The Illinois State Rifle Association will be petitioning the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals this week for an en banc hearing (a hearing before all 14 judges in the Seventh Circuit, not just a three-judge panel) in our case Harrel v Raoul et al, joining with the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s case, and the case of Barnett v. Raoul, et al, all of which were consolidated in the trial (District) Court and at the Seventh Circuit. We believe this is a necessary step to have the best chance (if the en banc Petition does not result in a reversal) for the Supreme Court of the United States to hear our cases.
Many firearms owners continue to contact the ISRA with questions about the rules surrounding the registration of firearms and parts under Governor Pritzker’s so-called “assault weapon” ban. We at the ISRA agree that the rules are vague and confusing. The Illinois State Police have even admitted that they continue to revise the rules, this in turn makes it almost impossible to follow what is already a vague and likely unconstitutional law.
Make no mistake, the ISRA continues to fight this law in Federal Court, and we expect that this vague and confusing law will eventually be overturned based on current case law. However, until that happens, firearms owners are faced with a choice of not complying, or trying to navigate rules that are nearly impossible to follow should they decide to register.
In December there will be two hearings that have the potential to drastically change or stop this overreach by Governor Pritzker. The first is a Federal Court Hearing in Southern Illinois in the first week of December. The second hearing will be December 12th in front of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, where changes to the rules are likely to be introduced or adopted.
For these reasons, the ISRA recommends that all firearms owners wait until after the outcomes of these hearings before deciding to comply with a law that we strongly believe will be overturned.
The U.S. Supreme Court seems ready to hear several firearm related cases. It held oral arguments in its latest Second Amendment case on Tuesday, but before that, it agreed to hear two more gun-related cases. They aren’t Second Amendment cases, but they have big implications for gun owners. More on that later.
The Supreme Court wasn’t the only court that was busy this week. There were rulings from lower courts that decided the legality of the pistol-brace ban and Illinois’ “assault weapons” ban. There are other cases moving forward that deal with magazine and assault weapons bans. The magazine bans have been found unconstitutional in a couple of these district courts.
At this time the ATF can’t arrest anyone for owning a pistol-brace-equipped gun. That’s the outcome of a ruling handed down by United States District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk on Wednesday. He granted a motion to stay enforcement of the agency’s rule banning the possession of effectively all braced guns that weren’t registered earlier this year. He found the ATF exceeded its power when crafting the rule.
SAF AMICUS BRIEF SUPPORTS CHALLENGE OF HAWAII ‘SENSITIVE PLACES’ LAW – Alan Gottlieb, SAF Founder and Executive Vice President
The Second Amendment Foundation has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit supporting the challenge of Hawaii’s “sensitive places” statute which places broad prohibitions on where legally armed private citizens may carry firearms for personal protection. “Hawaii adopted this restrictive statute in response to last year’s Supreme Court Bruen ruling,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “The sweeping ban at public places, including beaches and parks effectively eviscerates the constitutional right to bear arms for self-defense, and we can’t allow this to go unchallenged.” This statute allows the nullification of the Second Amendment.
Lastly, I have a dark warning for everyone out there that has a firearm that falls under the PICA Act. The governor said no one is after our firearms, but there is no guarantee that he won’t change his mind. Also, everyone needs to realize that any legislature cannot make a law that binds the next legislature to honor that law. That can be good or bad.
We are now in very dangerous territory! There is no guarantee that registration will not turn into a list for confiscation. There is also no guarantee that the legislature will not try to register other firearms. This is a time for all gun owners to stick together. As Benjamin Franklin said, “If we do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately.”
If you are not a member of the Illinois State Rifle Association, you need to join and help us continue to fight for our Second Amendment rights.
As one of our valued members, you should have received your Recruiter Mailing by now.
It is very important that you help us get new members to fight the battles before all gun owners. To carry on this fight, we need more and more new people to become members of the ISRA.
You AND your new members will be entered into the drawing, for every new member you sign up!
