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Who's your pick for Attorney General?


Buzzard

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As in my sig, no secret I'm a dem, but I'm no fan of any of them. I had to laugh when I saw our old governor jello telling how he is going to fix everything. I still remember all those deer caught in headlights looks he had.

Erika Harrold

 

Wow, Miss America 2003, I could get behind her. :yes:

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Erika Harrold

That'd be nice...

 

Right now Quinn and Raoul are neck and neck - 18 & 22%, with 39% undecided.

 

Raoul doesn't have much sway downstate.

 

Quite frankly I think Erika Harold could clean EITHER of their clocks, on optics.

Gary Grasso not so much.

 

 

I'm not as sure about their 2A credentials, Grasso came out against arming teachers a while back.

 

While he said he is a strong advocate of the Second Amendment and gun ownership rights, he does not support arming teachers.

 

 

There is less to glean about Erika Harold on the 2A.

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GT1... you say "As in my sig, no secret I'm a dem, " After they (Dems) have destroyed the state financially, after what we know about the collective 2A attitude, .... what do you see the Illinois Dems standing for that benefits you? I do not ant this to be an attack, I am genuinely interested in what they offer you.

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Well you can bet it will be a Dem. So if that's the case I'd like to see Sharon Fairley. She's the least political of the bunch.

From Fairley's web site (abridged):

1. COMMONSENSE GUN LEGISLATION

A. Illinois Law

i. Eliminate State Preemption of Firearms Regulation

ii. Ban Assault-Type Weapons Statewide

iii. Create, enhance, and enforce legislation which prevents individuals in crisis or involved in domestic violence from obtaining or possessing firearms

iv. Advocate for Gun Dealer Licensing Act

B. Federal Law

i. Support Enhancements to the Background Check System

ii. Support the Gun Violence Restraining Order Act of 2017

iii. Work Against “Reciprocity for Concealed Carry”

iv. Eliminate the Dickey Amendment

2. WORK ALONGSIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PROMOTE BETTER ENFORCEMENT OF GUN TRAFFICKING LAWS AND THE REVOCATION OF FIREARMS LICENSES IN ILLINOIS

A. Increase State and Federal Prosecution of Illegal Gun Possession Cases

B. Enact Police Reform to Improve Case Closure Rates

C. Improve enforcement of FOID Card Revocations

3. A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN APPROACH ON EDUCATION, AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

According to Jens Ludwig, of the University of Chicago Crime Lab, there is data to suggest that an intensive job-training program reduces the risk of targeted individuals by 50 percent. In addition, the Crime Lab also suggests that state funding of schools is important. More specifically, the Crime Lab estimates that a 29 percent increase in school funding by the state could result in a 20 percent increase in the high school graduation rate, which in turn could lead to a 30 percent reduction in the homicide rate.

 

Renato Mariotti seems to be more of an unknown, but his web site says (abridged):

I will fight to keep guns out of the hands of people who have forfeited their ownership rights, and I will fight to fully enforce increased penalties for anyone who chooses to use a gun to commit a crime. I will do everything I can to end the trafficking of illegal weapons to illegal owners, just as I did when I was a federal prosecutor.

 

I will work to keep guns out of the hands of those who are unfit to own a firearm, and I will work to keep restricted types of firearms and firearm accessories out of Illinois. As Attorney General, I will direct my office to protect the rights of businesses, workplaces and places of worship to choose to be free of firearms on their premises.

 

I will be committed to the principles of responsible, safe, and legal gun ownership. I intend to enforce all of Illinois’ gun laws while respecting our citizens’ Second Amendment rights and I respect the right of law abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families.

The Trib and Sun-Times endorse Fairley. Fairley seems inclined to be a thorn in Madigan's paw, otherwise. She's just not a friend of the 2A.

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QUESTION: What would you do to address the problem of gun violence? And if you say you would "take on" the NRA, how exactly would you do that?

