It’s just a bill
Monday, Feb 11, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* State parks are not local parks, as much as the locals like to think so…
Thursday, state Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) filed legislation (Senate Bill 1310) that gives the Illinois Department of Natural Resources authority to charge admission to Starved Rock. If enacted, any fees would take effect Jan. 1, 2020.
But Rezin emphasized in a Friday telephone interview that any fee would be “nominal” and applied to vehicles only — a strategy she said has worked well in other states — with unmanned kiosks where visitors can pay.
She said she insists on keeping park access free to local residents.
* I dunno. This could be considered commercial speech, and limits can be placed on that…
Gunsmiths in Illinois are concerned that a bill filed at the statehouse violates not just the Second Amendment, but also the First Amendment.
State Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Addison, filed House Bill 2253 to address weapons that have been called untraceable firearms. Her bill would make possession of certain unfinished gun parts a crime unless the person has a Firearm Owners Identification card, or FOID.
Certain gun parts, such as a semi-automatic rifle receiver, where the ammunition is fired from, can be bought unfinished and sometimes without serial numbers. Finishing off certain parts without serial numbers would be a Class 2 felony under Willis’ measure.
Her bill also makes using a 3D printer to make a gun without a serial number illegal. The bill also prohibits disseminating digital blueprints for finishing off certain gun parts or printing guns unless specific provisions are followed.
* And finally…
In the past, a school day was mandated by the state to be five hours of direct supervision by a teacher, and how the state funded schools was based on student attendance during those days.
In August 2017, the evidence-based funding formula was signed in to law, shifting the way state money is allocated to school enrollment figures and the number of students in need of extra supports.
Because funding was no longer tied to attendance, the law also opened the door to more flexibility in terms of where and how students received instruction. […]
Fearing schools might take flexibility too far, the Illinois Senate Education Committee, chaired by Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, D-Shorewood, unanimously approved a measure to reinstate the five-hour mandate. Bertino-Tarrant is the former Will County regional superintendent of education.
Among those who’d rather not see the old rule brought back is Indian Prairie District 204 Superintendent Karen Sullivan, who at a recent legislative breakfast said students today are involved in internships, job shadowing, and online or blended courses. “All those things don’t fit into a five-hour, neat instructional day,” she said.
- Amalia - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 12:52 pm:
you know what gives gun merchants a bad name? things like this. if you don’t want to be given the rep of vending for criminal purposes, don’t act like it’s a good thing to do business anonymously.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 12:59 pm:
–She said she insists on keeping park access free to local residents.–
Huh? It’s a state park. We’re all “locals” when it comes to state parks.
As someone who’s spent a lot of time over the years in WI and MI state parks, and national parks, I think day passes and/or an annual vehicle sticker is perfectly reasonable.
Annual stickers for parks have been one of the greatest bargains ever, in my experience.
- Todd - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:04 pm:
Couple fo things, 1.her bill criminalizes the sharing of information.many of the plans the bill talks about are in the public domain. Not to mention it looks to criminalize the sharing of any digital file. So If I need a bid on getting parts made, its a crime. I hire an engineer to write a code for a program and he emails it to me its a crime. You can’t stop people sharing information. unless the first amendment only applies to speech you like.
Second, parts are parts until they cross the threshhold to where ATF considers them a firearm. till that poiint they are a paperweight. No we are suppose to track hunks of metal? Sheetmetal, or pipe? it people who no nothing about how things are made that think government is the solution to everything and dream this type of stuff up.
You can make an AK46 receiver out of a shovel if you want.
- Demoralized - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:10 pm:
==proven tactics like stop and frisk==
Just because? Because that doesn’t violate any Constitutional rights does it? Some of y’all are all about crying “they are taking away my 2nd Amendment rights.” But you don’t seem to be too concerned about other Constitutional rights.
Some of you see threats to the 2nd Amendment around every corner. I don’t see why you wouldn’t need a FOID card to purchase gun parts. And I certainly have no problem regulating 3D printed guns. I’d personally outlaw them altogether.
- Todd - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:13 pm:
ak 47 my bad fat fingers
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CjrTKNoQTTg
- Stormfield - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:30 pm:
As a “local” to Starved Rock (in Rezin’s district) who goes quite a bit, I’m all in for the admission fees. That park has been so so popular in the last several years, and the crowds have become massive. Don’t see the fee as a big deterrent, but may direct folks to some of the other parks (including Matthiessen right down the road).
However, I’m in for a fee for all, including “locals.” Have an annual pass option, locals will get the most out of it. But don’t give some residents of Illinois a better deal than others to Illinois State Parks.
- RNUG - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:32 pm:
== She said she insists on keeping park access free to local residents.==
Going to just charge out of state plates?
