Free Republic

Illinoisans with a felony on their records will no longer be asked about their criminal past when they apply for state jobs. Promoting the decision to what he calls "Ban the Box," State Rep. LaShawn K. Ford (D-Chicago) says the governor's administrative order doesn't mean private employers will be required to hire ex-cons. It simply means applications for state government jobs will no longer include a box indicating whether an applicant has pled guilty, or been convicted of a criminal offense, other than a minor traffic violation. State agencies would still be allowed to conduct background checks, and request information...

AURORA — The Illinois office that issues driver’s licenses is preparing to roll out its biggest initiative in 14 years: helping undocumented immigrants apply for those licenses. Come December, when appointments become available to apply for the licenses, an Aurora facility will be one of 25 designated locations across the state where immigrants can go to get them. “This is our No. 1 priority right now in our office,” said Tom Benigno, chief of staff to Secretary of State Jesse White, who leads the office that is overseeing the initiative. Benigno joined State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora) and Alderman...

Councilwoman Jan Quillman said the night she squabbled with a firefighter she was greatly upset by the bloody "massacre scene" she happened upon when her mother-in-law injured a varicose vein.

Larry Micenheimer.  Photo courtesy Facebook. Gun haters intolerant not only of gun rights, but also free speech rights.Guns Save Life director Don Huskey, who hails from Effingham, was perplexed when signs touting his “All American SHO-Show” gun shows started turning up missing in and near Effingham during the month of September.He replaced the signs, on private property where he had owner permission to post them, and they too turned up missing.“It’s frustrating,” he told GSL’s president John Boch.  “It’s really frustrating.”Well, last week Don Huskey got some good news.Police made an arrest.Of course, just like in the opening intro to...

Nine Alleged Members of Hobos Street Gang Indicted in RICO Conspiracy for Murders and Other Violent, Drug-Related Crimes CHICAGO—Nine defendants who allegedly directed or participated in a violent, drug trafficking street gang known as the Hobos were charged today in a federal racketeering conspiracy (RICO) indictment with engaging in murders, attempted murders, robberies, and narcotics distribution. The five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges five murders, solicitation of a sixth murder, four attempted murders, three robberies, and the operation of “drug spots” and “drug lines” on the city’s south side among a pattern of criminal activity between 2004...

Edward Hambrick also enjoyed choosing his own clothing Wednesday, something he could not do in 14 months at the Cook County Jail. He was locked up longer than some convicted of violent crimes, though authorities said the 40-year-old computer programmer's record is completely clean. He was among four defendants freed from the jail overnight. State's Attorney Anita Alvarez dropped gun possession charges against 103 defendants Tuesday. The Illinois Supreme Court last week ruled the gun possession charges they all faced were based on a law that is unconstitutional. "Everything is pretty much destroyed," Hambrick said of being locked up. "But...

SPRINGFIELD — Supporters of immigration rights plan a rally in Springfield on Saturday in support of two bills they say will keep the state safer. The rally is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. at All Souls Church, 449 Plainfield St., in Springfield. The bills are known as the Trust Act and the Safe Driving Act, according to a statement from organizers. The Trust Act would prevent individuals released by judges and magistrates from then being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The bill would also clarify that it is not the responsibility of local law enforcement officials to...

This past Thursday, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled unanimously in People v. Aguilar that the Illinois law that banned carry outside the home was illegal under the Second Amendment. Yesterday, this ruling caused Cook County Circuit Judge Ellen Mandeltort to reverse herself and drop charges against Deafalla Haddad. Mr. Haddad had been charged with the unlawful use of a weapon after he was found in possession of a handgun during a routine traffic stop. Cook County Circuit Judge Ellen Mandeltort last week denied Deafalla Haddad's request to drop the charges. But the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that part of...

Young lady with revolver in Arizona Today, 12 September, 2013,  the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the second amendment of the Bill of Rights applies to the carrying of arms outside of the home.  They did this by declaring the Illinois statute which makes carry of loaded firearms outside of a persons property illegal, to be unconstitutional.  From the decision http://www.state.il.us/court/Opinions/SupremeCourt/2013/112116.pdf:    We begin with section 24-1.6(a)(1), (a)(3)(A), which states: “(a) A person commits the offense of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon when he or she knowingly: (1) Carries on or about his or her person or in...

Demanding access to organ transplant procedures for undocumented immigrants, a group of hunger strikers set up camp outside Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Sunday. They said they would stay until hopsital CEO Dean Harrison agreed to a meeting. The group of about 40 picketers included 14 people who were in the sixth day of a hunger strike. “We’re asking for help,” said Blanca Gomez, 23, who needs a kidney transplant. “I go to dialysis three times a week. I’m not going off the hunger strike until I get on the transplant list.”

