January 9, 2025
My Two Cents – We Cannot Become Complacent
We are a few days away from the inauguration of Donald Trump, soon to be our 47th President of the United States. Filled with both hope and relief, we hope, in the four years we have with President Trump, that he can fix the tattered democracy that we have left in the wake of the Biden administration.
We are relieved that the weaponization of government bureaucracies, the bureaucrats that staff them and the anti-American, non-government organizations (NGOs) carrying out their dirty deeds and funneling money to our enemies, is over. It may be for a while but let’s remember what Donald Trump faced to get to the presidency.
Donald Trump survived unrelenting attacks from the left-wing media such as CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and others. The print media was no better and social media blocked pro-Trump posts while they promoted anti-Trump posts. Let’s not forget he survived two assassination attempts and being shot once. Trump’s Secret Service Team was deliberately inadequate. There is more but you get the idea.
We can’t sit around for the next four years on our behinds. While the media, the bureaucracies, bureaucrats, NGOs and the like may have suffered a major setback, they are not dead. The media and the anti-Trump forces will continue to exist and plot. As far as I am concerned, they are a seditious, nasty bunch funded by left-wing billionaires who have the power to weather the Trump storm, fighting Trump and his policies whenever and wherever they can. We have four years to get ready for the next attacks on our freedom. We cannot sit by and take things for granted. We have to start getting ready now.
Legislative Update
Questionable “Karina’s Law” Revamp Passes Illinois House And Senate
“Karina’s Law” has passed both the Illinois House, 80-33-0, and the Illinois Senate, 43-10-0. Remember, it would have taken only 60 votes in the House and 30 votes in the Senate to pass. This bill will now, undoubtedly, be signed by the Governor. The bill that was passed was not the original “Karina’s Law” bill, SB2633. The bill that was actually passed was HB4144 FA Number 2. The designation FA Number 2 means the “Floor Amendment Number 2”.
HB4144 was originally a water supply disruption bill that had passed the Illinois House and was sent to the Illinois Senate. While in the Illinois Senate, all the language was stripped out of the bill and replaced with language from “Karina’s Law”. HB4144 FA#2 then became the new “Karina’s Law” bill.
The bill passed in the Illinois Senate and was then returned to the House. Even though the meaning and intent was different, all the House had to do was take a concurrence vote to pass it. The confusing part of all of this is that the title stating that it was a water disruption bill stayed the same. I had several calls stating that it was the original water disruption bill, but it was not. You have to check the last amendment to the bill. The bill will now go to the Governor for his signature.
The ISRA believes this bill does not meet the constitutional requirement found in a recent Supreme Court of the United States decision in the United States v Rahimi case, which requires a hearing with a defendant present. “Karina’s Law” only requires an ex parte hearing, which means the defendant, most likely, never knows that they have a hearing. This, of course, opens a way for accusations to be brought by vindictive petitioners and unscrupulous attorneys against the person who may have done nothing wrong.
Another problem with this bill is that if a search warrant is issued and the police come and seize the defendant’s firearms. The police department is not liable for the damage that may be done to very expensive or collectible firearms.
Anti-gun forces applied maximum pressure using their unlimited funds which enabled them to hire 13 lobbyists, or more, to push this bill through. This is a vindictive bill with which to attack all law-abiding gun owners.
The murder of Karina Gonzalez and her daughter was a tragedy. Karina had an order of protection against her husband which he violated. The police were called to Karina’s home and the husband was there, in violation of this protective order. The police did not check the LEADS system and take him into custody, which they should have done. The husband then returned and murdered Karina and her daughter. Once again, we have another law piled on the backs of gun owners because the system once again failed.
Litigation Update
ISRA AS PLAINTIFF
Meyer v. Raoul (18-20 yr CCL cases) (S.D. Ill.) – Summary judgment filings are filed and awaiting a ruling. A trial may be rescheduled if necessary depending on the outcome of the summary judgment motions. Hopefully recent favorable rulings on this issue in other courts will have a positive effect on the rulings in our case.
Miller v. Smith (foster care/home day care firearm prohibitions) (C.D. Ill.) – Discovery proceeding in District Court after reversal by Seventh Circuit for further briefing in light of Bruen standard.
ISRA SUPPORTING
Schoenthal v. Raoul (public transportation CCL case) (N.D. Ill.) – Judgment in Plaintiffs’ favor; currently on appeal in a briefing schedule. No hearing date scheduled.
Harrel v. Raoul (AWB/LCM case) (7th Cir.) – Judgment in Plaintiffs’ favor; currently on appeal in a briefing schedule. In the meantime, the District Court’s injunction has been stayed. No hearing date scheduled.
Atkinson v. Garland (federal felon restoration) (N.D.Ill.) – Awaiting ruling on Motion to Dismiss in District Court after remand by Seventh Circuit to interpret law in light of Bruen. Court may be waiting to see if SCOTUS takes similar issue case (Range) out of Third Circuit, which ruled in petitioner’s favor.
