Did IL State Rep. Dunkin lie about tabling mandatory $1 million liability insurance for gun owners?

April 3, 2:51 AMSt. Louis Gun Rights ExaminerKurt Hofmann

Previous Next

7 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Illinois State Representative
Kenneth Dunkin (D-5th District)

Back in February, National Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea introduced readers to Illinois State Representative Kenneth Dunkin, and a bill Rep. Dunkin introduced in the Illinois General Assembly. HB 687 would require every gun owner in the state to maintain a $1 million liability insurance policy--just in case of some hypothetical damages that might occur as a result of negligent, irresponsible, and/or illegal behavior on the part of the gun owner.  It would also direct the state police to revoke the FOID (Firearm Owners ID) card of anyone who could not provide proof of insurance.  Once one's FOID is revoked, possession of any gun, or so much as a single round of .22 rimfire ammunition, or even a taser, would be a felony.

Synopsis As Introduced
Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that any person who owns a firearm in this State shall maintain a policy of liability insurance in the amount of at least $1,000,000 specifically covering any damages resulting from negligent or willful acts involving the use of such firearm while it is owned by such person. Provides that a person shall be deemed the owner of a firearm after the firearm is lost or stolen until such loss or theft is reported to the police department or sheriff of the jurisdiction in which the owner resides. Provides that the Department of State Police shall revoke and seize a Firearm Owner's Identification Card previously issued under this Act if the Department finds that the person to whom such card was issued possesses or acquires a firearm and does not submit evidence to the Department of State Police that he or she has been issued in his or her name a liability insurance policy in the amount of at least $1,000,000 specifically covering any damages resulting from negligent or willful acts involving the use of such firearm while it is owned by such person. Effective January 1, 2010.

This, basically, would price a huge number of peaceable, law-abiding Illinoisans out of their Constitutionally guaranteed, fundamental human right of the individual to keep and bear arms.

As one might imagine, this did not sit well with gun owners in Illinois, as was made abundantly clear to Representative Dunkin.  So clear, in fact, that on March 11th, when thousands of Illinois gun owners marched in Springfield to demand their rights as free, law-abiding citizens, Rep. Dunkin promised to table HB 687, after having been "educated" by Illinois gun owners about the egregiousness of the bill.  It's about a minute into the approximately minute-and-a-half video clip below.

That, one would think, would end the matter--and it would have, if Rep. Dunkin were possessed of a modicum of integrity.

The thing is, it hasn't been tabled--it has been on the calendar ever since that promise, and could breeze through the second hearing within minutes today, and then be brought up for third reading and a vote.

Oh, did I say something about integrity?  Silly me--I must have forgotten I was talking about Illinois politics.

Update: HB 683 now has been tabled, as of today. I'm not claiming that this article had something to with it--I'm sure it's just a coincidence that Rep. Dunkin didn't table it for three weeks after promising to do so, but did within hours of this article being published.

----------

Please welcome Boston Gun Rights Examiner Ron Bokleman:

The Gun Rights Examiner family has expanded again, with the addition of grassroots leader and pro-freedom writer Ron Bokleman.  We're proud to have him aboard.

----------

Austin Gun Rights Examiner Howard Nemerov will be on NRA News' flagship program "Cam & Company" Friday night at 10:40pm Eastern to talk about his articles Gun control and addiction and Australia experiencing mass murder despite gun control.

Visit www.NRANews.com to listen live to the broadcast! If you miss the show, you can listen to an archived edition until the the next live edition of "Cam & Company" airs.

NRA News is a daily internet and satellite radio (Sirius Patriot 144) news program sponsored by the NRA. Listen weekdays from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM EDT for the latest in Second Amendment related news and politics.