It’s just a bill…
Tuesday, May 12, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I missed this because I was too busy to go…
Hoping to trigger support for a law legalizing gun silencers, an Illinois firearms lobbyist said Monday there is a difference between the way Hollywood portrays suppressors and how they actually work and sound.
Todd Vandermyde, a key architect of the state’s concealed carry law, took members of the central Illinois media to the Athens Police Department’s gun range Monday and had them listen to the difference in the ways guns sound with and without a suppressor. Reporters then tested out the guns for themselves.
“So what this is all about is we’ve had some legislation pending in the statehouse to legalize suppressors in Illinois,” Vandermyde said. “Suppressors are the industry term for what a lot of people call silencers. They’re called suppressors because they don’t really silence the sound of the gun, they suppress it.”
Thirty-nine states allow some form of legal possession of suppressors. Vandermyde said suppressors help limit the noise from neighbors who are shooting on their own land or hunting and helps give peace to neighbors of gun ranges. They are also helpful to those who are shooting the firearms, especially if ear protection is not being worn.
* Meanwhile…
Will County officials say they could support an amendment in the works designed to lessen the financial blow of a new state law requiring juror pay hikes. […]
The draft legislation obtained by The Herald-News has yet to be filed and is still being vetted and discussed among working groups. But the draft increases juror pay from the current $4 to $10 per day to $20 the first two days and $30 for each subsequent day.
That’s still a raise — but it’s not as substantial as the pay raises outlined in the original legislation approved last-minute during last year’s veto session. That bill increased juror pay to $25 for the first day and $50 each successive day.
Sangmeister said the amendment reduces the estimated increased expense by about $125,000 annually for the county.
* From a press release…
On Wednesday morning, State Representative Robyn Gabel will present Senate Bill 1564 to the Illinois House Human Services Committee. The proposal, which already has passed the Senate on a bipartisan vote (34-19), amends the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act to ensure that patients get all the information they need in order to make the best decisions about their health care treatment.
The measure, as passed by the Senate, reflects a compromise between the ACLU, the Catholic Conference, the Catholic Health Care Association and the Illinois State Medical Society.
In recent days, a group of legislators and anti-abortion advocates have launched a “fact-free” campaign, designed to derail the legislation. One advocate, for example, told a press event last week that the measure would force doctors to perform abortions. This is not true. A legislator told the same press gathering that the measure was an idea ”in search of a problem.” This will come as news to Mindy Swank, whose health and future fertility were put at risk after health care providers failed to give her all the information she and her husband Adam needed to make an informed decision about a difficult pregnancy.
* We could certainly use more tourism, but I dunno how many places outside a new Chicago casino would see much of an uptick…
Tourism officials on Monday pitched the benefits of a Chicago casino to lawmakers whose task of balancing Illinois’ books has become harder after the state Supreme Court threw out hoped-for savings on pension costs.
Continuing long-standing efforts to expand gambling in Illinois, representatives from the dining, hotel and tourism industries told a panel of lawmakers that a casino in Chicago’s downtown area would create thousands of jobs, drive more business to local restaurants and send much-needed money into state and city coffers.
- Amalia - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 2:29 pm:
“What they do is, through a series of baffles, they slow the rapid expansion of the gases coming out of the firearm as the cartridge is fired,” he said.
could be used to described some lobbying too, especially “series of baffles.”
- Filmmaker Professor - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 2:36 pm:
Of all the gambling expansion ideas, a Chicago casino is really the only one that has the potential for revenue growth. Chicago is a major tourism center, so lots of people from outside of Illinois would patronize a Chicago casino. Won’t happen in all these other small towns in Illinois, where casino revenue will be mostly from local people who can’t afford it and just pour state assistance money back into the casino.
- Enviro - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 2:40 pm:
The new Obama Library and Lucas Museum along with our outstanding museums, theaters, and music will be what we need to create thousands of jobs, drive more business to local restaurants and send much-needed money into Illinois and Chicago coffers.
- Margaret Sanger - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 2:40 pm:
On the opposition to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act and the broader topic: Rich, I sincerely wish you and other reporters would stop allowing use of the term “anti-abortion.” No one is pro-abortion. I am “pro-choice” because women have the legal right to choose, in spite of one senator saying “you want more abortions.” That is ridiculous. Those folks should be referred to as “anti-choice.” Please consider leading your fellow journalists in changing to this more accurate term. Thanks.
- Norbert Macuga - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 2:51 pm:
If slots at tracks were added to the Chicago bill it would generate revenue from bettors betting outside of Illinois. Currently no horseplayers are betting IL races because they have denigrated to the minor leagues. Slots would boost purses and draw talent back to IL, thereby drawing more gambling dollars.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 2:51 pm:
===Rich, I sincerely wish you and other reporters would stop allowing use of the term “anti-abortion.”===
Take it up with the ACLU.
- Anon III - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:03 pm:
- Margaret Sanger - @ 2:40 pm:
Newspeak
- Gruntled State Employee - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:04 pm:
They tested a .45, 9mm and AR15(.223) I’d be interested to know what loads were used for each. The AR can be suppressed but it can’t be silenced, the bullet travels at supersonic speed and therefore the bullet is audible as it breaks the sound barrier. However, both the .45 and 9mm have subsonic loads available. I’ve shot suppressed .45, 9mm and .22 rounds and they don’t make much noise. The .22’s didn’t even spook the squirrels I was hunting, it kind of felt like cheating to me.
- Juvenal - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:05 pm:
Margaret:
You can’t be “pro-choice” and then try to dictate to others how they label themselves.
If they want to refer to themselves as “pro-life” or “anti-abortion” or “pro-creators”, that is their choice.
