North Egypt News

Jim Hood, owner of Hood’s Guns & More is warning gun owners of the criminalizing implications of HB5855, a gun-control bill. 

Hood’s Guns & More is located at 5777 Izaac Walton Road in Benton. 

“You guys better take the time to read HB5855,” Hood said on Facebook. “This is extremely long, but worth the read if you don't want to be considered a felon in January. Anything with a line through it is language that has been removed. Anything that is underlined is new.  Short version is as follows: 1- You can Not get a FOID card, even with parent/guardian permission until you reach 21 years of age. 2 - Under 21, no hunting without a parent/guardian in the field over 21 with a valid FOID. 3- No AR's/AK's variants of any kind allowed to be sold in this state. 4 - If you already own one of the banned items, take to Illinois State Police District Headquarters and pay a $25.00 tax to register it to your name...This will apparently make it safe? 5 - Absolutely no 'large capacity ammunition feeding devices' of any kind are allowed. This is any magazine that holds more than 10 rounds. 6 - If you are caught with any banned item, it is a class 3 felony. If you are caught with more than one banned item, it is a class 2 felony. 7 - It shall be illegal to be in possession of any 'assault weapons parts.' The very last line in the bill states that it is effective upon becoming law. This means as soon as whats his face signs it, it is enforceable.” 

Hood also encouraged the public to watch and subscribe to Todd Vandermyde's YouTube channel, saying "Todd is very knowledgeable on this subject and has been fighting for our rights most of his life.” Hood added that he is “currently trying to put something together with our local State Representatives and Senators where we can have a town hall type setting to discuss the impacts of this garbage legislation.” 

Vandermyde, a former NRA lobbyist and a Second Amendment advocate, who now runs Freedom's Steel YouTube channel, was also previously a guest at Chicago's Morning Answer with regard to Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois.

State Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) sponsored the bill which would make the possession of several types of firearms and accessories illegal. The bill was referred for a hearing in the Rules Committee where it will likely see a debate in January. It has picked up over 20 Democratic co-sponsors since being filed.

“Makes it unlawful to manufacture, deliver, sell, or purchase or cause to be manufactured, delivered, sold, or purchased or cause to be possessed by another, an assault weapon, assault weapon attachment, .50 caliber rifle, or .50 caliber cartridge," the HB5855 synopsis reads in part. "Makes it unlawful for any person to knowingly possess an assault weapon, .50 caliber rifle, or .50 caliber cartridge 300 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, except possession of weapons registered with the Illinois State Police in the time provided. Provides exemptions and penalties. Prohibits the manufacture, delivery, sale, purchase, or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices.”  

Illinois already has the sixth most restrictive gun laws in the country and some of the worst instances of gun violence. HB5855 would likely mean the most restrictive environment for lawful gun owners in the history of the country, governing.com reported.

Morgan was at the Highland Park shooting in July where seven were killed and more than 48 wounded after a gunman opened fire. In that instance, the alleged gunman, Robert Crimo III, was issued a gun permit by the Illinois State Police despite having red flags on his record for mental illness and instances of violence, which many are calling a failure of the governor’s office. “Had the Pritzker administration done what they said they were going to do, which was to review and make sure laws already on the books were being implemented more effectively, the tragedy in Highland Park might never have occurred,” Sen. Donald DeWitte (R-St. Charles) said in a statement, according to The Pantagraph.

Dan Eldridge's gun dealers’ association, Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois, is warning HB5855 would criminalize ordinary Illinoisans. “I would say it’s somewhere between two and 10 million magazines, and it’s a massive impact,” Eldridge told The Center Square. “These are the standard magazines that come with a duty-sized pistol even, they’re the standard magazines that come with a rifle. These are not aftermarket extended capacity magazines.” “With an immediate effective date, mere possession of a – and I’m not going to use their words, I’m going to use accurate words – mere possession of a standard-capacity magazine is a crime. There’s no getting around that. So you’ve got Second Amendment issues. You’ve got Fourth Amendment issues. You’ve got Fourteenth Amendment issues. You can’t do this.”