May 15, 2007 - Urgent Action Alert - SB1007 Magazine & Gun Ban

This is an Urgent Action Alert on SB1007, a bill sponsored in the Illinois Senate by career anti-gun Senator Dan Kotowski (D - Park Ridge) and Republican Senator John Millner from Bloomingdale.  This bill would ban commonly available magazines  for many firearms that hold more than 10 rounds, and would also ban many firearms with tubular magazines that more than 10 rounds, such as ever action rifles owned by cowboy action shooters and many shotguns.  This bill does nothing to reduce crime and would penalize law-abiding gun owners in Illinois.

This bill passed the Illinois Senate last week on a 31 to 26 vote.  It's now in the House Executive Committee and could pass out from that committee onto the floor of the House.

It's important that you to help make sure that this bill gets defeated in the Illinois House, as Governor Blagojevich would cheerfully sign it immediately if it ever crossed his desk.

Do your part by taking the following actions:
  1. Call your Representative and urge him or her to not support this bill, SB1007, to vote no on it should it come up for a vote.  Even if you have received assurances in the past from your representative in the past that he or she is in your corner and supports the second amendment, do not neglect making that call on this bill.  
    The ISRA webmaster and the ISRA staff in Chatsworth have fielded many calls and emails from angry and surprised gun owners whose Senators voted for this bill last week.
     
  2. Make a personal visit to your representative's local office in your district to show your support for the Second Amendment.  Bring family members or a shooting buddy with you when you go.  Leave a personal message for your representative urging the defeat of SB1007. 
     
  3. Call the Springfield (217-782-3696) and district office (847-566-5115) of Illinois Representative Ed Sullivan, Jr. (R - Mundelein) and urge that he withdraw as Chief Co-Sponsor of this punitive legislation.  Never mind that he's not in your district, his direct advocacy of this ban impacts all Illinois gun owners.

Please forward this alert to all bulletin boards.

If you are not a member of the ISRA, please join.  Please get a friend to join.

ISRA is now supported by three lobbyists in Springfield. Please consider making a legislative donation to the ISRA.

Webmaster's notes: 
Need the phone numbers for your Representative and the address of the district office?  Here's a listing.  Need to find out who your Legislators are?  Check the Illinois Election Board. 

Many concerned members wrote in to ask how their Senator voted on SB1007, perhaps many more are now wondering.  The Illinois General Assembly website has the tally of all roll call votes in PDF files.  Click here for the Senate vote on SB1007.
 
Make a legislative donation

ISRA Press Release - May 15, 2007:
Illinois State Rifle Association to Advise Members on Compliance With Kotowski/Millner Gun Ban 
CHICAGO, May 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released
today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

    The ISRA is advising its members, especially cowboy action shooters and
gun collectors, to be prepared to dispose of firearms they may have in
their possession.

    This advisory comes in light of the passage of Senate Bill 1007, the
Kotowski/Millner gun ban, which now resides in the House for consideration.
Under SB1007, any firearm with a tubular magazine that accepts more than 10
rounds would be banned. As a result, many shotguns and most lever action
rifles used by cowboy action shooters would be outlawed. At the present,
there is no official guidance for citizens on how to comply with the gun
ban.

    The ISRA is also issuing an e-mail alert calling upon gun owners to
visit their legislators' district offices to make clear their opposition to
SB1007.

    "SB1007 comprises one of the most sweeping gun bans in Illinois
history," said ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. "Disguised as a
'magazine ban,' SB1007 actually bans a large number of rifles owned by
collectors and used by participants in cowboy action shooting
competitions."

    "We are currently compiling a list of rifle and shotgun models that
would be banned under SB1007," continued Pearson. "When that list is
complete, we'll distribute it to shooters across the state so that they may
be prepared to take whatever actions are necessary to comply with this
misguided legislation."

    "SASS and other cowboy action shooting enthusiasts will be hit
especially hard by this legislation," said Pearson. "To date, our banned
list includes such popular cowboy action shooting rifles as the Marlin
1894; Henry Rifles; Winchester 1866; Winchester 1873 and the Colt
Lightning. These rifles are the mainstay of cowboy shooting -- which is the
fastest growing and one of the most colorful of the competitive shooting
sports."

    "One would have expected a piece of junk legislation like SB1007 to be
voted down handily," commented Pearson. "Unfortunately, several suburban
Republican senators decided to stand with the Daley Administration and vote
in favor of this gun ban. We've received hundreds of phone calls at the
ISRA offices from gun owners furious at suburban Republicans for advancing
this punitive proposal. What we have here in SB1007 is another example of
the law-abiding gun owner taking it on the chin while violent robbers,
rapists, muggers and murderers get a free pass."

    The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful, and
responsible firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the
interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.