 

Scott Drury (D)

In order to comprehensively address the gun violence problem, Illinois must enact more responsible gun laws and make a serious effort to fix the societal issues that lead to the violence. With respect to more responsible gun laws, I am proud to be a co-sponsor of: (1) legislation that would require Illinois gun-dealers to obtain licenses in order to operate; and (2) legislation that would allow a victim to obtain an emergency lethal violence order of protection and prohibit the person against whom the order is sought from possessing firearms. Moreover, in the wake of the horrific Las Vegas massacre and NRA statements that it would support a ban on trigger modification devices, I was the first to introduce legislation solely focused on that issue. While the NRA ultimately did not support the legislation, by filing it, I was able to expose the organization's dishonest tactics.

 

I also am proud of my past efforts to implement more responsible gun laws and protect against the implementation of dangerous new laws. I was one of the leading opponents of Illinois' misguided concealed carry legislation. One aspect of that legislation implemented the backwards policy of Illinois communities not being allowed to ban assault weapons unless they implemented such regulations within a very short timeframe. In response, I immediately called a meeting with the mayors and police chiefs in the legislative district I represent, informed them of the new law and advised them of the actions needed to thwart it. In short order, I worked with each community to implement assault weapons bans and regulations over intense NRA objection. Through these efforts, the NRA was soundly defeated in numerous communities.

 

With respect to the societal issues, if we are to end gun violence in Illinois, the State must invest in those communities most impacted by the violence. This means providing more funds to public schools and afterschool programs. It means advocating for better criminal justice policies that focus on treatment, education and rehabilitation and allow for job opportunities for those who have been in prison. Unfortunately, Illinois recently did the opposite. Instead of investing in communities, it passed legislation to incarcerate more minorities for longer periods of time – despite there being no evidence that this would help solve the problem of gun violence.

Sharon Fairley (D)

As attorney general, I will address gun violence in a comprehensive manner that not only promotes common sense gun legislation but works to get at the root causes of gun violence. Nearly 1,000 Illinois residents and 30,000 individuals across America are killed by guns each year.

 

I have seen first-hand the devastating effects of gun violence to families, communities, and the very fabric of our society. I have been dedicated in my professional and personal life to addressing the problem of gun violence. During my tenure as an Assistant United States Attorney, I investigated and prosecuted numerous cases involving the illegal use and possession of firearms. In particular, I worked with the ATF to disrupt a firearms trafficking ring that was bringing in illegally purchased firearms from out of state and selling them on the streets of Chicago.

 

Gun violence is a public health crisis that needs to be attacked in a comprehensive manner. As attorney general, I will be proactive on two major fronts: (1) common sense gun legislation; and (2) a community-driven approach on education, after-school programs, and economic development.

 

As for gun legislation, I will promote federal and state gun legislation that can actually have an impact on the illegal use and possession of firearms in Illinois. First, I will work against the "reciprocity for concealed carry" legislation.

 

I will also work to (1) push for a ban on assault-type weapons and related equipment such as bump stocks; (2) enhance and enforce legislation which prevents individuals involved in domestic violence from obtaining or possessing firearms; and (3) will work alongside law enforcement to promote better enforcement of the revocation of firearms licenses in Illinois.

 

I will work hand-in-hand with community groups to urge the Illinois legislature to pass the Gun Dealer Licensing Act, which would give state authorities and law enforcement the tools to encourage better business practices among federally licensed gun dealers and hold corrupt dealers accountable to slow the flow of illegal gun trafficking in Illinois. From 2009 to 2013, 40 percent of the guns used in crimes in Chicago came from gun dealers within Illinois. However, due to current loopholes in federal law and a lack of federal resources for enforcement, Illinois doesn't have the tools and authority it needs to combat illegal or negligent business practices.

 

We know that strengthening gun laws alone will not solve the problem. That is why I will adopt a community-based approach to increase access to after-school programs, partner with community groups to take back their communities, and promote education and economic development.

