Illinoians do not have the right to recall offficials or petition the State Gov. or force ballot initiatives.
All these goodies and more, were inserted into the 1970 rewrite of the IL State Constitution at the behest of King Daley 1st.
"Hom e Rule", was their crowning acheivement; giving local municipalities the power to act as a state unto themselves (until someone with $ challenges it in court.)
I place the blame for all this squarely at the feet of gunowners of that generation, who let the FOID act pass in 1968, who let Chgo and Morton Grove ban handguns, etc.
I remember, as a kid, looking at guns and buying ammo with my dad at Kmarts and gun stores and NEVER being asked for a FOID. The FOID act was understood (with a wink and nudge) to apply only to "Those People From Chicago" a.k.a. minorities. Politicians in suburban districts assured their voters that the FOID law was intended to keep guns away from Chgo minorities, since they probably couldn't pass a criminal check.
"They'll never ask US for our permit" said the politicians.
And they were right, until the late 1980's and handgun ban fever swept the suburbs. Suddenly eveyone needed a FOID, notjust "Those People From Chgo".
When I was a High School freshman, 22 years ago, I'd walk a couple miles to the local gunstore (Apache Guns in Merrionette Park) to buy gun magazines and check out the guns. Even at just 14, the clerk would let me handle any pistol or EBR I asked for, but any black who came in was basically run outa the store. Itmust've looked REALLY STRANGE to them, being asked for perrmits and papers while high school freshman stood a few feet away, handling an AR180.
Our fathers traded their liberty for the promise of safety, and screwed their sons in the process.
CKMorley