Proponents of a fair law are being beaten into the ground in the Illinois House of Representatives, and bargaining has already begun in the Senate, as it anticipates House action before the June 8 deadline set by the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Supposedly, Senators Kwame Raoul (D-13, Chicago) and Tim Bivins (R-45, Dixon) have started to bargain over a carve-out for Chicago. Associated Press reporter John O'Connor wrote (erroneously, in my opinion) that "The plan appears to give both sides what they want."
No, John, proponents of a fair and equitable concealed-carry law for the entire State of Illinois (Chicago is still in Illinois, isn't it?) do not want a carve-out for Chicago!
On the one hand, why should we, not in Chicago, care what the legislators do to their own constituents? About the "carve-out", I mean. But we want "shall issue", and that's an entirely different issue that "carve-out", unless some of the legislators are talking about "shall issue" for all of the State except Chicago and "may issue" for Chicago/Cook County.
As I prepared my spreadsheet, I could not find even one e-mail address for a State Senator in the listings of the 59 Senators. Has it always been this way? Must I telephone 59 Senators' offices to learn their email addresses?
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| Sen. Lightford |
Eight of the 59 do not list a fax number for their District offices.
One Senator does not list a telephone number for a District office, and this same Senator, Kimberly Lightford (Illinois Senate District 4), does not even list a street or mailing address for her District Office. Does she even have a District office? If not, what does she do with the money allocated for a district office?
Sen. Lightford has been a Senator for 14 years, so maybe she hasn't noticed yet that no District office is listed for her. Her House-Associated State Reps are Chris Welch and La Shawn Ford, whose District offices are located at 10055 W. Roosevelt Rd., Westchester, and 5104 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, respectively. Her Senate District spans that geographic area.
On the other hand, perhaps no Illinois Senator should spend money on a District office. Now there's a scary thought. What if Sen. Lightford has the right idea and is a leader in saving taxpayers' money. Why not abolish all local offices and let the legislators work from their homes, when they are not in session?
2 comments:
If gun owners can't get "shall issue," repeat what they did last week - kill EVERY Chicago Democratic "may issue" scheme. Don't you see?
Run the clock out! In 48 days gun owners win it all! By preventing any and all Madigan/Emanuel schemes.
The downstate Democrats are on our side! They and the Republicans can block the attempts of the Chicago Machine to water down CCW.
In fact. To prevent a Quinn amendatory veto, the best tactic on our side is to stall and let the clock run out.
When it does. CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY! Once in place, it will be almost politically impossible for the Chicago machine to impose "may issue."
Hey Clem -
Agreed!
And the way things are going? Looks more likely than not!
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