Aaron Goldstein (D)

Gun violence is the result of a multitude of reasons and as a society, we need to address all those issues to rid our communities of gun violence and all violence. We need to fully fund our public schools, eliminate income inequality, achieve racial justice, reform our criminal justice system, etc. However, the Attorney General is in a unique position to combat gun violence by working with local and federal law enforcement to stop the influx of guns into our state. But my plan for "taking on" the NRA is exactly that. I believe we must go after the gun manufacturers. Similar to tobacco litigation, we must find appropriate cases in which to sue gun manufacturers for their accountability in this gun violence. I have proposed this in many venues and will work on putting together a case once I become Attorney General. I will also advocate for the elimination of federal immunity for gun manufacturers but I will look for opportunities to go after them in their role in this senseless violence.

Renato Mariotti (D)

Mass shootings continue to devastate communities throughout the country. There is no shortage of legislative recommendations to address this problem, but lawmakers repeatedly fail to translate these recommendations into laws. Similarly, Illinois' largest city is plagued by gun violence, an issue that has its roots in systemic inequality, oppression and economic disparity. Again, our elected leadership has consistently ignored these problems or taken steps to exacerbate them with policies that favor the privileged few at the expense of working people and communities of color. No one law or legal challenge is going to fix decades of neglect and injustice. We need fundamental changes to our government in Illinois, and in Washington, if we are going to tackle gun violence in a meaningful way.

 

We need to start treating gun violence as a symptom of a larger and deeply rooted problem in our society. If we are not able to tackle the root causes of violence – economic disparity, educational inequity, lack of healthcare options, food deserts and institutional racism – than too many of our communities will continue to live in fear. We have suffered under a failure of leadership, and every elected official has a responsibility to advocate and implement policies that take a holistic approach to gun violence, rather than focusing solely on criminality.

 

As Attorney General, I will fight to keep guns out of the hands of people who have forfeited their ownership rights, and I will fight to fully enforce penalties for anyone who chooses to use a gun to commit a crime. I will do everything I can to end the trafficking of illegal weapons to illegal owners, just as I did when I was a federal prosecutor.

Pat Quinn (D)

As Attorney General, I will lobby the General Assembly to pass common sense gun laws (including a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines), will intervene in federal lawsuits that seek to prevent states and local governments from enacting reasonable gun legislation, and will partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute serious gun law violations. I opposed allowing the carry of concealed weapons and expressed strong opposition when the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in 2012 struck down the Illinois law banning the concealed carry of weapons. When the General Assembly passed a new bill to implement the Seventh Circuit decision, I issued an amendatory veto to narrow the bill in numerous ways, including reducing the size of gun magazines and limiting the number of guns that can be carried to one. I also vetoed the portion of the bill that prohibited home rule units from banning assault weapons in the future.

Kwame Raoul (D)

I would use the Attorney General's bully pulpit to call for policies that target gun trafficking, and I would follow the lead of New York's attorney general, who used firearm tracing data obtained from federal law enforcement to learn more about the pipeline by which guns were entering that state from other states and being sold for use in crimes. We already know that a large minority of guns used in crimes in Illinois are trafficked across state lines rather than originally being purchased in-state, where gun regulations are stricter than in several of Illinois' neighbors. While many are focused on assault weapons, and while I do support banning these types of firearms, it is important to note that the vast majority of crimes are committed using other kinds of guns, including handguns; trafficking, not just bans, must be part of the violence reduction strategy.

 

We cannot solve the problem of gun violence and illegally obtained guns alone. Illinois must engage with local and federal authorities and with other states to trace guns, cut off pipelines of illicit trafficking and hold accountable those who are intentionally trafficking guns to individuals not authorized to possess them.

 

I have a strong record of filing and passing pieces of legislation the NRA considers to be unacceptable restrictions on gun ownership, and while I have been willing to work with anyone of any party who shares my goal of reducing gun violence, I am proud of this record. I was active in passing the gun dealer licensing bill out of the Senate and will continue from the Office of the Attorney General to advocate for passage of similar legislation.

Nancy Rotering (D)

As a Mayor, I led the charge to pass one of the state's only local assault weapon and large capacity ammunition magazine bans. In 2013, Illinois cities had a ten-day window of opportunity to consider passing an assault weapon ban. As a mother of four sons, I felt strongly that this ban was an important step in the effort to address the heartbreak we continue to experience in the wake of Sandy Hook and so many other mass shootings. We fought the NRA all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and prevailed. Because of our city's ban and the results of the related lawsuit by the NRA, it is now constitutional to ban assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines in Illinois.

