The NRA Annual Meeting is fast approaching and the announcement of former President Donald Trump’s attendance is adding more controversy to the meeting.  There are those who think some of the people former President Trump endorsed are not perfect enough for them.  Before every election I give an admonition regarding candidates, and it is that time again.  Here it is: There are no perfect candidates.  Don’t bother to look for a perfect candidate.  I advise if you want to go on such a quest, join Diogenes for the eternal search of truth or perhaps, the search for the Holy Grail; you will have more success.

The NRA Annual Meetings will be in Dallas, Texas, on May 27,28 and 29.  There is a fight shaping up for the Executive Vice President for the NRA.  That position is presently held by Wayne LaPierre.  The challenger is LTC Allen West.  How all this will shake out, I can’t say.  Whoever gets the job is in for a rotten thankless experience.  The requirements for the job are you must have a hide as thick as an elephant, are used to working under extreme pressure, be very smart, be able to command, and willing to argue with the mainstream press which is like explaining quantum physics to a bowling ball.  We will know more the week after the Annual Meeting which is when the NRA Board meets.

Firearms Owners Identification Card (FOID) holders have started receiving notifications about their renewal from the Illinois State Police (ISP).  If you have not yet received a notice, you may get one in the future.  Don’t get excited.  These notices are going to people who have both an ICCL and FOID card.  What is happening is the ISP is combining FOID cards and ICCLS to match up expiration dates.  The purpose is to make the renewal process easier.  The ISP will extend your FOID card at no charge to match your ICCL expiration date.  Your FOID will remain active in the system.  Your new card will combine both your ICCL and FOID.  Just as a reminder, you may now apply for your FOID card 180 days in advance of the expiration date.  The application time for the ICCL remains the same at 90 days.  If you are an ISRA member, we will assist you in applying for both your FOID and ICCL applications.  If you are uncertain about the process, call us first because if things get botched up, it is a real mess.

Warm weather is gradually on the way.  I see more people at shooting ranges seeking a cure for cabin fever.  May is just around the corner and that means shooting activities at outdoor ranges will be in full swing.  For all those who belong to outdoor ranges, it is time to do spring cleaning and perhaps a little fix up.  If you belong to an outdoor range, check to see when a workday is scheduled and participate.

Thank you to all who participated in the IGOLD 2022 raffle!  The winning ticket numbers are as follows:

We are about to experience our first brush of early summer weather which is great news for all of us who love shooting outdoors.  You may see some new faces at the range, considering the number of new gun owners we have.  Remember, always be welcoming; this is new territory for them.  They may not know or understand all the rules.  They need a mentor, not a drill instructor.  Not only is this important to understand for range operators and Range Safety Officers, but individual members or patrons as well.

As most of you know, the unserialized firearm bill or “Ghost Gun bill” HB4383 Amendment #2 passed the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate and is headed for the Governor’s desk.  I have written several times about how the process works in Springfield, but I am going over it again since HB4383 Amendment #2 is such a good example.  HB4383 started out as a bill which required utilities to notify people by certified mail in an area where a high voltage electric line is proposed.  The original language was stripped out of the bill and replaced by the ghost gun language.  The title of the bill still retained the public utility language even though the bill had nothing to do with the title.  I received several calls asking why we were taking a stand on a public utility bill.  You have to look at the amendments to a bill to understand what the bill is about.  HB4383 passed about 2:30am on Saturday morning.  There were 993 witness slips opposing the bill and only a handful supporting it.