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*** UPDATE *** From Tom Kasich’s column…

“I like guns and I didn’t take any special interest money and it’s a good way to raise money and show my support for the Second Amendment,” explained Harms. “(Candidates) usually don’t do raffles because it’s a lot easier to get a thousand bucks out of a lobbyist than it is to sell a $5 raffle ticket.” […]

Raffles by political candidates in Illinois are legal, said Rupert Borgsmiller, executive director of the State Board of Elections, as long as candidates get an application in advance and file a report after the raffle.

And Harms, who had a similar raffle last year, has done both, Borgsmiller said. […]

Harms’ last raffle yielded $983. He sold $2,865 of tickets minus $1,881 spent to purchase the guns, according to his raffle report.

This time, Harms’ father, Jeff Harms, purchased the guns and two gift certificates to a Big R store and donated them to his son’s campaign fund.

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* From freshman state Rep. Josh Harms’ campaign website…

WE ARE RAFFLING A

Ruger Mini-14 stainless steel with a synthetic stock as GRAND PRIZE

JOSH HARMS

ILLINOIS STATE REPRESENTATIVE

DRAWING TO BE HELD ON MARCH 2, 2013

MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE • MUST BE ELIGIBLE TO OWN A GUN

First Prize – Ruger LCR hammerless 357mag revolver

Second Prize - Mossberg 535 pump 3 1/2 inch combo 28” & 24” barrels

Third prize - $100.00 Big R gift certificate Fourth Prize - $50.00 Big R gift certificate

WINNERS WILL BE CALLED AND YOU NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN.

To obtain tickets send payment to:

Josh Harms for Illinois, 555 South Fifth St., Watseka IL 60970

For more in formation call: 815-432-3121

$5.00 PER TICKET OR $20.00 FOR 5 TICKETS

A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board’s official website (http:// www.elections.il.gov) or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois. Paid for by Josh Harms for Illinois.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 8:53 am

Comments

I would vote for this guy and buy a few tickets.

Comment by State Worker Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 8:56 am
Raffle date moved up three weeks so you will still be able to take possesion of the prize…

Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 8:57 am
Isn’t this the “Freshman” who wants to divide the House and Senate maps, that will not marry 2 reps in 1 senate district?

I am asking becasue anyone, at this point, who wants to Maps not congruent AND this raffle, yikes, someone tackle this poor guy, Harms ain’t going to make it to State Fair without a nervous breakdown!

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:02 am
New standard for tin ear.

btw, did he file his special notice with the state board of elections re a raffle? Don’t know if there is any other special paperwork when the first prize is a 357 magnum handgun.

Comment by just sayin' Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:03 am
Harms’ attorney, Willy Wonka stated, “No, no, they can’t hold you (Harms) responsible”

———

The winner, Tommy DiSimone is quoted as saying, “I’m a good shot. What do you want from me?”

———–

When asked about the raffle, Rep. Harms said, “Well, it’s a shot in the dark.”

Rep. Harms, wanted to have a gun raffle, because, if you raffle a knife, he wants to raffle a gun. THAT’S the Chicago way.

Guns don’t kill people, Raffles kill people?

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:09 am
Rich, is this for real? Can I buy some tickets?

Comment by Enemy of the State Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:12 am
Third and fourth prize (Big R gift certificates) good only for ammunition or really sharp knives

Comment by Roadiepig Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:15 am
Harms Arms Raffle Winners With Potentially Harmful Prizes

Comment by OurMagician Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:18 am
It’s sad to see candidates reduced to raffles, pot lucks, bingo, bake sales, and begging for campaign cash.

He must be new at this because Madigan’s Duckling sell their souls to raise campaign cash.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:18 am
He won a contested GOP primary, correct?

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:21 am
===Rich, is this for real?===

Of course. Click the link.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:21 am
Will they be checking FOIA cards at the door?

I have no doubt he will sell out the raffle and make a tidy sum for his campaign.

Where do you check to see whether his raffle application was approved by the State Board of Elections?

