January 8, 2026
Thursday Bulletin – January 8th, 2025
Executive Director’s Message
Richard Pearson
Legislative ALERT!!
Springfield is at it again! The RIFL Act is their latest gun-grabber, sleight-of-hand scam. “We’re not banning guns,” they say, while quietly jacking up fees and red tape to price out law-abiding citizens from our 2A rights.
The following is commentary by Ed Sullivan, our ISRA Lobbyist…..
Over the past two decades, my work at the Capitol has given me a front-row seat to the evolving tactics of the General Assembly. Their creativity in imposing taxes, instituting regulations, and challenging Second Amendment protections never ceases to amaze me. Because of this, I have vowed never to utter the words, “I’ve seen it all.” For gun owners, the ongoing struggle to protect Second Amendment rights has been especially pronounced during the Pritzker administration, with the most recent threat emerging in the form of HB 3320 and SB2279 (collectively known as the RIFL Act – Responsibility in Firearm License).
The RIFL Act requires firearm manufacturers to obtain a state license in Illinois. The fees associated with this license are calculated on a pro rata basis and correspond to the public health costs and financial burdens resulting from firearm injuries and deaths. To illustrate, if Manufacturer A’s firearms are involved in 100 out of 1,000 shootings statewide, they would be responsible for 10% of the total healthcare costs related to those shootings. If the total costs amount to $100,000,000, Manufacturer A would be assessed $10,000,000 in fees.
One of the most significant aspects of the RIFL Act is the establishment of a year-one baseline fee of $821,000,000. According to available data, 504,452 guns were sold in Illinois, a number that is likely to include private transactions. Using this figure for analysis, the fee per gun sold would be $1,627.50($821 million divided by 504,452 guns). If private sales are excluded, this fee would likely double. The consequences for failing to comply are steep: a manufacturer that does not obtain a license faces a $1,000,000 fine for each month of non-compliance, while a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) that sells a firearm from an unlicensed manufacturer is subject to a $10,000 fine per incident.
Despite claims from certain legislators in Springfield that they are not seeking to ban firearms and support hunting rights, the reality is that the RIFL Act would effectively halt gun sales in Illinois. Manufactures are unlikely to register their businesses under these conditions, and FFLs will avoid selling firearms from unregistered manufacturers. This legislation represents a direct threat to the Second Amendment community, which must remain united in opposing both the RIFL Act and any lawmakers who support it.
RIFL will price us out of our 2A rights — HELP ISRA STOP RIFL!
For more information on how you can help, call the ISRA office at (815) 635-3198, or e-mail us at member@isra.org today.
* * *
The General Assembly will reconvene for the Spring 2026 session on January 13th.
The Senate will return on 1/13 and the House on 1/20. The deadline for drafting requests is 1/16 and the introduction of House and Senate bills is 2/6. The Governor’s Budget Address will take place on 2/18. IGOLD will take place on 4/15.
You can find the House calendar HERE and the Senate calendar HERE to view all the legislative session deadlines.
You can follow along by clicking the ISRA Legislation Page.
IGOLD – Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day
Come to the BoS Center in Springfield, Illinois for Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day on April 15, 2026. The most important day of the year for gun owners in Illinois, IGOLD is when gun owners gather in Springfield to speak with one voice and send a message to the legislature. Dave McDermott, the well known self-defense attorney, will be one of the speakers at IGOLD. You don’t want to miss his address. Please mark your calendars to reserve this date.
Tables are available to those who wish to display their products or services to those attending. Political candidates may also purchase a table. Tables are $100.00 each. If interested, please call the office at 815-635-3198.
You can find the latest information at the ISRA’s IGOLD Page.
Litigation Update
ISRA AS PLAINTIFF
We have been waiting and waiting on a ruling on Harrel v. Raoul from the Seventh Circuit which we hope to get soon.
ISRA SUPPORTING
Schoenthal v Raoul (7th Cir.) – The right of a licensed CCL holder to carry on public transportation is now being discussed in a conference of the United States Supreme Court Justices. On Monday, the Justices asked for more information about the Schoenthal case, which means they are very interested in this case. This does not mean that the Supreme Court will hear the case, but we are getting closer.
We need extra support right now, so please… donate HERE.
Not an ISRA member? Join the ISRA and support 2A rights in Illinois – click HERE.
