Posted on 04/06/2009 5:15:02 PM PDT by marktwain
Two more Southern Illinois counties have included concealed carry advisory referendums on their ballots this Tuesday that proponents say will help convince state lawmakers that laws need to be passed to allow for it.
The effectiveness of those referendums being included on Illinois voting ballots has yet to be seen, says an anti-handgun lobbyist.
Tom Menard, executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, said this particular election day that focuses mostly on municipal, township and school board races traditionally shows a low turnout, about 20 percent, and is not an accurate snapshot of populace attitudes and thinking.
Two Southern Illinois counties - Johnson and Pope - have included the yes-no question on their ballots which asks voters if the state Legislature should enact legislation enabling trained and licensed citizens to carry firearms for self-defense and other lawful uses.
Four Southern Illinois counties - Crawford, Franklin, Saline and Union - included the question on their ballots in November and joined six other counties in seeing the referendum approved. Six jurisdictions said no.
"There's no doubt they (Johnson and Pope counties) will pass this. We're trying to get as many counties on board as possible. This is not a Democrat-Republican issue. This should have been done much earlier," said state Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, who represents those counties.
What the advisory referendum does is send a message to the general assembly that Illinois is way behind in its gun laws, said Valinda Rowe, spokeswoman for www.illinoiscarry.com, a Web site dedicated to discussion and action on concealed carry.
Although it is not binding, the referendum is a means of education and general persuasion that trained, approved law-abiding citizens should be granted their constitutional right to possess and bear firearms to protect themselves, Rowe said, noting that legislative bills for the measure are defeated or drowned out each session by many northern Illinois and Chicago-area lawmakers.
"People are not shooting themselves over parking spaces with concealed carry laws. This is not the Wild West," Rowe said.
Menard said he is undecided as to whether advisory referendums are accurate precursors for ultimate action by the state's General Assembly.
He gave the example of an advisory referendum for Cook County in the 2006 state election that asked whether the state should enact a statewide ban on the sale of assault firearms. It got about an 85 percent approval.
"But, you still haven't seen Springfield passing legislation banning the sale of those particular firearms," Menard said.
He thinks advisory referendums can be useful tools for legislators analyzing particular areas of the state and where the votes lie.
Phelps authored House Bill 462, this session that allows for concealed carry for those firearm owners who get permits through their county sheriff departments.
He said Friday the bill will likely go back to committee because "we don't have the votes now." The current focus of state lawmakers like himself that want concealed carry in Illinois is to thwart initiatives to ban and prohibit citizenry firearm ownership and use.
"We're still doing good for the gun owners. We're trying to play defense right now," Phelps said.
There will be blood in the streets. It will look like the old west and OK Corral on a daily basis. Minor disputes will be solved with a gun.
Guns kill people everybody knows that. I had a friend who was killed by a gun once. That gun tried to kill him twice but couldn't do it. It could have if it had been one of them there assult guns.
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