 

Unfortunately, Illinois law no longer recognizes that cities have this right, as the ten-day window has passed. Recently, I wrote a letter to every member of the Illinois General Assembly (the "ILGA") asking them to consider amending the law to allow Illinois cities to have that conversation, to consider whether they want to allow assault weapons in their cities. I received no responses.

 

In the last legislative session, an opportunity to address illegal handguns on our streets and in our neighborhoods was supposed to come up in the form of gun dealer licensing legislation, something a majority of Illinois residents support. Some legislators said they wouldn't address it until after petitions were filed for re-election. They feared being "primaried." Again, the ILGA missed an opportunity to take action to start addressing the gun violence issue in Chicago. Clearly, too many were more concerned with saving their jobs than saving lives. I asked that question of them as well. No answer.

 

I would use the platform of the Attorney General to continue to exhort our elected general assembly members to work on behalf of the health, safety, and welfare of our people and enact reasonable gun violence prevention laws. I would also explore the possibility of a lawsuit under the Illinois Human Rights Act, that failure to take action to reduce gun violence, is a failure to promote the public health, welfare and safety of all people of Illinois. 775 ILCS 5/1-102(E).

 

As elected representatives, it is our collective responsibility to do everything we can to stop the carnage. Banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines is one common sense action, but additional steps need to be taken to reduce gun violence and protect our communities. The time is long past due for closing gun show loopholes and requiring universal background checks; tighter regulation of gun dealers to hold accountable the bad apple dealers who look the other way as straw purchases are made; and safe storage in homes. I am reminded of the words of my friend and mentor, the late Hon. Ab Mikva: "An efficient system could instantly determine whether a proposed firearms purchase was legal, and then register the sale. It need not impose any meaningful burden on the right to keep and bear arms. This system would, however, put a serious crimp in gun theft, gun crime and gun-running. There is nothing unconstitutional about that." One piece of legislation is not going to prevent every gun violence tragedy, but with courageous leadership, we can take steps to protect lives.

 

In addition, as Attorney General I would join Democratic attorneys general in calling on Congress to abandon concealed carry reciprocity legislation backed by the NRA, which allows concealed-carry gun regulations from one state to be valid in all states.

 

Also, I would work with law enforcement to ensure that repeat offenders are truly penalized. Our current system lacks the resources to sufficiently track guns used in crimes, let alone prosecute offenders. Specifically, the Tiahrt Amendments severely restrict law enforcement efforts to prevent gun crimes and prosecute offenders, and a coordinated effort with other Attorneys General could move Congress to further allow access for critical gun violence data.

 

No parent should have to worry about sending a child to school, the park or the movie theater. Gun violence in our nation has created an unnecessary culture of fear and grief. No other civilized nations suffer from the extreme amount of gun violence that we experience in the United States. With courage and coordinated advocacy, further steps to reduce violence can be taken.

Jesse Ruiz (D)

This is a painfully difficult problem, given that so many of the weapons being used by criminals are brought in from other states with lax gun laws. To protect the people of Illinois, I will continue Attorney General Madigan's work in collaborating with county state's attorneys across Illinois to crack down on illegal gun sales. I also will speak out against the National Rifle Association's efforts to halt and roll back sensible gun laws that are intended to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals and abusers.

Gary Grasso (R)

Respectfully, it is not the role of the Attorney General to ‘take on the NRA.' The NRA has a 1st Amendment right to voice its positions and to lobby for laws it would like enacted. Equally, those groups that seek specific restrictions on 2nd Amendment rights and may have opposite views on gun rights as the NRA also have their 1st Amendment right to lobby for those views.