Until We Meet Again, Friend ~ Phil Schreier
It is with the greatest of regrets that I report the passing of Phil Schreier Director of NRA Museums. Phil suffered from leukemia. I knew Phil for 25 or 30 years. He was really a great guy.
Phil was like a 26-volume set of encyclopedic knowledge. I called him on several occasions, and never did he say he would have to “look it up”. He gave it to you right there and then in more detail than you ever imagined. I think he was personally acquainted with ever screw, spring, hammer, cylinder, bolt and barrel of every firearm. I remember I was writing an article on Civil War firearms Illinois units were issued. I could not figure out why Illinois did not have more repeating rifles used in battle. Phil knew the answer. Illinois had more units equipped with Spencers and Henrys than any other state. They were kept back to march in parades to give the folks at home confidence. Wonderful, government at its finest. The point is Phil knew the answers it this and many questions regarding firearms history. It was a privilege to have known him. We are all diminished by his passing.
ISRA Academy Announces 2026 Massad Ayoob Group Classes
The Illinois State Rifle Association is very excited to announce we are hosting multiple Massad Ayoob Group classes this year including MAG20 Live Fire, MAG30, MAG40, and MAG80. Please click on the class title to learn more about each one, including per-requisites.
MAG20 will be May 2-3, 2026
MAG30 will be June 12-14, 2026
MAG40 will be August 20-23, 2026
MAG80 will be August 26-30, 2026
MAG40 will be held in Sparta, IL, at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex, all others held at ISRA Range in Bonfield, IL.
Registration is now open!! Register early as seats are limited!!
Please use THIS LINK to register for MAG20, MAG40, or MAG80.
Please use THIS LINK to register for MAG30.
Every eligible person in your home should have a FOID card.
We often receive calls about a husband who has passed away and left his wife with a gun collection. The problem is the wife does not have a FOID card. Don’t let this happen in your household. Spouses should have a FOID card. Be sure that anyone whom you might want to handle your firearms has a FOID card.
Introducing – The “ISRA Paladin” Sustaining Membership
I am pleased to announce that the ISRA is introducing our new sustaining membership. The membership is called the “ISRA Paladin.”
When you become an ISRA Paladin, you join the front line in defending the Second Amendment in Illinois. Your commitment helps power the ISRA’s training, education, and legal efforts that protect the rights of every law-abiding gun owner in our state.
What is a PALADIN—and why should you become one?
In the time of King Charlemagne, the Paladins were his most trusted and honorable knights—sworn to act with courage, defend the innocent, and protect what was just. Their loyalty and leadership made them legends. Today’s ISRA Paladins carry that same spirit. They stand firm for freedom, safeguard the innocent, and defend our rights against those who would take them away.
You can be a Paladin member and an Annual, Life, Endowment, Benefactor, or Patron member concurrently. Every bit helps.
Your invitation to this membership should be arriving in the USPS mail starting this week. The letter will explain the further details of the ISRA Paladin membership.
If you would like to become a ISRA Paladin member, please call the office at 815-635-3198.
Thank you for your continuing support of the mission of the ISRA!
ISRA Colt Anaconda 44 Magnum Raffle – Tickets Now Available
Buy your tickets early for the ISRA Colt Anaconda 44 Magnum Raffle! Drawing will be held on February 17, 2026. Entries must be postmarked by February 9, 2025.
TICKET PRICES:
• 1 for $10
• 3 for $25
• 7 for $50
• 15 for $100
You need not be present to win. Dues and donations to the ISRA are NOT tax deductible. Winner of the Colt Anaconda must comply with all federal, state and local laws. Winner has 90 days to claim prize.
Scan the QR code in the ad or Click HERE for more info.
Questions? Call the ISRA office at: 815-635-3198.
We appreciate your continuing support! Every ticket you buy helps keep Illinois gun owners strong, trained, and protected. We’ve stood for your rights since 1903 — and we’re not slowing down. Thank you for standing with us!
ISRA Memorial Brick Fundraiser – Honor Your Mentors
We all have people in our lives who have influenced our lives in a positive manner, we do not want them forgotten. My father is a perfect example, he taught me how to shoot, hunt, and many other life lessons. He was a WWII veteran with two purple hearts, I did not want him to be forgotten.
To remember people like my father and those in your life that have made a positive impact over the years the ISRA has established a Memorial Brick Project. The memorial bricks are laid out around the flagpole at the ISRA Range in Bonfield, IL, which is located near Kankakee, IL.
