Nothing’s easy in Illinois . . . Can an Illinois Medical Cannabis Patient Legally Purchase or Own a Gun? – “Just FYI, Illinois state law does not in any way ban medical cannabis cardholders from owning a firearm. In fact, the recently adopted SB10 (now known as Public Act 099-0519) specifically clarified that products purchased at licensed dispensaries are “lawful products” to make it expressly clear to the Illinois State Police that issuing a FOID card doesn’t conflict with the state’s medical cannabis law. Although the laws and regulations of Illinois allow a medical cannabis patient to obtain a FOID card, in reality, the Illinois State Police will not approve a gun purchase by any medical cannabis patient due to a federal law forbidding users of a controlled substance from owning a gun.”
As we were saying . . . Plan for high-end gun range in Willowbrook denied amid opposition – “A controversial shooting range will not be coming to the southwest suburbs after the Willowbrook Village Board voted Monday against the ambitious plan to build a high-end gun club there. Officials had to move Monday’s village board meeting to a bigger space inside a hotel in Burr Ridge to accommodate all the people who wanted to speak out against the proposal. There, residents fought City Hall- and won.”
Meanwhile, in a solvent state with less corrupt government . . . Gun rights rally puts concealed weapons rules in crosshairs – “Hundreds of gun rights supporters took their cause to the state Capitol on Monday, pushing for an agenda that includes looser rules for carrying concealed weapons. A ‘Make the Second Amendment Great Again’ rally in the Rotunda brought together state lawmakers, sheriffs and gun rights enthusiasts for what has become an annual event.”
Back in gun control hell, however . . . California Lawmakers Aim to Strengthen Gun Ban in Schools – “California lawmakers have passed a bill to revoke superintendents’ ability to let people carry guns in a school zone. The California Assembly passed AB424 43-23 Monday, sending the measure to the state Senate. The Legislature initially let superintendents give people permission to carry guns on campus to ensure domestic violence survivors could protect themselves, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty said. But the Sacramento Democrat says the provision has been “exploited” by school districts to allow cafeteria aids, teachers and yard duty assistants to carry firearms in schools.”
Playing the long game . . . Gun-rights advocate says change comes from incremental lawsuits – “Michael R. Moran, an attorney who is representing Newbern along with attorney Derek A. DeBrosse, who filed the suit, said legal challenges like this will go on for decades as part of the fallout of the 2008 Heller case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that the Second Amendment guarantees people the right to possess firearms whether or not they serve in a militia. ‘It’s incremental,’ Moran said. ‘That’s how these rights are asserted.” Among Second Amendment attorneys at the time of the Heller ruling, he said, ‘We joked that there’d be 50 years of litigation.’”
Thank goodness he was a highly trained law enforcement officer . . . Man’s gun goes off while shopping at Clinton Walmart – “According to an incident report from the Clinton Police Department, on May 18 Brian Ball told authorities he had just made his purchase at the Clinton Walmart and was walking past the restrooms when he heard a loud bang. Ball then realized his gun had gone off. He told responding officers that the bullet blew a hole through his shorts and grazed off the inside of his foot, but he wasn’t severely injured. According to Chief Deputy Mark Lucas, Ball is an employee of the jail. Ball explained to officers that the firearm wasn’t holstered and was loose in his right shorts pocket when it went off, according to the report.”
Is your favorite writer on this list? . . . Bloomberg’s Everytown Creates ‘Authors Council’ to Push Anti-Gun Propaganda – “As if the country’s media weren’t already sufficiently co-opted by anti-gun advocates, this week, Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety announced an effort to pervert an additional facet of American entertainment. The billionaire bank-rolled interest group has developed the Everytown Authors Council. According to Bloomberg’s astroturf campaign, ‘The Council is designed to harness the power of the literary community to amplify the gun safety movement.’”
Then again, on our side of the ledger . . . Stephen Hunter Explains His Novels, Movies, Gangsters, And Guns – “Hunter shares on his childhood obsession with guns, and how he creates stories on subjects that are often politicized. ‘I’m not on a soapbox, however on another level…on a cultural level if it were, I want it understood that I believe in the gun. I believe in the second amendment.’”