election.  Furthermore, we will let his or her gun-owning constituents know exactly why their representative or senator received no endorsement.  Whether anyone likes it or not, SB1034 will be a litmus test of a legislator's commitment to preserving and protecting the individual right to own firearms."

The ISRA-PVF is a political action committee affiliated with the Illinois State Rifle Association.  A copy of our report is available from the Illinois State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois.

SOURCE ISRA Political Victory Fund