By: Anthony Morelli
This is a ridiculous use of power.
Democrats are trying to pass more gun control.
And they are ramming it through at the last minute.
It appears that gun control is on the agenda in the state of Illinois, and Democrats are going to use some very controversial tactics in order to make sure that it passes.
Lame-duck sessions of the legislature are sometimes used as a way for leadership to pass things they know are controversial at a time when the elections have already passed.
By doing this, they can insulate their members from having to face electoral consequences, and the incoming members of the legislative body don’t even have a chance to vote on it.
That is apparently what some Illinois legislators are going to try to do in order to pass gun control in the state, something they know will anger gun owners.
Perhaps the choice of the lame-duck session is just a coincidence, but it raises the question of whether it is a tactic.
In any case, gun owners in Illinois need to rally to stop this from happening before new gun control bills get rammed through.
According to The Center Square, “With Illinois legislators scheduled back to the capitol Saturday, Jan. 4, some are watching what the lame duck session could mean for gun control laws.
“During the previous lame duck session in early January 2023, legislators approved the ban on certain semi-automatic firearms and magazines. That measure continues to be challenged in the courts.
“Before adjourning the fall veto session last month, state Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, said legislators should approve an expansion of the state’s red flag law.”
Rep. Didech is not the speaker or a member of the leadership team, so he doesn’t have direct power over this, although he is a committee chair.
However, his influence could push Illinois Democrat leaders to bring this up and pass this before the new legislature takes office.
The article continues, “Current law already requires subjects of an order of protection to turn over their firearms. The proposed measure would require police to go and take possession of firearms in such instances.”
“Two other measures, one requiring quicker lost and stolen reporting and another requiring firearms to be locked up in certain circumstances, are opposed by ISRA.”
“Legislators return Jan. 4 for lame duck session. They could pass new bills out of both chambers between then and when the 103rd General Assembly ends Jan. 7.”
It will be apparent very soon whether this is something that is really going to come up during the lame-duck session.
Gun owners should not sit back and watch but should actively put pressure on their legislators to make sure something like this doesn’t become law.
Illinois is already a state that is not very friendly to citizens who choose to own firearms.
But things can always get worse, and apparently if some legislators get their way, they are going to get worse for gun owners in the state in very short order.