 

But no organization or person wants gun violence – certainly not the gun violence that is ravaging many parts of our urban and suburban. The Attorney General should work toward legislation that will increase use of technology that the Chicago police are employing to detect and prevent gun violence from erupting. The AG can advocate for resources and laws to patrol our state border where we know illegal guns are being brought into our neighborhoods only to destroy lives. The AG can insist on laws to require the safe transportation of firearms shipments on trucks, trains and airplanes. Doing so will keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Additionally, legislation to properly zone and regulate gun training facilities for the public and law enforcement should be enacted to assure that gun safety training facilities are allowed for both law-abiding gun owners and law enforcement. I also will create a task force to propose practical approaches to addressing mental illness and the ability to obtain a FOID card in Illinois. For example, advocating and requiring where Illinois has jurisdiction the sharing of information with gun registration and law enforcement about individuals dishonorably discharged from service for mental health reasons.

Erika Harold (R)

I would support: the allocation of additional resources to law enforcement to enhance their community policing efforts; the creation of additional after school programs and job opportunities for young people in communities affected by violence; and the allocation of additional resources to fund social workers who serve as violence interrupters in communities affected by violence.

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GT1... you say "As in my sig, no secret I'm a dem, " After they (Dems) have destroyed the state financially, after what we know about the collective 2A attitude, .... what do you see the Illinois Dems standing for that benefits you? I do not ant this to be an attack, I am genuinely interested in what they offer you.

 

The way I see things the dems have mostly good ideas, but a couple horrible ones, the repubs have mostly horrible ideas, and couple good ones. I'm not a single issue voter, or it would be easy I guess.

 

Now, to call the chicago machine-o-crats dems does dems a disservice, that bunch of scum is their own special brand of poison. Because I reside in this state and I'm a registered dem does not mean I tote that line.

It is the same in my home city(Rockford) L Wallace is my rep, I wouldn't give her a mark on the ballot in a thousand years, same as the imbecile that was before her(C Jefferson).

While it is easy to blame the dems for ruining the state, the other side of the aisle had little issue with borrowing some cash from the pension coffers and dropping an IOU in the bucket they never intended to pay back also. It is something that went on for decades.

 

I don't pigeon hole, I am pro-gun, pro-national constitutional carry. I know the 2A isn't about hunting(Er, I haven't hunted in decades), and I'm a lefty, because I'm a lefty doesn't mean I preach the hard left, that extreme ideology is every bit as bad as the hard right.

 

 

The day the right stops being anti-women, anti-minority, anti-poor, anti-social programs and keeps God out of everyone elses' business, we can talk about how great it is, but I don't see that coming any time soon. :ermm: .

 

 

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GT1... you say "As in my sig, no secret I'm a dem, " After they (Dems) have destroyed the state financially, after what we know about the collective 2A attitude, .... what do you see the Illinois Dems standing for that benefits you? I do not ant this to be an attack, I am genuinely interested in what they offer you.

 

The way I see things the dems have mostly good ideas, but a couple horrible ones, the repubs have mostly horrible ideas, and couple good ones. I'm not a single issue voter, or it would be easy I guess.

 

Now, to call the chicago machine-o-crats dems does dems a disservice, that bunch of scum is their own special brand of poison. Because I reside in this state and I'm a registered dem does not mean I tote that line.

It is the same in my home city(Rockford) L Wallace is my rep, I wouldn't give her a mark on the ballot in a thousand years, same as the imbecile that was before her(C Jefferson).

While it is easy to blame the dems for ruining the state, the other side of the aisle had little issue with borrowing some cash from the pension coffers and dropping an IOU in the bucket they never intended to pay back also. It is something that went on for decades.

 

I don't pigeon hole, I am pro-gun, pro-national constitutional carry. I know the 2A isn't about hunting(Er, I haven't hunted in decades), and I'm a lefty, because I'm a lefty doesn't mean I preach the hard left, that extreme ideology is every bit as bad as the hard right.

 

 

The day the right stops being anti-women, anti-minority, anti-poor, anti-social programs and keeps God out of everyone elses' business, we can talk about how great it is, but I don't see that coming any time soon. :ermm: .

 

 

 

"Anti woman " HAHAHAHA !!! Yeah, I TOTALLY am against my mom, wife, and 3 daughters. they're all anti woman too. or did you mean that anyone who is against killing the "mass of tissue" ( with a beating human heart ) is anti woman ?

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