Comment by anon sequitor Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:21 am
Anyone else remember the Rod Blagojevich Special Raffle for a .50 BMG? Hard to believe that was 13 years ago….

Comment by Happy Returns Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:23 am
Watseka? Last time I was there, it was Meth Head central (seriously — I was defending a case where the plaintiff was a known meth distributor). According to the local POs he was one of many.

What you want to do is put more guns on the street in an area with a lot of drug dealers.

Great Minds of the GOP.

Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:29 am
I just wish we had a Rep. Baker so he or she could raffle off a cannoli.

Comment by Cheswick Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:30 am
Wonder if the winner has to pass a background check?
Quite the whackjob

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:31 am
I’ll modify Our Magician’s caption:

Harms Arms Supporters in Harmful Rifle Raffle

Comment by PFK Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:32 am
Great, more gun idolatry. What exactly is he trying to prove?

Comment by davidh Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:33 am
I was involved with a county Democratic party a couple of years ago that raffled off a shotgun, it was one of the better events they did before hitting the 2012 election cycle.

I think the raffle license has to come from the county the event is held in, as it is technically gambling. the fact that it’s a political group doing it is unrelated, it could be a church or the Boy Scout troop doing the raffle and they would still need permission.

Comment by Colossus Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:39 am
@ anon sequitor

=Will they be checking FOIA cards at the door?

I have no doubt he will sell out the raffle and make a tidy sum for his campaign.

Where do you check to see whether his raffle application was approved by the State Board of Elections?=

It’s FOID card not FOIA.

You don’t need a FOID card to attend a fund raising event in this state - at least not yet.

Do you really think the State Board of Elections has to approve items on a raffle?

Moron.

Comment by Leave a Light on George Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:40 am
i hope the rep is in compliance w 230 ILCS 15 Raffles Act. it allows counties and municipalities to regulate raffles.

sec 3 (1) says: No person, firm or corporation shall conduct raffles or chances without having first obtained a license therefor pursuant to this Act.

sec 3 (2) says: The license and application for license must specify the area or areas within the licensing authority in which raffle chances will be sold or issued, the time period during which raffle chances will be sold or issued, the time of determination of winning chances and the location or locations at which winning chances will be determined.

Comment by langhorne Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:40 am
Harms for Illinois

It captions itself.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:42 am
I’ll defer entry for the caption contest where Rahm’s chief of security is pictured holding up the gun he just won in this raffle!

Comment by the Patriot Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:42 am
===I just wish we had a Rep. Baker so he or she could raffle off a cannoli.===

If you win … and you leave the gun … you get a Cannoli as a consolation.

Boy, I can go for Cannoli about now…thanks alot -Cheswick -!

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:42 am
Potential opponents have been warned: stay out of Harms way.

Comment by Don't Worry, Be Happy Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:44 am
In Harms Way - Not just a movie, but a Raffle

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:47 am
To arms,
For Harms,
The red states are coming

Comment by SAP Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:51 am
To Leave a Dim Bulb on:

#1 You’re right, I mistyped. I thought FOID and typed FOIA.

#2 You’re right and wrong. Raffle prizes need no approval, but a raffle does. Check both local and State Board of Elections authority. And see all the other posts explaining this point.

Comment by anon sequitor Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:53 am
New York beats us or we beat New York depending on your perspective. But Cuomo did sign a gun bill yesterday and Quin just babbled on about guns or something while he proabably headed out to negoitate with some more recently defeated republicans

Comment by western illinois Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:53 am
No Harms, No Foul

Comment by Great Caesar's Ghost! Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:54 am
Langhorne, good points in re: the Raffles Act.
My other observation is that he is going to have to hustle a bunch of those $5 tickets to make a decent profit net of the cost of goods, legal fees, etc. etc.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 9:56 am
“Gents, feeling a bit less studly this long dark winter? Then man up at the Harms Gun Raffle! Only $5 to get lucky, or less than half the price of Penthouse or Cialis.”

Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:01 am
Harms arms and charms his supporters.

Comment by dupage dan Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:01 am
hARMS for Illinois. The h is actually silent.

Comment by Modest proposal Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:02 am
AA - he may have gotten them at cost (or even donated) which would significantly lower his break-even threshold.

Someone did a bit of smart planning. With only 5 or 6 shot capacity, none can be classified as an “assault weapon” …

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:04 am
More info from the News-Gazette can be found at this link: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/politics-and-government/2013-01-16/tom-kacich-legislator-raises-money-gun-raffle.html

Comment by Gene Parmesan Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:04 am
I’m starting to come around to the idea of cutting downstate loose into a different state. #wackyhillbillies

Comment by just sayin' Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:08 am
=Will they be checking FOIA cards at the door?=

Here is my point. The only person who needs a FOID card is the person who wins the raffle AND takes possession of the gun. You don’t need one to attend. You don’t need one to help sell tickets. You don’t need one to buy a ticket. You don’t need one to be in the same room a gun is in.

A FOID card is nothing more than proof you paid the state $10 and waited months for ISP to send it to you.

Comment by Leave a Light on George Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:12 am
More Harms Than Good

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:20 am
Let’s try a limerick.

There once was a Rep. named Harms
Whose love of guns he thought was his charm
The raffle of guns as the prize
Caught those above I80 by surprise
But within his district raised no alarms

Comment by Tommydanger Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:22 am
Wow, a hammerless revolver. I’ve never seen that before. Isn’t that known as a “purse gun,” for the ladies?

I guess the firearms makers are designing new models to make it easier to carry ready to use handguns. Clever. They sure know their market.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:27 am
===Isn’t that known as a “purse gun,” for the ladies?===

Yep.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:28 am
Hammerless guns have been around a long time.

Comment by Leave a Light on George Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:32 am
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:27 am:

- Wow, a hammerless revolver. I’ve never seen that before.- Hammerless revolvers have been around since the late 1800s. Common backup weapon for a police officer.

- Isn’t that known as a “purse gun,” for the ladies? - Or a “pocket gun” for the gents. But I think your intent was to denigrate someone who would have that type of revolver.

- I guess the firearms makers are designing new models to make it easier to carry ready to use handguns. Clever. They sure know their market. -
Again, not a new design. A good choice for carrying concealed.

Comment by AnotherAnonymous Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:42 am
Anyone who has ever shot a snub nosed .357 magnum revolver would know it has quite a kick. I wouldn’t recommend a small stature person carry such a weapon, male or female. As others have said, hammerless revolvers (and sem-autos for that matter) have been around for decades.

Comment by dupage dan Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:49 am
Thanks Another Anon,

See? I continue to learn new things here. My point was to compliment Harms for thinking about his female constituents and supporters.

If I was going to denigrate someone who would want that type of revolver, I’d have asked you if that was a hammerless pistol in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:50 am
Another Anonymous - But in double action, a .357, with a 1″ - @” barrel, you aren’t going to hit much unless you are very close.

Rich - this is close to your old haunts - maybe they are preparing for an invasion of the Hoosiers? Or maybe in case some Ind. Democrats come over the line?

Comment by Irish Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:54 am
Sorry that was 1″ - 2″ barrel

Comment by Irish Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:56 am
- Irish - Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 10:54 am:

Another Anonymous - But in double action, a .357, with a 1″ - @” barrel, you aren’t going to hit much unless you are very close. - True, but this type of weapon was designed for short-range self-defense use, not target shooting. Though it was always interesting to see Steve McGarrett shoot a bad guy 100 yards away on the top of a five-story building with his snub-nosed .38 on Hawaii Five-O.

Comment by AnotherAnonymous Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 11:10 am
I support the 2nd Amendment. I also support safe, legal abortion. Abortion is legal (much to the consternation of many of those who will purchase these raffle tickets)…yet I would also oppose Planned Parenthood (or NOW or any other group that supports choice) raffling off an abortion.

