HB0997 - short 7 votes today (again)

The Illinois House voted today on a concealed carry bill.

The Chicago Tribune reports the vote as

64 Yea
45 Nay
4 Present (corrected 4/19/13)

Since there are 118 State Representatives, that means at 6 (corrected 4/19/13) were AWOL, MIA, or felt an urgent call of nature and were hiding out in the bathrooms.

I want to see the list. Who voted For? Against? Who wimped out and voted "Present"? And the names of the 10 deadbeats who suck up their pay and benefits and didn't vote.

The vote was seven votes short, just as it was in May 2011. Did we proponents only tread water for 18 months?

Rep. Jack Franks became a co-sponsor of HB0997 today, as did Rep. Kay Hatcher. Why does Jack wait until voting day to slide off the fence? At what time did he step up to the plate? During the voting?

For three years, when I was asking Jack if he would support concealed carry, his answer was, "Well, I'm an NRA member, aren't I?" Looking back, I wonder why I fell for that non-answer.

This bill is not about hunting. It's about self-defense and personal protection. Why is Jack dragging his feet on this?

Jack, we in northern Illinois need your help. Lean on some of your Democratic colleagues in Cook County. They will be begging you for support on other bills. Tell them that your constituents want concealed carry now!