Please look over the attached flier and consider buying a brick for someone who has made a difference in your life.
For more info or to order your commemorative brick today, CLICK HERE.
ISRA Gen-5 Glock 30 Raffle – Tickets Now Available
Right now, you can enter to win a pre-owned Gen 5 Glock 30® with six magazines. This pistol is gently used—fired less than 500 rounds—and calibered in .45 ACP. It’s a solid, dependable choice for any Illinois gun owner.
This raffle helps fund the ISRA’s work: training, safety programs, and defending the rights of law-abiding firearm owners across Illinois. Your support makes that possible.
TICKET PRICES:
• 1 for $10
• 3 for $25
• 7 for $50
• 15 for $100
Drawing Date: February 3, 2026
Mailed entries must be postmarked by January 26, 2026.
You do not need to be present to win.
(All state and federal laws apply. Prize must be claimed within 90 days.)
To get your tickets, CLICK HERE.
Or call the ISRA office at 815-635-3198 and we’ll help you over the phone.
Every ticket you buy helps keep Illinois gun owners strong, trained, and protected. We’ve stood for your rights since 1903 — and we’re not slowing down.
Thank you for standing with us.
ISRA Range – Once Fired Brass For Sale
If you are an ISRA member and reload your own ammunition the ISRA Range has once fired brass for sale. Please contact Mike James at 847-456-3386.
“I am frequently asked if the ISRA sells our membership list. The answer is absolutely not.” ~ Richard Pearson
Education & Training @ ISRA Range, Bonfield, IL.
January 8 (Thursday) ISRA Precision Air Pistol Training – Range 12 & Clubhouse – 5:30pm – 7:00pm
January 11 (Sunday) NRA Basic Rifle Shooting Course – Range 11 & Clubhouse – 8:30am – 5:00pm
January 15 (Thursday) ISRA Precision Air Pistol Training – Range 12 & Clubhouse – 5:30pm – 7:00pm
January 17 (Saturday) NRA Basic Instructor Training (BIT) – Clubhouse – 8:30am – 2:30pm
January 18 (Sunday) NRA Basic Rifle Instructor – Range 11 & Clubhouse – 8:30am – 6:00pm
January 22 (Thursday) ISRA Precision Air Pistol Training – Range 12 & Clubhouse – 5:30pm – 7:00pm
January 29 (Thursday) ISRA Precision Air Pistol Training – Range 12 & Clubhouse – 5:30pm – 7:00pm
January 31 (Saturday) Armed Women of America – Range 11 & Clubhouse – 9:00am – 12:00pm
*** Please contact academy@isra.org for any training or class questions and check the ISRA Range for links to dates, times, descriptions of ISRA activities and events.
ISRA Members: View the Fall 2025 Shooter HERE.
If you would like to donate to us, please click HERE.
Thank you for your support!
GET IN THE FIGHT, STAY IN THE FIGHT, JOIN THE ISRA
To Join the ISRA, click HERE.
The Illinois State Rifle Association
is the home of marksmanship in Illinois
Tidbits
January 8, 1790 – President George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address to the assembled Congress in New York City.
January 8, 1815 – The Battle of New Orleans. In the War of 1812, the British had humiliated the Americans by burning Washington, the White House, attacking trade routes and preparing to attack New Orleans, the gateway to the American West, by sea. New Orleans was in a panic.
On December 2, 1814, General Andrew Jackson and two aides arrived in New Orleans. He immediately announced that he would defend the city or die in the process. Jackson hated the British because his family had been slain by them and also, when he was 12 years old, a British officer cut him on the forehead with his sword for refusing to shine his boots. The scar plagued Jackson for all of his life.
Jackson declared martial law and immediately enlisted the help of the pirate, John Lafitte. Jackson assembled an army of frontier riflemen, pirates, Indians and slaves.
The British, in the meantime, brought in reinforcements and manned the high ground overlooking the city of New Orleans while Jackson and his men built a fortified wall of mud and wood to defend against the British attack.
After two British assaults on Jackson’s position, the British commander and 2000 of his troops lay dead with many more wounded. American losses were only 8 killed and 13 wounded. One British sergeant looking over the dead British troops noted that many of them were shot in the forehead, right between the eyes. He also noted that one soldier had been shot twice, once above each eye.
Keen American marksmanship had done its job and, while the Battle of New Orleans technically happened after the end of hostilities, the Europeans took note of the stunning British defeat…the same British Army that had once defeated Napoleon. This victory let everyone know that the Monroe Doctrine of 1893 was going to be enforced.
