Public Hearing on Firearm Ban Rules Nov. 6 in Caseyville
The Illinois State Police (ISP) is hosting a public hearing concerning the registration of firearms in the Metro East on Monday, November 6, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. at the Caseyville Community Center Village Hall, 909 South Main Street in Caseyville.
The State Police scheduled three public hearings this month on permanent rules to continue to move forward on the implementation of the Protect Illinois Communities Act.
I attended the public hearing in Springfield held on Thursday, November 2 as pictured below.
The Protect Illinois Communities Act created a category of firearms, called “assault weapons” and “assault weapons attachments.” The Democrats picked a list of firearms that they deem unsafe to be “assault weapons.” The Act was signed into law in January 2023 by Governor Pritzker and regulates the possession, sale and transfer of “assault weapons,” “assault weapon” attachments, high-capacity magazines, and switches in Illinois. Citizens who possessed the firearms devices listed in this Act before it took effect are required to submit an endorsement affidavit through their Firearm Owner’s Identification Card account.
In September, ISP published emergency rules explaining how citizens could register their banned firearms and attachments. The online registration process started October 1, and in the first three weeks of the process, less than one-tenth of one percent of the state’s FOID card holders had registered their semi-automatic firearms that are now banned by state law.
There have been a number of concerns raised that the rules are vague and hard to understand. Citizens have also said it is not clear what types of firearms and ammunition are covered by the rules, and which ones are not. A list of the banned items can be found here. However, concerned parties have criticized this list for being vague and incomplete. Based on incompatibilities between this list and the text of the law that it purports to implement, an Illinois gun owner can refrain from registering a legal weapon in good faith, only to find the weapon subject to future confiscation based up on the weapon’s nonappearance on the enumerated list of weapons.
For more information about the hearings click here.
House Returns for Last Week of Veto Session Nov. 7
After the first week of veto session in the Illinois House concluded on October 25th, there are still a number of priorities that House Republicans are looking ahead to solve in the coming weeks. One of those, is addressing Senate Bill 76, which was vetoed by the Governor this summer. The bill would lift the 36-year ban on new nuclear energy construction permits.
Since 1987, Illinois has prohibited new nuclear construction. However, Illinois remains a nuclear power with 11 current operating reactors, the most of any state. Illinois is in the top three states with 54 percent of its energy generation being nuclear, while also having the most generating capacity (11.6 gigawatts) of any state.
My Republican colleagues are also united in showing support for Israel. I co-sponsored House Resolution 446, to strongly condemn the violence in the Middle East and stand with Israel as it defends itself against the heinous acts of violence carried out by Hamas terrorists.
Small Business Seminar in Collinsville a Success
On Monday this week, I attended the Small Business Seminar hosted by Madison County Community Development and the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois. This was an informative seminar for small businesses in the region.
Preparations continue for firearm deer season
The license dates for standard (non-muzzle-loading) firearm deer hunting season starts on Friday, November 17. Many hunters, armed with bows, have already climbed up into their deer blinds, as the Illinois archery season began October 1. The complex rules that govern the various families of Illinois deer hunting licenses all come together with regard to antlered deer; no hunter, including though holding a variety of permits and licenses, may harvest more than two antlered deer during a year.
In the fall 2022 deer season, Illinois hunters reported to have taken 158,010 deer, up from 146,438 in the fall 2021 season.
Free Dental Care for Veterans Nov. 9
The SIU School of Dental Medicine will host their 6th Annual Veterans Care Day, a day of free dental care for area veterans, on Thursday, November 9! (The event is two days before Veterans Day.) Area veterans are invited to the SIU School of Dental Medicine to receive FREE comprehensive dental care including exams, X-rays, cleanings, fillings, and extractions. Veterans Care Day will be held at the SIU School of Dental Medicine Main Clinic (1700 Annex Street, Alton, IL 62002). If you are a veteran and are interested (or if you know a veteran who may interested) in receiving FREE dental care, please call 618-474-7200 to register. Registering in advance of the event is required. To best manage patient care, this event is by appointment only. No walk-ins will be accepted. For more information, call 618-474-7200 or visit https://www.siue.edu/dental/about/veterans-dental-care-day.shtml.
Need assistance with state government?
If you have an issue or need help navigating state government. My office is here to help you. If my office may be of assistance please contact my district office in Alton at 618-433-8046.