October 29, 2026

Thursday Bulletin – October 29, 2026 Executive Director's Message From Richard Pearson Vote November 3rd – It Is Your Duty To Participate! The Midterm Elections are just around the corner and I want to stress to you how important it is for you to vote this year. At the Federal level, Congress is up for grabs and, if Congress slips into the Blue column, gun owners are in trouble. It is possible that there could be a Supreme Court vacancy or two in this term.  If the Supreme Court flips, gun rights are in trouble. I know the chances of electing a Republican Senator in Illinois are slim, to say the least. But, there are several Congressional races in Illinois and they are also important.  The U.S. House of Representatives is, notoriously, a cauldron of bad ideas. It is important that we keep as much common sense in Congress as...

October 22, 2026

Thursday Bulletin – October 22, 2026 Executive Director's Message From Richard Pearson School Shooting Cut Short By Armed Citizen On October 15, 2026, a 16-year-old entered Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, by shooting through locked doors. Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a 54-year-old teacher were killed. A 7-year-old child and another teacher were critically injured and taken to the hospital. Police said the first emergency call came shortly before 1pm, reporting that someone with a long gun was firing at a vehicle outside the school. Further calls came from inside, and officers arrived within minutes. A community member, the father of two girls, both students at the school, followed the shooter into the building and shot him. Authorities later found the suspect dead inside. Investigators said they had not established whether he (the shooter) knew anyone at the school or had attended it. Afterwards, students...

October 15, 2026

Thursday Bulletin – October 15, 2026 Executive Director's Message From Richard Pearson John Lott Honored As “Gun Rights Defender Of The Year” By CCRKBA Press release by CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, October 12, 2026 – CCRKBA.org BELLEVUE, WA – Internationally-recognized firearms researcher and author Dr. John Lott, founder and president of the Montana-based Crime Prevention Research Center, was honored during this year’s Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) as the recipient of the “Gun Rights Defender of the Year” by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Lott gained national attention with the publication of his book More Guns, Less Crime almost 28 years ago. It offered a much-welcomed contrast to arguments by gun prohibitionists that increasing private gun ownership would result in an increase in deadly violent crime. Almost three decades later, Lott’s original contention appears to be vindicated with violent crime data showing a significant...