* NRA President Oliver North is hosting a state legislative campaign fundraiser tomorrow in Effingham, where the state’s “gun sanctuary” movement began. From a Facebook ad…

Tickets can be purchased here.

* Video promo…

An Evening with Col. Oliver North

TV spot advertising the Evening with Col. Oliver North on July 19th in Effingham.

Posted by Darren Bailey for State Representative 109th District on Friday, July 13, 2018

Illinois Republican state treasurer candidate Jim Dodge sent out a media advisory yesterday announcing he will be attending the event as well.

* By chance, Gov. Rauner was in Effingham yesterday on a campaign swing to promote his FireMikeMadigan.com website…

Joined Blaine Wilhour, Darren Bailey, Chris Miller, and Rob Arnold at the People’s Pledge event in Effingham today. Visit https://t.co/tVHBlGbmmV to learn more about putting the people back in charge of state government. pic.twitter.com/oFI2zgZuHQ

— Bruce Rauner (@BruceRauner) July 17, 2018

Click here for raw video.

* Back in the day, Effingham was considered a swing county. Democrat Neil Hartigan won it in 1990 and Glenn Poshard took it in 1998. Comptroller Dan Hynes and Secretary of State Jesse White both won it in 2002. Attorney General Lisa Madigan prevailed in 2006. And Sen. Dick Durbin managed a win in 2008.

But Donald Trump won it by 60 points and the last statewide Democrat to win the county was Secretary White way back in 2010. It’s solidly GOP now. White lost the county by 17 points four years ago.

* After his anti-Madigan event, Rauner was asked about his signature on some recent gun-control legislation…

On Monday, Rauner had signed a law extending the waiting period in Illinois for all firearms to 72 hours. Previously, the limit was 72 hours for handguns and 24 hours for other firearms. Rauner called it a common-sense reform that respects the Second Amendment and improves public safety.

It runs directly counter to the Effingham County firearms sanctuary resolution.

“I respect the passion that those who defend the Second Amendment have,” Rauner said. “And I support the Second Amendment as well. I’m not familiar with all the resolutions that have been passed at the county level. I believe that, as a state, we should protect and defend the Constitution and the Second Amendment, while also finding thoughtful ways to help increase public safety.”

But the local party chairman did his best to be nice…

Effingham County Republican Chairman Rob Arnold was present at the stop. As an Effingham County Board member, he voted in favor of the sanctuary resolution. Arnold said it’s clear Rauner agrees with the county’s way of thinking, but differs in specifics.

Arnold isn’t just a gun sanctuary proponent. He wanted to put the sanctuary issue up for a popular vote this November, but his idea was recently rejected by his fellow county board members.

* Part of the idea behind the whole “Madigan, taxes, corruption, toilets - lather, rinse, repeat” is to try and convince Republicans to forget about his divisive primary fight with Jeanne Ives and get them to focus on unifying ahead of November.

Rauner lost Effingham County to Rep. Ives by 14 points, 57-43. But his post-primary tack is apparently working with people like Arnold.