| To: State and City Desk
Contact: Richard Pearson of the Illinois State Rifle Association,
815-635-3198; Web: http://www.isra.org
SPRINGFIELD, Ill., April 22 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was
released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):
Rep. William Delgado (D-Chicago) is one of a handful of Illinoisans who
believe that gun control is worth dying for. Delgado proved that assertion
today by using his power as chairman of House Judiciary Committee II to
effectively kill an important piece of victim's rights legislation.
Earlier this legislative session, the Illinois Senate passed SB2165
with strong bipartisan support. SB2165 would provide an affirmative
defense to a violation of a municipal ordinance that prohibits, regulates,
or restricts the private ownership of firearms if the individual who is
charged with the violation used the firearm in an act of self-defense or
defense of another. The bill was drafted in response to a home invasion in
Wilmette, Ill. during which the homeowner shot and wounded the home
invader. Subsequently, the homeowner was arrested and charged with a crime
because Wilmette prohibits its residents from owning handguns. The
homeowner's arrest sparked nationwide outrage over the fact that a citizen
could be arrested for protecting his family from harm.
After passage in the Senate, SB2165 moved to the House for
consideration. Delgado utilized parliamentary procedure to hijack the bill
to prevent it from being voted on by the full House. SB2165 is now
effectively dead.
"SB2165 passed the Senate by a wide margin and was on the fast
track for passage in the House as well," commented ISRA Executive
Director Richard Pearson. "SB2165 is common sense legislation that
merely affirms that law-abiding citizens have a right to defend their
homes and families from criminals."
"SB2165's untimely death is yet more evidence that Chicago Mayor
Richard Daley has a stranglehold on the Illinois General Assembly,"
continued Pearson. "It's the Daley way or the highway. You can bet
that Delgado got a call from the 5th Floor of Chicago City Hall and,
moments later; SB2165 became nothing more than a historical footnote.
Delgado's actions today send a clear message to law-abiding citizens
across the state. That message being that Mayor Daley and Rep. Delgado
would rather see you laying dead on your kitchen floor with your skull
bashed in than to see you with a gun in your hand."
"We see no hope in resurrecting SB2165," said Pearson.
"But you can bet that we'll bring back similar legislation next year.
After all, the vast majority of Illinois citizens do not believe that gun
control is worth dying for."
---
The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and
responsible firearms ownership. For over a century, the ISRA has
represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois gun
owners.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
-0-
/© 2004 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
|
