Mayor’s statewide registry makes sense, Senate leader says

Assistant Majority Leader Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston) today pledged his full support behind Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposal to create a statewide handgun registry that will help law enforcement in all Illinois communities curb gun violence. Mayor Emanuel announced yesterday that he intends to push to expand Chicago’s method of keeping tabs on guns – not just gun owners – to the rest of the state.

“I’m committed to leading the charge for this legislation in the Senate, as a supporter and a sponsor,” Sen. Schoenberg said. “I applaud Mayor Emanuel’s initiative and his commitment to tackling this major problem in our communities. Guns aren’t just a local problem; gun crime is a regional and statewide problem, and we can’t address the epidemic of gun violence if we have no way to adequately keep track of guns.”

Throughout his career, Sen. Schoenberg has been a tireless advocate for tougher, saner gun laws that restrict the widespread availability of weapons.

“Communities all over the state suffer when lost, stolen, or illegally trafficked firearms are used in violent crimes,” Sen. Schoenberg said. “Because some municipalities and counties have less stringent regulations than others, we clearly must have a statewide registry to combat criminals who use lax laws to acquire firearms for their illegal activities.”

Sen. Schoenberg added that handgun registries are essential in allowing law enforcement to identify and disrupt “straw purchases,” in which individuals with criminal backgrounds are able to gain possession of handguns through third parties.

[quote author-Sen. Dave Koehler]Illinois has some of the most fertile farm land in the world,” Koehler added. “Yet, we mostly grow crops to export or feed to livestock. We have the opportunity to grow so many more fruits and vegetables for the local market. [/quote]

Springfield – Earlier today, the Illinois State Senate passed a resolution urging Congress to provide more support for local and regional food systems in its forthcoming farm bill.

“My colleagues and I believe that the federal government needs to recognize that helping farmers sell their produce in local markets only strengthens our country,” explained State Senator Dave Koehler, who sponsored the resolution. “When supermarkets and farmers’ markets sell locally grown fruits and vegetables, it’s a net gain for the local economy and the environment. When people buy strawberries grown a few miles down the road, most of the money they spend is invested right back into their local community. When people buy strawberries grown in Spain, their money not only leaves the community, it leaves the country.”

“Illinois has some of the most fertile farm land in the world,” Koehler added. “Yet, we mostly grow crops to export or feed to livestock. We have the opportunity to grow so many more fruits and vegetables for the local market.”

The farm bill is a package of federal legislation enacted every five to seven years to set the general direction for America’s farm and food policy.

“The farm bill has a huge impact on our nation’s agriculture industry,” Koehler said. “If Congress supports local food systems in the farm bill, it will send a signal that locally grown food is a high priority for our country.”

Koehler has a reputation of supporting the agricultural community, particularly farmers who are interested in selling their crops to local markets and adopting more sustainable practices. He has passed a law helping connect schools with local farms to teach children about where their food is grown, and last year, he passed a law making it easier to sell safe homemade goods at farmers’ markets.”

State Senator Annazette Collins submitted legislation this week that will reduce the severity of punishment for juvenile offenders in Illinois.

Three separate pieces of legislation will raise the age an alleged delinquent minor can be placed in a detention facility from 10 (currently) to 13, seal the arrest records of minors not convicted of serious crimes after the age of 18, and make a felony confession without a lawyer present inadmissible in court for minors under the age of 17.

“We have to recognize that young people deserve a second chance at life; free of being tied to the wrong side of the criminal justice system,” Senator Collins said. “Our young people often do foolish things, but we have to make it easier for them to learn from mistakes and move on.”

Senator Collins has dedicated her career to championing causes aimed at reforming the juvenile justice system in Illinois. When authoring her latest round of reform legislation the Senator from Chicago’s 5th legislative district worked with the Juvenile Justice Initiative, a statewide advocacy coalition to transform the juvenile justice system.

“Many young people get in trouble as kids and grow up thinking their juvenile history is behind them, only to find out as adults that this isn’t the case,” said Elizabeth Clarke, president of Juvenile Justice Initiative. “We want to halt the reporting of these usually minor incidents until the age of 18 so that these minors will have a better chance to be responsible adults.”

Who:   State Senator Annazette Collins (D-Chicago)
What:  Senate Bill 3194 (seals the arrest records of minors not convicted of serious crimes after the age of 18) 
Senate Bill 3195 (makes a felony confession without a lawyer present inadmissible in court for minors under the age of 17)
Senate Bill 3196 (increases the minimum age of detention placement from 10 to 13)

I don’t see how requiring a hunter in Southern Illinois to pay $65 to register his gun is going to stop crimes in Chicago.  I’m sick of Chicago politicians pushing their anti-gun laws on the whole state.

- Sen. Gary Forby

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Springfield, IL– State Senator Gary Forby (D-Benton) was furious to learn that the mayor of Chicago has launched another campaign to take away the gun rights of law-abiding citizens.  Mayor Rahm Emmanuel proposed forcing gun owners everywhere in the state of Illinois to pay a $65 registration fee to own a handgun.

Read more: Forby: Handgun registration would take away basic rights

State Senator Ed Maloney welcomed NAIA National Champions, Saint Xavier University Football Cougars of Chicago, to the Senate today and recognized the coaches and players for their successful 2011 season.  Ninety percent of the team members are from Illinois and Saint Xavier is in Senator Maloney’s district. 

The Saint Xavier University Football Cougars of Chicago completed their 2011 season with a 13-1 record, earning them the team’s seventh postseason appearance since 2002. The Cougars advanced to the NAIA National Championship Game in Rome, Georgia on December 17, 2011 and earned the title National Champions with a victory over Carroll College by a score of 24-20.

Read more: Maloney welcomes NAIA champs to Springfield

In Spring 2009, scandal rocked the Chicago-area African American community when authorities learned that Burr Oak Cemetery had been reusing human graves and callously discarding human remains.  In response, the Illinois General Assembly passed sweeping cemetery regulation reforms. However, soon after the reforms became law, it became clear that they were so strict that small, private cemeteries would be forced to close their doors. State Senator Emil Jones, III, a proponent of the original bill, quickly began working with cemetery owners to find a reasonable solution. His compromise became law Monday.

“The tragedy at Burr Oak Cemetery was a terrible, but isolated incident. My colleagues and I acted too quickly, creating many unnecessary problems for law abiding cemeteries," Jones said. "This compromise will still protect consumers while also preventing cemetery closings.”

Even cemeteries with the financial resources to keep their gates open by complying with the new law would have been forced to divert their limited resources away from maintenance to pay for the original cemetery reform law's many fees and legal requirements.

“The actions that took place at Burr Oak Cemetery broke many laws that were already on the books, laws with very serious felony penalties,” said Jones. “This compromise law does not affect or diminish any criminal statute, and cemeteries will continue to be subject to 51 different state laws. They will still be required to honor consumer contracts, bury people in the proper places, maintain records so that family members can easily find their loved ones, and appropriately maintain cemetery grounds.”