- RNUG - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:36 pm:
== Finishing off certain parts without serial numbers would be a Class 2 felony under Willis’ measure.
Her bill also makes using a 3D printer to make a gun without a serial number illegal. The bill also prohibits disseminating digital blueprints ==
That genie left the bottle years ago.
- annonin' - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:38 pm:
From one of Capt Fax’s lucrative ad posts…”
We must ask the tough questions during the rush to legalize the next big business in the state. There must be a better way to solve the state’s budget mess. Creating a new drug industry isn’t a smart one. Visit www.healthyillinois.org to learn more and stop the next Big Tobacco industry in Illinois.”
Isn’t the real qustion whether “Bit Pot” look a lot like gaming when we are done? Lots of back and forth — and lobo fees— but the sides offset each other.
c
- Donnie Elgin - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:41 pm:
Semi-automatic rifles such AR type are built to be customized. The lowers that have all the fire control group components have always been regulated and required to have serial numbers. The upper’s are where the customization comes in - but without that regulated lower it is just metal. Yet another bill that to the uninitiated looks good on paper but will do nothing to deter crime
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:47 pm:
We should have been charging fees to enter state parks a long time ago. People respect things more if they have to be paid for.
- LTSW - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:02 pm:
Many of the visitors to Starved Rock are coming from the Chicago metro area. Rezin’s comment about “keeping it free for the locals” carry’s the same under current as Hallbrook’s separate Chicago bill.
- flea - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:05 pm:
Build a wall around it. Set up armed entry gate. Charge admission. Great idea….
- Romeo - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:31 pm:
Back about 7 years ago, they add $2 to your vehicle registration fees from $99 to $101. This $2 was specifically earmarked for Illinois State Parks. So now, we are already paying through general revenue to State Parks, as well as vehicle registration and now going to charge for vehicle parking.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:38 pm:
==Back about 7 years ago, they add $2 to your vehicle registration fees from $99 to $101. This $2 was specifically earmarked for Illinois State Parks. So now, we are already paying through general revenue to State Parks, as well as vehicle registration and now going to charge for vehicle parking.==
The idea was that state residents would pay an annual fee via their license plates because setting up and staffing a booth at every park entrance was expensive and impractical.
If additional revenue is needed: 1) Out-of-state residents could be asked to pay a feed at HQ. 2) the license plate fee could be increased. 3) Sen Rezin’s idea could be implemented at all of the state parks. (Like our neighboring states do.)
- wondering - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:39 pm:
Agree with Stormfield….I live 20 minutes from the Rock. The park needs the money. We locals benefit economically from the park. If anything, we should pay more. Tells you much about Rezin and her pandering ways.
- Whatever - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:41 pm:
Gotta love some of our legislators. But if you want to see a real “thank goodness it’s just a bill” piece of legislation, try HB 2251.
- Sir Reel - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:51 pm:
Outside of larger municipalities which usually have park districts and a handful of metro counties that have forest preserve or conservation districts, most of Illinois has no agency providing outdoor recreation.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the state developed fishing lakes in rural counties that over time morphed into state parks and fish and wildlife areas. Many of these serve locals and attract few visitors from outside the local area.
Starved Rock is a true State Park and is in deplorable shape. Anyway to raise revenue is a good idea and all should pay, even those lucky enough to live next door.
- Abbey - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:09 pm:
We already pay to support Starved Rock and the rest of the parks. It’s why we pay taxes; it’s why we have a license plate surcharge.
Adding a visitor fee is yet another way to separate public resources from the public. Only the “haves” will be able to afford a resource we all support.
I know SR is in bad shape. I know it’s always full of “Chicago” people but it’s been that way since I was living on a farm in Deer Park Township.
It goes back to what CapFax calls “hollowing out” — our parks were hollowed out but slapping a price tag on a public resource is wrong. If the added acreage was too much for the IDNR to support, then Rezin shouldn’t have stood there grinning when Rauner made the announcement last year.
I know other states do it. Remember when your mother asked if you’d jump off a cliff if your friends did it too?
Yeah, it’s like that.
- Get a Job!! - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:20 pm:
Todd,
Is Rezin’s bill aimed at “80%” lowers? Or is she talking about upper receivers/barrels/etc?
I mean it doesn’t really matter as neither are firearms as defined by the ATF, but I’m curious.
- Get a Job!! - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:28 pm:
Apologies, that’s Willis’s bill.
Reading the language in the bill is exceptionally vague. Some of it leads me to believe she’s really just going after 80% lowers……but I could just as easily interpret that it’d be illegal to possess any part used to build a firearm without a firearm.