PEORIA – A new law sponsored by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) strongly encourages hunters to donate the meat from the game animals they kill if they aren't going to eat it themselves.
"It's very easy for hunters to donate meat to charity if they don't want to eat it themselves or share it with friends and family," Koehler said. "Most responsible hunters already make sure that the animals they kill don't go to waste – we just want to encourage everyone to do the same."
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources operates the highly successful Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger Program, which allows hunters to donate venison and other meat to food banks and other charities throughout Illinois. The program has provided 3.5 million meals to hungry families. To learn more about the program or to find a local participating meat processor, visit www.dnr.illinois.gov.
"I've seen hunters leave three or four partially butchered deer along the road, in view of everyone that drives by. We hope to encourage hunters to donate deer to the Sportsmen against Hunger program," said Sgt. Jamie Mauler, who works for the department.
Specifically, Koehler's proposal:
After a court order, months of negotiations, a last-minute veto by the governor and other complications, Illinois finally has joined the other 49 states to allow people to carry concealed weapons – provided they meet a series of carefully constructed safeguards meant to protect the public.
"This is a good day for supporters of the Second Amendment," Koehler said. "Despite some last-minute roadblocks put up by the governor's office, I think we ended up with a very reasonable law that will keep concealed weapons out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill."
The issue moved to the forefront this year after a federal court ruled that Illinois' status as the only state in the union without a concealed carry statute is unconstitutional. Had the legislature not acted, unrestricted concealed carry would have become law. However, home rule municipalities (like Peoria) would have been able to set their own rules governing concealed carry, potentially creating a difficult-to-navigate patchwork of rules that would not have kept the public safety or served the needs of supporters of the Second Amendment who want to take advantage of concealed carry.
(UPDATE: The Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus has a list of frequently asked questions at its website.)
The new law, which will go into effect once the State Police have put in place some important rules and procedures, establishes the following:
PEORIA –State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) issued the following statement about the Supreme Court's ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act:
"The Supreme Court's decision to extend federal benefits to all married couples in the United States is heartening. I'm proud that the Illinois Senate has already passed the Marriage Equality Act and hopeful that the House will act soon. We need to extend the thousands of federal benefits provided by marriage to all Illinois couples."
Last week, State Senator Dave Koehler voted in support of legislation to authorize people to carry concealed firearms in Illinois.
The issue moved to the forefront this year after a federal court ruled that Illinois' status as the only state in the union without a concealed carry statute is unconstitutional. Had the legislature not acted, unrestricted concealed carry would have become law. However, home rule municipalities (like Peoria) would have been able to set their own rules governing concealed carry, potentially creating a difficult-to-navigate patchwork of rules that would not have kept the public safety or served the needs of supporters of the Second Amendment who want to take advantage of concealed carry.
After months of negotiations, the General Assembly arrived at a compromise that did not leave any party completely satisfied.
"We had to do something about concealed carry," Koehler said. "This compromise is much better than the 'constitutional carry' alternative."
The legislation establishes the following:
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