This ban and restrictions appear blatantly unconstitutional under Heller and McDonald.  I am sure there will be court challenges.  Too bad the commissioners will not be held personally accountable for their lack of responsibility.   From the Daily Herald: The Cook County Board Wednesday voted to ban the sale of guns to people under 21, restrict how people with children at home store their ammunition and add firearms to its list of banned so-called assault weapons. The votes come as suburbs have until midnight Friday to approve their own assault weapons bans, though few have expressed much interest in doing so....

Opencarry.org  has some decent discussion on the new concealed carry law in Illinois. Here is a link to a PDF file of the new law.  168  double spaced typed  pages Full text of the Illinois Firearms Concealed Carry Act (HB183) Here are some well thought out remarks from kurt555gs on the Illinois forum on opencarry.org: HB183 is now law! The legislature has over ridden the ( irrelevant ) governor's veto. The Concealed carry portion of the law is horrid. Written by the Chicago anti civil rights bunch and full of delays and traps and criminal penalties to Illinois License to...

The results of a University of Chicago study on preventing homicide amongst young men are a start toward solving that city’s (and other cities’) plague of violence. The National Bureau of Economic Research has released data from the university’s Crime Lab that shows that cognitive behavioral therapy—in which young people are taught to observe their thought patterns and change them—can prevent homicide, at least while the therapy is ongoing. The theory behind the study was that a large percentage of the violent acts of young people are not planned. Instead, they occur almost instantaneously, when conflict erupts and horrible reflexes...

Gov. Pat Quinn is off target in his bid to rewrite a bill that would allow Illinoisans to carry concealed firearms. Last week, and with only a week before a federal court deadline requiring the state to approve a concealed carry law, Quinn issued an amendatory veto of House Bill 183, the legislation passed in May by the Illinois General Assembly in an attempt to meet the court’s mandate. Even though the bill was approved by wide margins in both the Illinois House and Senate, Quinn’s amendatory veto sends the measure back to legislators with significant changes that the governor...

DeKALB – Local lawmakers said they support overriding Gov. Pat Quinn’s alterations to a concealed- carry measure, which include setting a one-gun limit on the number of firearms a person can carry and banning weapons entirely from establishments where alcohol is served. The Democratic governor used his amendatory veto power Tuesday to change legislation sent to him after months of intense debate and compromise. He added provisions on signage, employers’ rights and allowing local communities to create their own laws limiting assault weapons.Within hours of Quinn’s announcement, Illinois’ legislative leaders called a session for July 9 to deal with the...

Yesterday, we looked at Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's latest maneuvers intended to minimize Illinoisans' Constitutionally guaranteed, fundamental human right of the individual to keep and bear arms. Or perhaps that it is not her latest maneuver. As it turns out, she has also been busy lately trying to persuade the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois to dismiss an 18-year-old woman's lawsuit over the state's refusal to issue her a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card, required in Illinois for purchase or possession of guns and ammunition. From the Madison-St. Clair Record:

Many states, especially California and Illinois, have had severe pension underfunding problems for many years. However, new actuarial pension rules will finally force states to admit the problem. Thus, it should not be surprising that talk of "technical bankruptcy" and “service insolvency” is growing. Here are some pertinent ideas from California on the Brink: Pension Crisis About to Get Worse   Moody’s new credit standards for public pensions would nearly double the unfunded liabilities for state and local pension plans in California to $328.6 billion from $128.3 billion. California has the second lowest credit rating at Standard & Poor’s of all 50 states;...

100 million database set up to store extensive records on millions of public school students has stumbled badly since its launch this spring, with officials in several states backing away from the project amid protests from irate parents. The database, funded mostly by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is intended to track students from kindergarten through high school by storing myriad data points: test scores, learning disabilities, discipline records - even teacher assessments of a child's character. The idea is that consolidated records make it easier for teachers to use software that mines data to identify academic weaknesses. Games,...

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- Cliff or no cliff- that is the question. Today we should see revised language for HB0183. As all of you know we have been working very hard for concealed carry for a very long time.For me it has been 27 years and for others like Jim Vinopal it has been twice that long. Today at some time we will see language for an amendment to HB0183. We will all have to read the bill and decide if we can support it or not or just remain neutral . For me 27 years of work will have to be decided...

As we reported last week, the Illinois legislature has been close to passing a "gay marriage" bill being pushed by a well-funded and well-organized high-pressure homosexual lobbying blitz. But it's been stalled thanks to a great coalition of pro-family and church groups, coordinated by the Illinois Family Association (IFI). The bill sailed through the state Senate in February but it's run into trouble getting through the House, thanks to the coalition's great efforts. The House leadership has indicated that it won't come up for a vote unless the homosexual lobby has enough votes to pass it. This is the last...