People v. Brown (in-home FOID card requirement for firearm possession) (White County) – Motion to Dismiss (third) pending in circuit court after remand by Fifth Appellate District. If it is granted, the case almost certainly will go back to the Illinois Supreme Court for a third time, where the Court will hopefully have to confront the issue presented.
Brunke v. Kelly (N.D. Ill.) – This is a clear and present danger case which involves a procedure of a FOID revocation. Initial status will be on 1-30-25. Discovery schedule to be set.
NOTICE to all ISRA Members
PLEASE CHECK YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARDS!
We have had tremendous problems with the mail in recent months, not being delivered. There are those that we have mailed Membership Renewal notices and they never received them. If your membership has expired or is close to expiring, please go online to our website, www.isra.org , or call the ISRA offices at 815-635-3198 to renew. Thank you!
Use Caution When Purchasing Ammo Online!
One should always use caution when shopping online, but the cyber-criminals have upped their game since December in targeting law-abiding gun owners. They have targeted the firearms industry with a new wave of legitimate-looking website clones of established, highly-regarded brand names, such as Remington, Federal Premium Ammunition, Hornady, Sierra Bullets and others. The cloned sites will have a slightly different URL than the official sites, such as “www.remington.shop” or “store.hornady.com”. They illegally duplicate and use official logos and site layout to confuse the viewer into giving up their private info.
These four companies, and others, have sent out alerts informing their customers of scammers who have created fake websites impersonating their brands. They are also warning of fraudulent Facebook advertisements for warehouse or special sales which send folks to these fake sites. In an attempt to remedy any headaches incurred from all this, Hornady, on December 30, announced it would be releasing a statement that could be presented to a bank or payment processor if a customer had fallen victim to one of these scams. But, as these often pop up as fast as they are shut down, it is best to always be leery of things that look “too good to be true”.
The official URL of Remington is www.remington.com , Federal is www.federalpremium.com , Hornady is www.hornady.com and Sierra Bullets is www.sierrabullets.com .
The above listed URLs are the only legitimate URLs for these companies. Please be vigilant when shopping online!
Read the article on these online scams HERE in NRA Shooting Illustrated online by Guy J. Sagi, January 2, 2025.
Good Riddance
The Biden appointed Director of the ATF is resigning, effective January 18, two days prior to our 47th President, Donald J. Trump, being inaugurated. Dettelbach will be gone. The departure of the Biden henchman should be cheered by all law-abiding, firearm owners, dealers and companies.
Henry 1000 Man Shoot Rifle Raffle
Help us fund our youth shooting programs by purchasing tickets for our Henry 1000-Man Shoot Silver Boy rifles! ISRA will be raffling off rifle #873 out of 1000, which comes in its original case, on March 31, 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to not only win a beautiful and rare firearm but also to support and encourage our young marksmen!
If you prefer to call the office and purchase tickets, you may do so between 8am and 4pm, Monday through Friday. You can also mail a check to the ISRA at P.O.Box 637, Chatsworth, IL. 60921. Be sure to include a note stating it is for the Henry Rifle Raffle.
Ticket prices are 1 for $25, 5 for $100 and 15 for $250.
Purchase Tickets for the Henry 1000 HERE
The New ISRA Online Store
The ISRA Store is constantly being updated. We have new merchandise every week. If you have something particular you would like to see available, let us know – we would love to hear your ideas and appreciate your input! Email them to us at: member@isra.org
Visit the ISRA Online Store HERE
Education & Training @ ISRA Range, Bonfield, IL.
ISRA Academy is continuing to offer CCL renewals each month –
1/30/2025 (Thursday) 1:00pm – 4:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse – Register HERE
2/1/2025 (Saturday) 9:00am – 12:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse – Register HERE
2/20/2025 (Thursday) 1:00pm – 4:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse – Register HERE
CCL Class –
1/18/2025 (Saturday) 8:30am – 5:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse – Register HERE
1/19/2025 (Sunday) 8:30pm – 5:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse – Register HERE
NRA Basic Pistol Instructor Couse –
1/11/2025 (Saturday) 8:30am – 6:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse – Register HERE
1/12/2025 (Sunday) 8:30am – 6:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse – Register HERE
Glock Armorer Course –
2/11/2025 (Tuesday) 8:00am – 5:00pm / Clubhouse – Register HERE
Glock Operator Course –
2/12/2025 (Wednesday) 8:00am – 5:00pm / Range 11 – Register HERE
2/13/2025 (Thursday) 8:00am – 5:00pm / Range 11 – Register HERE
Pistol Coaching Class / Level 1 –
3/22/2025 (Saturday) 8:30am – 4:30pm / Range 1 & Clubhouse – Register HERE
3/23/2025 (Sunday) 8:30am – 4:30pm / Range 1 & Clubhouse – Register HERE
Pistol Optics Principles with Brian Hill of “The Complete Combatant” –
4/12/2025 (Saturday) 9:00am – 6:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse – Register HERE
4/13/2025 (Sunday) 9:00am – 6:00pm / Range 11 & Clubhouse – Register HERE
*** Please contact academy@isra.org for any training or class questions and check the ISRA Range Calendar HERE for links to dates, times, descriptions of ISRA activities and events.
