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It’s just a bill

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* But let’s hope it passes the House

The Illinois Senate has helped move state farmers one step closer to a return to production of industrial hemp, unanimously approving legislation sponsored by Sen. Toi Hutchinson, whose district includes parts of Kankakee, Will, Grundy and Cook counties.

Hemp was a key American farm crop, primarily its fiber to produce rope and cloth, from the founding of the nation until it was banned in the 20th century war on marijuana.

Its production was legalized during World War II, after the war in the Pacific cut off supplies of jute and other fiber plants for production of rope and other products vital to the war effort. It was banned again in 1957.

The legislation, Senate Bill 1294, now goes to the House, where approval is expected, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, an agricultural group, announced Monday.

* Rep. Marty Moylan has a bill to address this issue

Statewide, 14 gun stores were burglarized last year, with a total of 280 guns stolen, according to ATF figures. That was up from five such burglaries in 2015 and three the year before that.

But

Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, says gun stores across Illinois already are beefing up security in response to the rise in burglaries.

“The gangs are becoming bolder because not much happens to them,” Pearson says. “I think everyone is upgrading their security.”

But he says subjecting gun stores to state requirements for security is a bad idea: “Whenever you get the state involved, you add costs for everyone, with no results.”

* Doubek

A couple proposals before the state Legislature would cut some slack for those who run afoul of the law early in life and those who already have spent time in prison and are heading toward senior citizen status.

State Sen. Michael Hastings, a Tinley Park Democrat who chairs the Senate’s criminal law committee, said he will take up a plan this week that was shepherded through the House by state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, a Northbrook Democrat, to broaden the expungement of nonviolent juvenile records, bringing Illinois up to par with American Bar Association guidelines. […]

In the 10-year span from 2004 to 2014, an overwhelming majority — 87 percent — of Illinois counties averaged less than one expungement of a juvenile record per year.

If you’re a juvenile child molester, arsonist, murderer or violent offender, Hastings said, your criminal record will remain on the books, but if you got into trouble for drinking or drugs or petty theft as a minor, your interaction with the law should be sealed and can be automatically erased after a certain period of time.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 12:16 pm

Comments

  1. I think Kentucky passes and industrial hemp law a few years ago. I know it can be found wild along roadways in Nebraska.

    Comment by Huh? Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 12:51 pm

  2. ===“The gangs are becoming bolder because not much happens to them,” Pearson says. “I think everyone is upgrading their security.”===

    Sounds exactly like what the NRA wants considering they want to make sure the mentally ill and those on a terrorist watch list have legal access to guns. “Upgrade your security,” yeah I have to because of your organization. Thanks!

    Comment by Ducky LaMoore Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:10 pm

  3. ===“The gangs are becoming bolder …”===

    Friend owns a gun shop. In the middle of the night, someone drove a stolen car through the front door and wall to break in. Didn’t do them much good since the inventory was all locked up in safes. Place was heavily alarmed.

    Think they caught that bunch; they had stole the car in Indiana, drive to Illinois in two cars, crashed the stolen one, and escaped in the other car.

    Don’t know how new laws could stop that kind of attack.

    Comment by RNUG Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:23 pm

  4. ===Don’t know how new laws could stop that kind of attack.===

    It’s not so much about stopping the attack as it is about locking violent, dangerous people away longer.

    Comment by Ducky LaMoore Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:29 pm

  5. == A couple proposals before the state Legislature would cut some slack for those who run afoul of the law early in life and those who already have spent time in prison and are heading toward senior citizen status. ==

    This seems like a common sense action. I could see Rauner signing this since one of the few actual accomplishments of the Rauner administration has been criminal justice reform.

    Comment by RNUG Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:42 pm

  6. ## It’s not so much about stopping the attack as it is about locking violent, dangerous people away longer.##

    Correct on that point, but way off base in stating that the NRA has anything to do with it.

    Comment by Colby jack Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:46 pm

  7. ===Correct on that point, but way off base in stating that the NRA has anything to do with it.===

    Huh? The NRA peddles fear to keep law-abiding folks buying guns. They have something to do with it.

    Comment by Ducky LaMoore Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 1:57 pm

  8. ## The NRA peddles fear to keep law-abiding folks buying guns ##

    People buy guns because they want to, and because of the constant threats from anti gun politicians who continue to throw things against the wall to see what sticks-illinois being the perfect example.

    Comment by Colby jack Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 2:40 pm

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