January 9, 1861 – The Union merchant ship Star of the West is fired upon as it tries to deliver supplies to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Charleston, South Carolina, had succeeded from the Union on December 20, 1860.
Abraham Lincoln decided to resupply Fort Sumter with humanitarian aid only. No arms. While Lincoln does not recognize the Confederate States of America, he does let them know through back channels that Fort Sumter is going to be resupplied with humanitarian aid only. The Confederates reject this idea and fire on the ship anyway. This action by the Confederate States of America is actually the first shots fired in the Civil War.
January 10, 1920 – The League of Nations is formed. This was an attempt to prevent another world war, but it was doomed to fail. The League of Nations was more of a debating society than anything else. A lot of high-minded individuals got together to prevent war, but in the 1930s it failed miserably. It seems not everybody in the world can be trusted. That has not changed.
January 11, 1908 – President Theodore Roosevelt makes the Grand Canyon a national monument. Today, around 6 million people a year visit and enjoy the Grand Canyon. Thank you, Mr. President.
January 11, 1943 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first president to travel on official business by airplane. Roosevelt crossed the Atlantic in a Boeing flying boat named the Dixie Clipper. It was considered too dangerous to go by boat because the of the German U-boats in the area.
January 13, 1929 – Wyatt Earp dies at the age of 80 in Los Angeles. His family traced his roots back to Monmouth, Illinois, and then to the Peoria area.
January 14, 1784 – The Continental Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris which ended the War for Independence. In the treaty, Britain officially recognized the independence of the former 13 colonies of the United States. But Great Britain still did not want to let the colonies go. It would take the War of 1812 to finally push them to fully recognize the independence of the United States.
Gun Shows
While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be accurate, sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.
If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class, let us know the details, and we’d be happy to post it in our Weekly Range Schedule.
Jan. 24 – Jan. 25, 2026 Belleview Gun & Knife Show – Belle-Clair Fairgounds, Belleview, IL.
Jan. 24 – Jan. 25, 2026 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
Feb. 7 – Feb. 8, 2026 Bloomington Gun & Knife Show – Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL.
Feb. 14 – Feb. 15, 2026 Central Illinois Gun Collectors Association – New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
March 28 – March 29, 2026 Belleview Gun & Knife Show – Belle-Clair Fairgounds, Belleview, IL.
March 28 – March 29, 2026 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
Other Events
Jan. 25, 2026 Common Caliber: Cold Weather Pistol – Range 10 & Clubhouse – 8:00am – 4:00pm
Feb. 7, 2025 Highland Pistol & Rifle Club International Pistol Event, Highland, IL.
Feb. 14, 2026 Sandy Ford International Pistol Event, Sandy Ford Sportsman Club Indoor Range, 720 S Bloomington St, Streator, IL.
Mar. 14, 2026 Sandy Ford International Pistol Event, Sandy Ford Sportsman Club Indoor Range, 720 S Bloomington St, Streator, Illinois
April 11, 2026 Sandy Ford International Pistol Event, Sandy Ford Sportsman Club Indoor Range, 720 S Bloomington St, Streator, IL.
ISRA Grassroots Monthly Meetings
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights!
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights!
Livingston County – 4th Saturday of the month – South Post Guns, 104 Livingston Rd., Streator, IL; Social Hour 4:30pm – 5:30pm; Meeting 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Madison County – 1st Wednesday of the month – Piasa Armory, 625 Lewis and Clark Blvd., East Alton, IL; Doors open at 6:15pm; Meeting starts at 6:30pm
Northwest Suburban – 3rd Tuesday of the month – Golden Corral, 1591 S Randall Rd., Algonquin, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
South Suburban/Cook County – 2nd Thursday of the month – Kenootz Pizza, 4659 147th St., Midlothian, IL; Doors open 6:30pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
Will County – 3rd Wednesday of the month – Silver Dollar Restaurant, 422 E. Mississippi Ave., Elwood, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
Stand Strong &
Thank you for being a member!
If you are not an ISRA member, join TODAY!
Donate: isra.org/support-us/
Visit: isra.org/
Upcoming Meetings: isra.org/isra-activities-and-events/
Upcoming Range Events: isra.org/the-range/#range-calendar
PO Box 637
420 E Locust St
Chatsworth Illinois 60921
USA
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