- Margaret Sanger - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:17 pm:
Didn’t mean to imply they need to label themselves differently or dictate to anyone, just politely asking media to consider challenging these folks’ terminology.
- Big Joe - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:19 pm:
I second the comment on slots at the racetracks in IL. None of the top racing stables are sending their better stock to IL to compete for purses that are much smaller than the tracks in our neighboring states that have bigger purses due to money brought in by slots. The time is now to help out the racing industry in IL, and bring in more tax dollars from bettors.
- Rod - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:22 pm:
Rich Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, apparently said at the hearing: “A world-class casino in Chicago would be an additional draw for tourists and conventioneers to visit and stay in Chicago.”
I agree with that, but a world-class casino would require a formal dress code and door fee of about $22 like at the Monte Carlo Casino (citizens of Monaco are by the way forbidden to enter the gaming rooms of the casino). So are we talking here about building a casino where senior citizens camping out at the slots with a hundred bucks really aren’t the target clientele? My guess is Chicago’s casino would be declared to be world class, but it won’t be.
- mcb - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:24 pm:
Margaret,
But don’t challenge your terminology?
If I believe concealed carry is legal, I’m pro gun or pro-concealed carry. If I support same-sex marriage, I’m pro same-sex marriage. You support legal abortions, you’re pro-abortion. We all choose to be nice and let you define your term, pro-choice. Be thankful and let it go. Which, by the way, if all journalists granted the other side the same courtesy, they would always be referred to as pro-life.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:25 pm:
I hope the suppressor language passes. I do have some hearing loss and suppressors might have reduced it.
I also live within about a mile of a sportsman’s club where they regularly have shoots and I can hear the shots from that distance. I imagine their more immediate neighbors would greatly appreciate them using suppressors.
- Wensicia - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:27 pm:
I don’t think the media should be obligated to conform to preferred labels by individuals or groups.
- Amalia - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:33 pm:
@ Margaret Sanger, we just have to keep calling actions as we see them, and often that term is anti choice. and it’s not just about abortion. when people/groups are against birth control and/or in vitro fertilization—and many of those folks are…, they are anti choice, the choice to plan when or actually to have a child.
choice is not just about abortion. it’s reproductive choices. it’s also actually incumbent on the side of choice to be expansive about the words and the definitions. there are a great many more women affected by the birth control issue and those who want to have children and are thwarted by those who oppose in vitro methods are especially victimized.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:37 pm:
Odd spin on the language argument. “Anti-abortion” is a term pushed by the pro-choice crowd over the years as sounding more negative than the other sides preferred term of “pro-life”
- Margaret Sanger - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:37 pm:
Be thankful you let us define a woman’s right to choose whether or not she has an abortion, neither encouraging or discouraging abortion, as pro-choice? Gee, thanks.
- How Ironic - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:38 pm:
@MCB
“You support legal abortions, you’re pro-abortion”
That is 100% unequivocally incorrect. I abhor abortions, and can’t imagine having one. However, I also don’t feel that it’s my place to tell another woman what she may/may not do with her body.
There is a difference. You’re example makes as much sense as saying that someone that supports the first amendment is “Pro-Hate Speech”.
It’s a non-sequitur and you know it.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:45 pm:
Let’s get back to the topics at hand, please.
- Steve Williams - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:47 pm:
Gruntled State Employee @ 3:04p
“The AR can be suppressed but it can’t be silenced, the bullet travels at supersonic speed and therefore the bullet is audible as it breaks the sound barrier.”
The “AR” is just the format of the rifle but it supports different calibers. I shot a .300 Blackout caliber round this weekend out of an AR format rifle that is a subsonic load. So, the specific .223 round they used may be supersonic but I’m sure you could buy or hand-load a subsonic round in the .223 or 5.56 caliber as long as the action will work with the round or use it in a .223 bolt action rifle.
- mcb - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:49 pm:
On suppressors, if you’ve witnessed the performance of one, I’m guessing you would support it. Kudos to Vandermyde for the educational outreach.
- downstate commissioner - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 3:57 pm:
Re the legalization of suppressors in Illinois: Will they still have to be registered with the Federal government and the $200 transfer tax paid?
- BlameBruceRauner - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 4:07 pm:
How much noise do they actually suppress/ is it truly more noticeable than wearing earplugs?
- D.P.Gumby - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 4:09 pm:
So suppressors are not silencers? How ironic that we want to protect those being shot from hearing loss. Perhaps this will at least make Chiraq a more quiet movie.
- FormerParatrooper - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 4:44 pm:
@Downstate Commissioner
Yes, Federal laws will still be followed.
- Mason born - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 4:45 pm:
-blamebruce-
In my experience suppressors are about equivalent to foam plugs. Not quite as good as quality ear muffs. They’d be handy for shooting ranges more than anything else IMHO.
- Todd - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 4:51 pm:
http://www.wics.com/news/top-stories/stories/gun-advocates-push-suppressors-22593.shtml
.223/5.56 won’t work in and AR if run at subsonic speeds on and standard AR you get abut a 20% reduction better but I would still use earplugs
You can run the 45 without but I wouldn’t do it all day like that
The SJR has some video up on side by side comparisons that we did
- Todd - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 5:39 pm:
https://www.facebook.com/mark.jacklin.33/posts/803886966333411
- Under Further Review - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 5:57 pm:
Cook County has been paying jurors $17.00 per day for years. I was surprised that jurors were paid less elsewhere.
- walker - Tuesday, May 12, 15 @ 6:04 pm:
Todd demonstrates how they work, while other advocates yell and scream about perceived threats. Todd’s approach, as usual, treats people with respect and works best.