The floor vote on Senate Bill 16 may come up next week sometime. According to my sources, the vote looks closer than we would like it to be. I urge you, NO, I BEG YOU if you live in Illinois, to call your State Senator; EVEN IF YOU’VE ALREADY CALLED, CALL AGAIN. If you know friends or family who live in Illinois, call them and tell them to call their State Senator. DON’T WRITE OR EMAIL THEM. WE’RE OUT OF TIME. Phone calls have more impact now. When I called my State Senator’s office, they told me they are getting lots of calls and the Senator is paying attention.
When you call your Senator, rule # 1 is BE POLITE. Don’t be angry, even though this makes your blood boil; you must be controlled or they won’t pay attention to you. Tell them your name and where you live. If they ask for your phone number, give it to them. Be honest and truthful when you tell them why you are calling. Tell them what you think and feel about this legislation. When I called, to my astonishment, I actually got to talk to my State Senator. I told him that I’ve been a tax paying, law abiding citizen, all my life; I’m a veteran who served my country and I’ve been a sportsman who abides by all current firearms laws. I think we have more than enough gun laws as it is. I shoot trap, skeet and sporting clays and I use a semi-automatic shotgun for that. I told him that, by voting for this bill, he would be declaring me to be a felon – the same as any gang banger carrying an illegal firearm. I told him I also shoot semi-automatic pistols in some competitive events and that by voting for this bill he would make me a felon. I asked him how I was supposed to explain to my wife and children that I am now considered by the government of the State of Illinois to be a felon on the same level as a murderer or a rapist. I asked him how the State of Illinois could spend $40,000,000 on a world-class shooting complex and then declare attendees to be felons, despite the exception in the Bill. I asked him how the City of Chicago would tell the Olympic shooters they were felons if Chicago gets the Olympics. I waited for his answers. He told me he agreed with me and he plans to vote against the bill. He also thanked me for calling.
There are four new State Senators this year whose votes just aren’t clear at this writing. Their predecessors were known to be pro-Second Amendment legislators. IT’S CRITICAL FOR PEOPLE READING THIS TO CONTACT THESE STATE SENATORS AND GET THEM TO VOTE AGAINST THIS BILL. These State Senators are:
Linda Holmes – Democrat 42nd District (Aurora area)
Springfield Office - (217) 782-0422
Plainfield Office - (815) 609-3711
Mike Noland – Democrat 22nd District (Elgin area)
Springfield Office - (217) 782-7746
Elgin office - (847) 214-8864
Michael Bond – Democrat 31st District (Lake County area)
Springfield Office - (217) 782-7353
Grayslake Office - (847) 752-7004
Michael Frerichs – Democrat 52nd District (Champaign area)
Springfield area - (217) 782-2507
Champaign office - (217) 355-5252
Again, I urge you, NO, I BEG you if you live in Illinois, to call your State Senator; EVEN IF YOU’VE ALREADY CALLED, CALL AGAIN. If you know friends or family who live in Illinois, call them and tell them to call their State Senator. Have them call their friends and family to do the same. DO NOT WRITE OR EMAIL THEM. We are out of time.
To find out how to contact your State Senator, go to this website:
http://www.ilga.gov/
If you don’t know who your State Senator is, try this website to do a lookup:
http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1
Gene Batchelar
Wheaton, IL
When you call your Senator, rule # 1 is BE POLITE. Don’t be angry, even though this makes your blood boil; you must be controlled or they won’t pay attention to you. Tell them your name and where you live. If they ask for your phone number, give it to them. Be honest and truthful when you tell them why you are calling. Tell them what you think and feel about this legislation. When I called, to my astonishment, I actually got to talk to my State Senator. I told him that I’ve been a tax paying, law abiding citizen, all my life; I’m a veteran who served my country and I’ve been a sportsman who abides by all current firearms laws. I think we have more than enough gun laws as it is. I shoot trap, skeet and sporting clays and I use a semi-automatic shotgun for that. I told him that, by voting for this bill, he would be declaring me to be a felon – the same as any gang banger carrying an illegal firearm. I told him I also shoot semi-automatic pistols in some competitive events and that by voting for this bill he would make me a felon. I asked him how I was supposed to explain to my wife and children that I am now considered by the government of the State of Illinois to be a felon on the same level as a murderer or a rapist. I asked him how the State of Illinois could spend $40,000,000 on a world-class shooting complex and then declare attendees to be felons, despite the exception in the Bill. I asked him how the City of Chicago would tell the Olympic shooters they were felons if Chicago gets the Olympics. I waited for his answers. He told me he agreed with me and he plans to vote against the bill. He also thanked me for calling.
There are four new State Senators this year whose votes just aren’t clear at this writing. Their predecessors were known to be pro-Second Amendment legislators. IT’S CRITICAL FOR PEOPLE READING THIS TO CONTACT THESE STATE SENATORS AND GET THEM TO VOTE AGAINST THIS BILL. These State Senators are:
Linda Holmes – Democrat 42nd District (Aurora area)
Springfield Office - (217) 782-0422
Plainfield Office - (815) 609-3711
Mike Noland – Democrat 22nd District (Elgin area)
Springfield Office - (217) 782-7746
Elgin office - (847) 214-8864
Michael Bond – Democrat 31st District (Lake County area)
Springfield Office - (217) 782-7353
Grayslake Office - (847) 752-7004
Michael Frerichs – Democrat 52nd District (Champaign area)
Springfield area - (217) 782-2507
Champaign office - (217) 355-5252
Again, I urge you, NO, I BEG you if you live in Illinois, to call your State Senator; EVEN IF YOU’VE ALREADY CALLED, CALL AGAIN. If you know friends or family who live in Illinois, call them and tell them to call their State Senator. Have them call their friends and family to do the same. DO NOT WRITE OR EMAIL THEM. We are out of time.
To find out how to contact your State Senator, go to this website:
http://www.ilga.gov/
If you don’t know who your State Senator is, try this website to do a lookup:
http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1
Gene Batchelar
Wheaton, IL