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Party Split Over Guns,
Worries Illinois Democrats

U.S. Newswire - 16 Oct 2000

CHICAGO, Oct. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released
today by the Illinois State Rifle Association:

A deepening division within the Illinois Democratic organization
has many long time loyalists concerned about the party's future.

The apparent cause of the split is House Speaker Mike Madigan's
unwavering support for a controversial gun control package being
forced on the General Assembly by his political mentor, Chicago Mayor
Daley.

Madigan recently announced that he would personally introduce a
pair of Daley's gun control proposals during the upcoming veto
session. One proposal would threaten the livelihood of lawful
firearm dealers by subjecting them to burdensome taxation
and pointless red tape. The other would smash the constitutional
rights of law abiding citizens by making public their firearm
purchasing history and by prohibiting them from buying more
than one gun per month.

An identical Daley gun control package was defeated in the House
during the Spring 1999 session. That defeat was accomplished with
the support of downstate Illinois Democrats whose constituents
bristled at the idea of Mayor Daley dictating what their rights shall
be. Madigan's latest announcement makes clear his intention
to force downstate Democratic legislators to chose between the
wishes of their constituents and loyalty to party leadership.

"I've spoken recently with a number of downstate Democrats who
feel that Mike Madigan has hijacked their party," said ISRA
president Richard Pearson. "They don't agree with Mayor Daley's
position on gun control - a fact they felt was very made clear
in 1999. Nonetheless, it's evident to them that Madigan is willing
to stop at nothing, including splitting the party, to satisfy
Mayor Daley's obsession with ending civilian firearm ownership.
These people are frustrated, and very angry."

"Typical of the callers was a young farmer who told me that he has
been a lifelong Democrat just like his dad and granddad before him,"
continued Pearson. "He told me how he and his family believe
strongly that everyone should have a voice, and how the Democratic
Party was supposed to be the voice of the little guy. He's angry
that Madigan is resurrecting Daley's defeated gun control bills.
He's angry that Madigan is pushing aside Democratic ideology for the
sake of repaying a political debt. He made clear to me his feeling
that if Mike Madigan believes that Mayor Daley is a constituency of
one, then he should be voted out of his position as Speaker of the
House."

------
ISRA: Party Split Over Guns, Worries Downstate Illinois Democrats
To: State Desk
Contact: Richard Pearson of the Illinois State Rifle Association,
815-635-3198
Web site: http://www.isra.org

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and
responsible firearms ownership. For nearly a century, the ISRA has
represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois
firearm owners.

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