* The Illinois State Rifle Association is not at all happy with Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan.
Ryan told the Associated Press that he would sign a “narrow” ban on the sale and possession of semiautomatic assault-style weapons…
“I would sign it provided it was narrowly drawn and did not violate our 2nd Amendment rights.”
He also said he’d veto an attempt to legalize concealed carry…
“I would veto. I believe reasonable people can differ on this issue but on balance, drawing from my experience as a law enforcement official, I believe we are better off without concealed-carry.”
ISRA’s Rich Pearson reacts via press release…
“I’ve never seen a suburban Republican try so hard to look like a Chicago Machine Democrat,” is how ISRA-PVF spokesman Richard Pearson characterized the behavior of Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan. […]
“Ryan’s hostility toward law-abiding firearm owners extends way back to his days as DuPage County State’s Attorney. Ryan’s philosophical distaste for the fundamental rights guaranteed under the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution make him particularly unqualified to serve as Illinois governor. As we saw in 2002, Jim Ryan has slammed the door in the faces of Illinois firearm owners. As primary day draws near, Ryan may find that, if you keep doing the same things over and over, you will keep getting the same result.”
Several people have posted responses on Ryan’s Facebook page, including this one from NRA lobbyist Todd Vandermyde…
Seems like Ryan is up to his old tricks and is not different than Blago was on guns
The candidate responded…
There have been several well-meaning and respectful people here who have expressed concern about my position on the 2nd Amendment. Please allow me to clarify. Unlike the Democrats, I will not be an activist who works to take away the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding Illinois citizens. My priorities are improving …Illinois’ business and jobs climate — and providing ethical, authentic leadership to Springfield. My approach on 2nd Amendment related issues has always been to enforce existing laws rather than creating new ones. My years in law enforcement have influenced me to take a position shared by many law enforcement officials — in opposition to concealed carry and in favor of a narrowly drawn assault weapon ban. While I have a respectful disagreement on this issue with many in Illinois, I think we can all agree this is a big difference from those on the left with an activist agenda of infringing upon your 2nd Amendment rights.
ISRA/NRA has a ton of Illinois members, and if anyone can drive down Ryan’s numbers, it’s them.
* Meanwhile, Zorn asked several candidates why they support rolling back Illinois’ minimum wage to the federal level. Three responded, including Jim Ryan’s spokesman…
JR has always supported a federal minimum wage. Rod Blagojevich’s move to raise Illinois’ MW to a level higher than surrounding states was one of many disastrous decisions he made that has helped make Illinois one of the worst performing economies in America. Those policies have been a disaster for the poorer citizens of our state. Contrary to liberal dogma, unilaterally raising the MW does not help the poor, it hurts them.
* The Daily Herald ran a few outtakes from a recent interview of the GOP gubernatorial candidates. This one is from JRyan…
On former friend Stuart Levine, now a felon: “He ruined his life … I have a clear conscience.”
On not apologizing to Rolando Cruz until running for governor: “I didn’t want to impact the outcome of that case.” (Brian Dugan trial)
On the death penalty: “I do think the state has a right to take a life. The right to life is sacred … but it is conditioned on your behavior.”
On Cruz asking for a meeting with Ryan after the apology: “I haven’t given it much thought. I haven’t excluded the possibility … He knows what I said.”
* Progress Illinois takes gubernatorial candidate Sen. Kirk Dillard to task for saying, again, that the budget can be balanced without a tax hike because he did it under Jim Edgar, who “inherited a mountain of debt” from his predecessor and “left [office with] a billion-and-a-half budget surplus … all without an income tax increase.” From PI…
Dillard’s version of events conveniently omits that Edgar also “inherited” a load of new revenue upon taking office in 1991, thanks to a temporary income tax increase passed in 1989 and made permanent by the new governor. Considering how often Dillard uses this line, it’d be nice to see a reporter respond with the relevant context.
Watch it…
Yes and no. Yes, Edgar did inherit the revenues from that income tax hike, but those revenues weren’t new and most of it had already been put into the budget’s spending base. Edgar didn’t get the “Governor No” moniker for nothing. He did hold the line on major spending increases.
More importantly, though, Edgar benefited from an absolutely huge surge in tax receipts from the Wall Street tech boom during the mid-to-late 1990s. It wasn’t the 1989 tax hike so much, but the boom and the cutting which led to the surplus. What followed Edgar’s departure was a George Ryan spending spree. The structural deficit was exacerbated and then we were hit with 9/11 and have never recovered.
* All but one gubernatorial candidate, Andy McKenna, will appear at a Republican debate in Springfield tonight.
* In other news, AFSCME endorsed Judy Baar Topinka for comptroller. Topinka was the only statewide Republican to get the union’s nod.