HB4290 Certified Firearms Instructor - OPPOSE

[mauserme]

HB4290 Certified Firearms Instructor - OPPOSE

As we approach the final stages of the 2014 Spring Session, many bills we have been watching are no longer an immediate threat. A few, however, remain a concern. HB4290 Certified Firearms Instructor is one such bill.

While Illinois Carry agrees in concept with the goal of holding individuals responsible for their actions, we are concerned with the unintended consequences of a bill that was given insufficient thought in its drafting, a bill for which no outside input was accepted, a bill representing nothing more than a knee jerk reaction to a situation already being handled effectively by the removal of instructors from Illinois State Police and NRA approved registries, when necessary.

As HB4290 progresses through the Senate be ready to respond to Calls to Action asking that you, each member of Illinois Carry, help oppose this bill in its current form. We will ask that you do so not with the goal of opposing personal responsibility, but in the spirit of correcting a bill that was hastily written and poorly considered.

And, as you each decide your personal position on this bill, we ask you to consider the following:

> Under HB4290 an instructor charged with falling short of the required training for a class of 20 students will face revocation of credentials, up to

1 year in prison, and a maximum $62,000 penalty

> An instructor who was the subject of a recent Illinois State Police press release, under HB4290 language, would face maximum fines and surcharges totaling

$1,021,875 in addition to revocation of credentials and prison

> HB4290 does not explain how charges against out of state instructors will be handled. Will they be extradited for trial and sentencing, or will

they face nothing more than revocation of credentials with only Illinois instructors being subject to the full brunt of these outrageous penalties

> HB4290 offers no guarantee of restitution to the aggrieved students, making them the potential victim of both the instructor's and the

State's indifference to their rights

> There are no safeguards against false allegations, whether made by disgruntled students, instructors in competition with the accused, or

overzealous prosecutors

> There are no safeguards against charges being leveled for the most minor misunderstanding or slight variation in length or content of training

> HB4290 fails to differentiate between incompetent instruction, and dishonest instruction

> In removing the possibility of court supervision, those promoting HB4290 seek to relieve the Judiciary of its Constitutionally mandated power

and authority, vesting them instead in the single branch of government under their direct control

> The ISP already has the authority to revoke an instructor's teaching credentials

> The ISP already has the authority to deny or revoke a concealed carry license

> With revocation procedures already in place the purpose of HB4290 is retribution, not safety. If safety was the issue this bill would have been

offered in the Fall Veto Session. If safety was the issue this bill would not have languished in the House more than 2 months in the Spring Session

before debate. If safety is the issue this bill would not now be sitting idle in the Senate more than 3 weeks

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[sirflyguy]

Amen. Hastily written bills do nothing except make a stuation worse.

[transplant]

I see the bill (http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=4290&GAID=12&GA=98&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=78460&SessionID=85) and I see it in the Senate under Assignments (http://my.ilga.gov/Committee/Index/1238?tab=3) but not sure what to do next.

 

Arrrg... the web site is so complicated

[mauserme]

When the time comes we'll post alerts with instructions for further action - probably once a Senate committee hearing is scheduled.