Important Announcement – IGOLD
The 2025 IGOLD date has been moved to May 14, 2025. This is due to a change in the legislative calendar. I am looking forward to seeing you there.
GET IN THE FIGHT, STAY IN THE FIGHT, JOIN THE ISRA
To Join the ISRA, Go To: https://isra.org/join-us/
January 9, 1861 – The Union merchant steamship “Star of the West” is fired upon while trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Fort Sumter. Well, we all think that the Civil War started on April 12, 1861, when Fort Sumter was fired upon by the Confederates. It actually occurred on April 9, 1861.
The Union ship suffered little damage and Fort Sumter did not return fire on the Confederate positions. There was still hope that the Civil War could be avoided, but it was not to be.
January 10, 1901 – In an oil field near Beaumont, Texas, a drilling rig at Spindletop Hill erupted and an enormous gusher of crude oil shot over 100 feet in the air. The drill had hit a huge oil reserve 1000 feet below the surface. Initially, the oil well produced 100,000 barrels of oil a day. It would not be long before the United States would use crude oil to power new inventions such as cars, planes, ships, and even trains. Big oil was born, and it would become the backbone of American energy.
January 11, 1908 – President Theodore Roosevelt declares the Grand Canyon a national monument. The Grand Canyon was first discovered by the Europeans in 1540, led by the Spanish conquistador, Coronado. In 1869, geologist John Wesley Powell explored the Grand Canyon in four row boats. Powell, who had been employed by the Illinois State Normal University, now known as Illinois State University, survived a 277 mile expeditionary trip along the gorge with 10 of his men. The Grand Canyon has been declared one of the “Seven Wonders of the World”.
January 13, 1929 – Wyatt Earp died in Los Angeles, California. With his death came the closing of a chapter of the Old West. Most people do not know what happened to Wyatt after he left Tombstone, Arizona, but his adventurous life continued.
Earp traveled throughout the West. He, and his wife Josephine, ran saloons in San Francisco, speculated in gold mines and raised thoroughbred horses in San Diego, California. When the Alaska gold rush began, they went there also, running the Dexter Saloon until 1901. It was said he lost his famous Buntline revolver overboard while crossing on a ferry outside of Nome, Alaska.
He returned to California and made attempts to find a publisher for his memoirs, but was unsuccessful. He ended up being an advisor to Hollywood westerns. It was there he met John Wayne and the two often had lunch together.
January 14, 1784 – The Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, officially ending the War for Independence. The American Revolution was the first instance of a subject country revolting against their rulers. What is even more unique about the American Revolution was that, afterward, it did not fall into dictatorship or fall apart as a country. We owe a great deal of our success to George Washington who refused to become a dictator, king or monarch. It was his character that really helped the United States of America become what it is today.
January 15, 1929 – Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He would become the figurehead for the Civil Rights Movement. Under his leadership, the Civil Rights Movement achieved two important goals – firstly, the ratification of the 24th Amendment prohibiting the requirement of a poll tax and, secondly, the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
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 4 – Jan 5, 2025 **CANCELLED** Decatur Gun & Knife Show, Decatur Conference Center & Hotel, Decatur, IL
Jan 12, 2025 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL
Jan 18 – Jan 19, 2025 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds, Kankakee, IL.
Jan 25 – Jan 26, 2025 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
Feb 1 – Feb 2, 2025 Bloomington Gun & Knife Show, Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL.
Feb 8 – Feb 9, 2025 Quad Cities Gun Show, QCCA Expo Center, Rock Island, IL.
Feb 9, 2025 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL.
Feb 15 – Feb 16, 2025 Central Illinois Gun Collectors New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
Mar 1 – Mar 2, 2025 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds, Kankakee, IL.
Mar 7 – Mar 8, 2025 Plainfield Frontiersman Show, Sullivan American Legion, Sullivan, IL.
Mar 9, 2025 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL.
Mar 29 – Mar 30, 2025 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
April 13, 2025 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL.
ISRA Grassroots Monthly Meetings
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights!
East Central Illinois – 3rd Thurs – Clifton Sportsman’s Club, 3106 US-45 #52, Clifton, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
Northwest Suburban – 3rd Tues – Golden Corral, 1591 S. Randall Rd., Algonquin, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
South Suburban/Cook County – 2nd Thurs – Kenootz Pizza, 4659 147th St., Midlothian, IL; Doors open 6:30pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
Will County – 3rd Wed – 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: https://isra.org/support-us/
Upcoming Meetings: https://isra.org/isra-activities-and-events/
Upcoming Range Events: https://isra.org/the-range/#range-calendar