Advocates of gun owner rights made their presence known at last summer's McHenry County Fair. Here you see Lou Rofrano, President of the McHenry County Right To Carry Association, explaining the contents of his organization's petition.
Democrat Jack Franks represents a lot of gun owners.
After all, his district covers the most rural part of McHenry County. That’s where one hunts in McHenry County.
He also has many trade union members who like to hunt. He gets lots of money from their labor unions.
The only call I ever got from a union president was from the Operating Engineers head. He asked me to vote against a gun control measure. I was more than happy to tell him my vote was not in doubt.
So, after refusing to reveal how he would vote, I admit Franks led me to conclude that his vote would be “No” on the horribly characterized “conceal carry” bill.
I guessed wrong.
I figured that he still had statewide ambitions. After all, he capitulated to the pro-abortion forces. The evidence is his endorsement by the most pro-abortion political action committee–Personal PAC–for the last two election cycles.
Can’t be Pro-Life if one wants to win statewide as a Democrat. Glenn Poshard demonstrated that when he lost to George Ryan.
The 65-32-1 roll call on House Bill 48. 71 votes are needed to have a veto-proof majority.
The bill to allow people to protect themselves by having a handgun on their person failed 65-32-1 yesterday.
To my surprise, Franks voted in favor of House Bill 148, as did Republicans Mark Beaubien and Mike Tryon.
Lakemoor gun rights rally crowd.
Maybe he saw photos of the crowd when not-yet Congressman Joe Walsh spoke to gun rights advocates before the GOP primary election last spring. He skipped the rally.
Jack Frank even signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill!
I wouldn’t characterize it as Jack’s bowing to pressure. Many of us who contacted his office (and who have contacted his office for years about this) have tried to educate him. John Lott’s book, More Guns, Less Crime, nails it. Suzanna Gratia Hupp’s book is also important. Her parents were murdered right in front of her; her gun was in her car, because Texas law at the time didn’t allow her to have it in her purse in the restaurant.
When Illinois law permits me to do so, I’ll carry. I hope the day never comes that I wish I had carried in spite of Illinois law!
The law-abiding citizens of McHenry County thank Jack Franks.
Good for Jack. He made the right vote.
I have only seen evidence that concealed carry reduces not increases crime.
IL remains one of the few states nationwide to prohibit concealed carry.
IL increases taxes and votes against concealed carry all within 5 months, has the highest unfunded pension liability (in no small part thanks to pension spiking at the expense of taxpayers), and lucrative collective bargaining rights for public sector employees.
Come on please don’t let Jack fool you he voted for for conceal carry because he knew there wasn’t enough votes for it to pass. Madigan knows the vote count before it happens. And I’m sure so did Jack. Don’t be fooled everything Jack does is calculated so he won’t screw up his run for congress. Please wake up out there in McHenry.
If Madigan needed Franks’ vote, I have no doubt the outcome would have been different.