Comment by Chevy owner/Ford County Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 11:12 am
“Take a shot with Harms.”

Comment by walkinfool Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 11:29 am
“Mini-14″, “stainless steel”, “synthetic stock” — sounds like a big child’s toy to me.

I might be old school, but bet my life on a real M-14, and it’s dear to my heart.

Comment by walkinfool Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 11:35 am
I happen to be one of those weirdos like Chevy owner who supports both issues, but comparing the two in a raffle is comparing apples to grapefruit.

A firearms raffle is fairly common downstate. While his timing might be better, I suspect that this raffle was being planned for quite awhile, and, as was pointed out earlier, the guns themselves are reasonable hunting/home defense/concealed weapons.

Comment by downstate commissioner Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 11:43 am
These types of raffles usually do well as a fundraiser for conservation and hunting groups and clubs. In rural small town Illinois, it is unusual, but not unheard of, to see service groups hold a gun raffle. It is extremely rare to see a politician hold any type of raffle.

This raffle will not Harms him in within his district, but it will Harms him if he chooses to run for a higher office that includes voters outside of the east central prairie.

Comment by Endangered Moderate Species Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 11:46 am
=I support the 2nd Amendment. I also support safe, legal abortion. Abortion is legal (much to the consternation of many of those who will purchase these raffle tickets)…yet I would also oppose Planned Parenthood (or NOW or any other group that supports choice) raffling off an abortion=

????

Comment by Leave a Light on George Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 11:52 am
My take on this is that it is not that big of a deal. Many organizations raffle guns at their annual dinners, etc. They are moneymakers. Many folks attend with and without FOID cards. Some bid on the guns or buy raffle tickets, others do the same for other items.

According to Rich he did this last year and I don’t remember it raising a blip on the screen at all.

The most I can see he is guilty of is maybe a Faux Paus because of the timing. But one also has to look at these things in their own context. To someone in Cook County or in a place where there has been a shooting, they are looking at this from a totally different perspective than someone in rural southern Illinois where gun ownership is akin to owning a shovel. It is something you have around to do a job that you do.

I think one of the things that has to be done is for everyone to stop and think of how something looks from the eyes of the other person, because they are not you. And we have to separate the instrument used from the act. None of the guns pictured are evil. They are metal wood and maybe plastic. And most people use them as tools to complete a chore that is not illegal.

Comment by Irish Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 11:58 am
“Mommy, tell me the story again of how I was born?”

“Well, sweetie, I was gonna go to Granite City, but I didn’t win the raffle…”

Comment by Happy Returns Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 12:13 pm
==Raffles by political candidates in Illinois are legal, said Rupert Borgsmiller, executive director of the State Board of Elections, as long as candidates get an application in advance and file a report after the raffle.==

So, if Blago had dontated President Obama’s old Senate seat to his campaign fund, and raffled it off, he would be a free man today?

Comment by Anon. Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 12:46 pm
Better than taking money from the NRA.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 1:02 pm
Real q: if one of these weapons was later used by the winner in a horrific crime - say the murder of innocent children at a primary school - would there be any political fallout for Rep Harms?

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 2:47 pm
*** if one of these weapons was later used by the winner in a horrific crime - say the murder of innocent children at a primary school - would there be any political fallout for Rep Harms? ***

Sadly, in the age where it seems like no one is held personally responsible for their own actions, he probably would suffer some negative consequences.

Comment by Slick Willy Wednesday, Jan 16, 13 @ 4:06 pm
>>>>>The most I can see he is guilty of is maybe a Faux Paus because of the timing.
…perhaps if he was raffling off a AR15.

Comment by John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 1:34 am
>>>>>Anyone who has ever shot a snub nosed .357 magnum revolver would know it has quite a kick.

It could be loaded with .38 Spl and then be quite manageable.

Comment by John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 1:36 am
what ever happened to winning a basket of boooze,
for a raffle prize

Comment by bullet53 Thursday, Jan 17, 13 @ 7:53 am