Please feel free to make copies of the form you received in the mailing, if you can recruit more than one member, or call the office at 815-635-3198 if you did not receive the mailing, and we’ll mail it to you.
Your help is needed and very much appreciated!
On the legal front, the ISRA and NSSF cases that were before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals will be appealed to the Supreme Court as soon as all the preparation is done. There are certain things that have to be done before the Supreme Court will accept the case. We are working on that NOW!
The U.S. Supreme Court has accepted the Rahimi Case out of the 5th Circuit in Texas. This case deals with the limits that can be opposed on domestic abusers. This case will be important with regard to Red Flag Laws and Clear and Present Danger Situations. We look forward to the resolution of this case.
150,000 Israelis Apply for Gun Permits After Hamas Attacks. Less than a month after Hamas terrorists slaughtered 1,400 Israelis, citizens have applied for more gun permits than they have over the past three years combined. It offers another example of civilians arming themselves in response to terrorist campaigns waged by governments and terrorist groups alike.
Israeli gun regulations have always been very strict compared to those common in the United States. They don’t have a Second Amendment. Gun ownership in Israel is not a right. In the days and weeks after the Hamas attacks, the Israeli government wisely loosened up on their gun law restrictions.
It always seems that wherever they are, people put in new tornado sirens after the tornado, and dikes after the flood. Had 150,000 citizens of Israel been armed before the attack, there would be far less than 1,400 people murdered. Remember that Hamas and other radical groups are seeking out death to Americans. That’s you and me!
The story of armed defiance has inspired Jews and others across the globe. It is one of the reasons, among many, an unprecedented number of Jewish Americans and other people, have sought out guns and training in the wake of the terrorist attacks an ocean away.
The terrorist Hamas campaign launched on October 7th have been compared to September 11th. It has given people in Israel and around the world a new perspective on the fight they are in. The armed resistance to the attack has opened many Israeli’s minds to owning and carrying firearms.
Maine Shooting Shows Authorities Failed the Public. New revelations in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Maine provides growing evidence that authorities failed when they might have prevented the deadly attack. It is reported that the killer was involuntarily committed to a mental hospital in July, and that the man’s family told police of their concerns about his mental state five months before the Lewiston shooting.
This case, like so many in the past, reveals a failure by local authorities to act on reliable information and utilize existing laws. The situation in Maine is so bad that the authorities don’t want to talk about it anymore.
The constant calls for additional laws after such a tragedy, particularly when the government abdicated its responsibility, are misguided and serve no purpose, other than to expose the agenda of the gun prohibitionists, demonstrating that they only wish to pass laws for self-serving purposes.
Run. Hide. Fight. In the wake of the Lewiston shooting, gun sales are surging. This is what we see happen following just about every mass shooting. “We’re seeing the fear,” a gun store owner who’d opened his store in defiance of a shelter-in-place order and reported 500% more business said. Some sellers reported an influx of customers who’d never purchased a gun.
Yes, people in Lewiston were scared. If we’re going to see a mass shooting there, where else can it happen? Yes, it can happen in your own hometown!
Sure, you can shelter in place all you want, but if someone, or several someones, with a gun wants to hurt you, a door is an impediment, not a shield. They’ll get through that and hurt you. Many people are finally understanding this. Gun sales increase because the natural reaction to fear is to take steps to keep yourself safe from whatever that fear is. The truth is that people buy guns because they’re not interested in being a victim. Plain and simple.
Once again, if you are in your car, on the street someplace, in your home, or out for a night on the town – if you are attacked, there is just you and your attacker. You are the only first responder. No one else is coming to help you. You have to defend yourself and your loved ones.
Last Week, it Was Reported That the Vista Group Has New Ownership which includes Federal ammunition, CCI ammunition, Spear ammunition, and 18 other outdoor segments. The new name of the group will be called Kinect Group. It is expected changes to take place sometime in the near future.
