One of the topics few people understand is the new Illinois District Map and how it will affect their Second Amendment Rights. Just to refresh everyone, there is a census every 10 years. From that new census, political districts are redrawn to adjust for changes in population. The redrawing of the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois State Senate districts is the topic of this article. This is not to say that Judicial and Congressional districts are not affected. I will inform you about those at another time.
In the State of Illinois, there are 118 House of Representatives districts and 59 State Senatorial districts. Each House district contains approximately 108,734 people and each Senatorial district contains approximately 217,468 people. While there are variations in these numbers, they can’t be too large or they are subject to court challenges and that is certainly possible with the new Illinois map which will be in place for the 2022 elections.
The key is how the new maps are drawn. The party in power has the upper hand. Presently, the Democrats control both houses of the General Assembly by a wide margin and also the Office of the Governor. As of now, in the Illinois House of Representatives, the Democrats have 73 members and the Republicans have 45 members. It takes 60 votes to pass a bill in Illinois. To override the Governor’s veto, it takes 71 votes or 60%. The term “veto proof” comes from passing a bill with 60% or more votes. The Democrats have two votes to spare if it is a “party line vote”. The situation in the Illinois Senate is even worse for the Republicans. To pass a bill in the Illinois Senate, it takes 30 votes. In The Illinois Senate, “veto proof” requires 36 votes. As of now, the Illinois Senate Democrats have 41 members and the Republicans have 18 members. The Democrats are five members over the “veto proof” majority. That is now but the new map will change that.
The new map combines 14 solid House Republican districts into 7 districts. That means that it will be Republican vs. Republican and seven Republicans will lose. That brings the number of Republicans in the Illinois House down to 37 and the number of House Democrats up to 81. That is 10 members over the “veto proof” number for the Democrats.
There is one other House of Representatives district that combines a sitting Republican with a sitting Democrat legislator. Obviously only one of those will survive.
The Senate isn’t quite so bad; there are two Republican Senatorial districts combined and two Democrat Senatorial districts combined. It is likely we will see a court challenge to this new map. That certainly doesn’t mean it will be successful and even if it is, it may not change the map significantly.
Generally speaking, Republicans are more pro-gun than Democrats. No matter how anyone slices it, Second Amendment supporters will have a fight on our hands.
Right now, Russia, China, Iran and several other countries are yukking it up over the United States’ incredibly incompetent fleeing from Afghanistan. The abandonment of those Afghans, who actually helped us, sends a message to the world that you can’t trust the Americans. Of course, our fearless leader, Joe Biden, crept out of his den, saw his shadow and with his eyes fixed on the teleprompter, proclaimed the buck stops here, but it wasn’t his fault. Ah-huh, I got it.
The terrorists who want to kill us, once again, have a nice safe haven to reconstitute themselves and prepare to attack us again. Don’t worry, they will. Those who try to man the Southern Border tell us that illegals from 150 countries have crossed into the United States to unknown places with the aid of the Biden Administration. This is like injecting yourself with cancer cells.
To those 2500 Gold Star families whose children were sacrificed in Afghanistan, my heart goes out to you. To those veterans and their families who are physically or mentally damaged, you have my gratitude and my thanks. I know this will not ease your pain but I am proud of you. To all those who serve in the U.S. Military, thank you.
To all those stupid do-gooders, you can take your noble ideas about nation building and stick them in your ear. Nation building in places like Afghanistan is useless, it is like trying to teach a rattlesnake to tap dance. The snake isn’t going to learn it and, in the end, you are going to get bitten.
Remember Susan (I couldn’t tell the truth even if I knew what it was) Rice? She is now Biden’s gun control advisor. We are in for a blizzard of lies, falsehoods, innuendos and mischaracterizations. Susan Rice is the darling of the left wing’s newest anti-gun initiative. Right now, the Taliban is confiscating personal firearms claiming people don’t need them for personal protection, the same arguments that Joe Biden and Susan Rice are using. Please pay no attention to the fact that the Taliban is shooting women down in the streets.
On a good note, the High Power Rifle matches have started at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. One of our ISRA competitors has won the Service Rifle Match and another came in third in the Multi Sight Midrange Match. The Service Rifle Match is shot at 200, 300, and 600 yards. The Multi Sight Match is fired at 300, 500, and 600 yards. Half of the Multi Sight Match is fired with iron sights and half with telescopic sights. One of our Pistol Team members has achieved his Distinguished Pistol Badge.
The U. S. Shooting Team received the most Olympic medals since 1964. The U. S. Team struck gold in Men’s Air Rifle, Women’s Skeet, and Men’s Skeet. Silver Medals came in Mixed Team Air Rifle and Women’s Trap. We received a Bronze Medal in Mixed Team Trap.
On November 3rd, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Bruen (formerly it was the NYSR&PA Corlett). This case challenges New York’s “good cause” requirement to be able to carry a firearm outside your home. New York apparently does not care if you are protecting your own life or your loved ones, it isn’t good enough. New York is one of eight states that are “may issue” states. Illinois is a “shall issue” state. The ISRA is part of an amicus brief supporting the NYSR & PA complaint against New York.
Nothing is new in any of the Illinois court cases at this moment.
Ammo Quest: I have had reports from readers on ammunition prices and available around the state of Illinois. Thank you for that. Online prices haven’t moved since last week. There is an occasional email blast that has good prices but that ammo disappears quickly. Local dealers, farm stores and a few big box stores have the best prices right now.
Deer season is not far away. I would get a supply of deer slugs right now. If you can’t find your favorite slug, buy a few extra boxes of whatever you find to sight in your slug gun. Slug guns are finicky. One brand and lot number of slugs can be right on, and the next brand or lot can be a foot off. Always sight in with the slugs you are going to use to hunt because if you don’t, your hunting success will leave a lot to be desired.
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