Our hard work fighting for your second amendment rights, and the rights of the unborn, have both been rewarded this week.
Victory For Life:
Springfield, IL – The IL Freedom Caucus today is issuing the following statement on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois imposing a Permanent Injunction on the Attorney General preventing the enforcement of a new law targeting crisis pregnancy centers.
Last spring, the Legislature enacted Senate Bill 1909 giving the Attorney General extraordinary powers to target crisis pregnancy centers in a blatant violation of the free speech rights of the volunteers who work at crisis pregnancy centers. We were a strong no vote on this bill.
“The Injunction preventing this Orwellian law from ever being enforced in Illinois is welcome news. Our Constitution grants everyone the right to free speech. Women seeking help from a crisis pregnancy center are doing so by choice. No one is forced to ever walk into a crisis pregnancy center. The authoritarians on the left may not like what these centers represent, but our Constitution gives them the right to exist.
This is a tremendous victory for the sanctity of human life and for the freedom of speech, but it also should serve as a reminder of where our country is headed. The extremists in the Democratic Party are not interested in a free, fair, and honest debate of ideas. They want to use the power of government to silence their political opponents. The entire reason we have a Bill of Rights is to prevent the government from doing the kind of thing our woke overlords in Springfield tried to do with Senate Bill 1909. This injunction is an important victory, but we must be vigilant in pushing back on the totalitarian agenda of the radical left, which is exactly what the Illinois Freedom Caucus has and will continue to do.”
The Illinois Freedom Caucus is comprised of State Representatives Chris Miller (R-Hindsboro), chairman; Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), vice-chairman; Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich); Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville); Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur); Jed Davis (R-Newark) and David Friess (R-Red Bud). The members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are members of the Illinois General Assembly who are advocating for limited government, lower taxes and accountability, and integrity in government.
Rep. Brad Halbrook on KSDK: Too Many Unanswered Questions on Illinois' Gun Ban
Illinois legislator wants oversight on migrant housing spending
- Dec 7, 2023
State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, told The Center Square that there is a lack of cooperation from the state with lawmakers over the use of taxpayer funds.
"I believe there is a lack of accountability and a lack of transparency. Any time you move these large sums of money in a short period of time, there is a cause for concern," Halbrook said.
WAND TV: State police file updated rules for assault weapon registry following public hearings.
- Dec 6, 2023 Updated Dec 6, 2023
- SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Illinois State Police have filed updated rules to properly implement the state's assault weapon registry. This comes less than a week before state police will appear before a top committee of lawmakers to see if they approve the amended language.
"Hundreds of thousands of people will absolutely not comply," said Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville). "It is up to the governor and the legislature to truly decide if they're prepared to declare war on law-abiding gun owners or not. One thing will be certain. This we will defend, the right to bear arms shall not be infringed."
NewsTalkSTL Radio: Illinois Rep. Brad Halbrook is Surrounded by Crazies:
THE TIM JONES AND CHRIS ARPS SHOW 12.07.2023
IL State Representative Brad Halbrook, talks about getting a prayer room back in the Capitol of IL, the new gun registration rules and firearm ban happening in IL.
Rep. Brad Halbrook on w/Annie Frey 97.1 FOX St. Louis:
The Illinois Freedom Caucus Weekly LiveStream:
My Weekly Newspaper Column
WINTER ENERGY ASSISTANCE
LIHEAP application window opens for households struggling with high home energy costs.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides federal assistance for persons who will need help paying their heating bills for natural gas or propane for the winter of 2023-2024. The LIHEAP application process is now underway.
A series of trigger events, combined with a household income that meets the LIHEAP program’s eligibility ceilings, create the ability to submit a valid application for the program. The applicant must affirm that his or her household’s income is below the LIHEAP cutoff point. Income is measured in relation to the federal poverty level (FPL), with 200% of FPL being the cutoff. The FPL goes up or down depending on how many people are in the household and is annually adjusted for inflation. For the winter of 2023-2024, the FPL for a four-person family is $2,500/month; and so, the LIHEAP eligibility ceiling would be $5,000/month (equivalent to an annual income of $60,000/year) for the same family. Income eligibility is calculated on a 30-day basis.
Trigger events that complete LIHEAP eligibility include but are not limited to: (a) getting a shutoff notice from the natural gas company or other energy services provider; (b) getting disconnected from energy services; or (c) having an empty or near-empty propane tank. Applicants will have to submit documentation about their income and energy status to complete the application. Applications are submitted to the Community Action Agencywith jurisdiction over the county where the applicant lives. More information about LIHEAP, and how to apply to each county’s agency, can be found on the Community Action Agencies webpage within the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).
Illinois’ Massive Losing Bet on Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicle (EV) subsidies forced on Illinois taxpayers, gasoline vehicle owners and utility ratepayers may be far higher than we know. The failed federal and Illinois industrial policies are looking more and more unsound every day.
Consider the bad news on EVs just in the past couple weeks:
- A scathing report from Consumer Reports found that Electric vehicles have nearly 80% more problems and are less reliable than conventional gas powered vehicles. That report was widely cited in major media across the nation, such as here by CBS.
- Used EV prices are plummeting. They are down 7% while the average used combustion car price is only down 5.1 percent.
- If you get in an accident, repairs typically cost 50% more for an EV than for a gasoline powered vehicle, the Wall Street Journal reported.
- General Motors pushed back its EV targets and postponed its coming EV lineup in what it called an effort to ensure profitability; Hertz is slowing the electrification of its fleets, in part citing weak resale value; and Tesla remains engaged in a price war meant to entice skeptical buyers, all as reported by The Street.
- A wave of layoffs has hit EV battery makers in the US and across the world, thanks to slowing demand.
- With the Biden Administration’s support, Congress set aside $7.5 billion in 2021 to build tens of thousands of EV charging stations across America. But not a single charger has yet been brought online, according to a new report by Politico.
- Nearly 4,000 auto dealers sent an open letter to President Biden asking him to back off on the EV push. “This is the voice of the consumer,” A dealer owner told CNBC, saying that unsold EVs are stacking up on dealers’ lots. “We’re now backed-up up to 12 months with EVs. Consumers don’t want them; they’re not buying them.”
Central to many of those problems is that final point as stated by auto dealers: “Consumers don’t want them; they’re not buying them.” (Wirepoints.org)
FIREARMS
Illinois’ gun ban law before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The United States Supreme Court recently docketed a case out of Naperville, Illinois where the plaintiffs challenged the city’s and state’s gun and magazine ban. The plaintiffs are claiming that the banned firearms and accessories in the Illinois law, called the Protect Illinois Communities Act, are in common use for lawful purposes, and the law is unconstitutional. The Act was passed by Democrats during a lame duck General Assembly session on January 10, 2023.
A recent decision rendered on the Act by a three-judge federal appellate panel opened the door for an appeal to the federal Supreme Court. A separate door was also opened by this decision to petition the appellate court for a rehearing of the case, with all of the judges of the appellate court asked to come together to render judgment, but this week’s action centered on the U.S. Supreme Court appeal.
The Supreme Court can issue a preliminary injunction to suspend enforcement of the law. A preliminary injunction may be issued with respect to any legal case if a court finds that, in connection with that case, the infringement of a right or interest threatens an irreparable injury to a party with legitimate standing. A plaintiff filed appeal papers against the Act on the federal Supreme Court docket on Thursday, November 30, with a response required by the State of Illinois by Wednesday, December 6.
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