Do I hear seventy?

My last update on the wave, sweeping across Illinois, of county resolutions affirming commitment to the rights protected under the Second Amendment was a month ago today. Real progress has been made in that month.

Back in January, at the time of my last update, sixty-four counties had adopted the resolution, with four (Clinton, Macon, Moultrie, and Peoria Counties) having placed it on the agenda (the full county board agenda in Clinton County's case, and committee agendas for the other three).

Since then, all four have adopted the resolution, and better yet, Morgan County kind of sneaked up on us, and passed it without our even being aware an effort was underway there. Thursday night (Feb. 14th) was especially big, with Macon, Moultrie, and Peoria Counties all voting (that night). The success in Macon County was not achieved easily (the vote was 10-9 in favor), and would not have happened without the hard work of Illinois Carry member Dustin Meier.

The resolution passed in a 10-9 vote after a lengthy debate in which some board members questioned whether the right to bear arms is an issue in which the county should be involved.

Decatur resident Dustin Meier told the board he wanted the county board to approve the resolution because of concerns he and other gun owners have about gun control legislation in Springfield.

Meier told the board similar resolutions had already been passed in 66 other Illinois counties by a group of citizens who post on the Web site, Illinoiscarry.org.

Our current map, then, looks like this:

(click to enlarge)

About that yellow (which means vote pending) county up north--that's McHenry County, and the news there is a bit frustrating. As of a couple days ago, the McHenry board was scheduled to vote on the resolution next Tuesday (Feb. 19th). Rumor has it, though, that "out of respect for the mourning families" of the victims at Northern Illinois University (victims, one could argue--and in fact I have been arguing--of this state's and that campus's policies of mandated defenselessness), the vote has been delayed (to a not-yet-determined date). No explanation has so far been forthcoming of how procrastinating in the struggle to defend the Bill of Rights expresses "respect" for the families.

Still, that's a delay in McHenry--not a defeat. The fight will go on. McHenry residents who haven't helped that fight along yet might give the county board a call.

As always, check with the Illinois Pro-2A Resolution website for the most current updates.

UPDATE: The Daily Herald (a suburban Chicago-area newspaper) has more about the retreat in McHenry County.