IL HOUSE BILLS HB3970 and HB3972 HAM RADIO BAN

[kc9ltw]

The Illinois legislature currently has two bills in the works that will outlaw the use of amateur radio in a car (unless using Bluetooth or other wireless setup). HB3970 and HB3972 are in the works ...
Rep. Karen May is the sponsor of 3970 ...She needs to be educated.
3970 is currently in the Rules Committee ... Reps. Amico and Harris submitted 3972 ... they, too, need to be educated ... And while you as Illinois registered voters are at it, please contact them and also direct all your communications to your local elected officials.

Storm Spotting and Amateur Radio is only one resource for the Amateur Radio operator who volunteers as a trained storm spotter. training, equipment, safety, storm spotter activation procedures, reportable weather criteria, It also provides some meteorological information about severe weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, floods, damaging wind, and winter weather. Federally Licensed operators have direct contact with NOAA field offices and provide emergency communications during other disasters. In 1965 another weather event impacted storm spotting networks around the country. On April 11, 1965 - Palm Sunday - 47 tornadoes struck the states of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan. This outbreak was the largest single day tornado outbreak in US history (since only passed by the super outbreak of 1974). Over 12 hours 271 people
were killed and over 3500 injured.

Good luck, Illinois. The nation is watching - and hope to learn by your logical, methodical, intelligent counter-attack to this proposed legislation. *Contact YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, YOUR SENATOR, AND, THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE and let them know your feelings about this.* If nobody opposes this legislation, like so many other ‘well-intended’ measures, this heavy-handed and ill-conceived attempt at legislating common sense will pass into Illinois law.* Then it will be law enforcement officers that decide whether or not what you’re using in your car to communicate is legal according to their interpretation of the*Illinois Vehicle Code.*


PLEASE CONTACT:

Representative Karen May (D)
58th District Springfield Office:
255-S Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL **62706
(217) 782-0902
(217) 557-7214 FAX
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rep. John D'Amico 
(D-Chicago)15th District Capitol Office 279-S Stratton Office Building Springfield, IL 62706 (217) 782-8198 (217) 782-2906 (fax)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative Greg Harris (D)
13th District Springfield Office:
258 - W Stratton Office Bldg
Springfield, IL **62706
(217) 782-3835
(217) 557-6470 FAX
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Governor Pat Quinn Office of the Governor******** 
 207 State House 
Springfield, IL 62706
 Phone: 217-782-0244
__________________________________________________
*If you will also forward a copy of your letter to me KC9LTW on radioreference.com or mail a copy to me. Doug Schnell 925 West Adams Street Taylorville, IL 62568-2113

 

[gewecke]

It figures! First comes the cell phone legislation, Now they're digging their nose even deeper into our lives!
No wonder I have little faith in the u.s. govt anymore!


73,
n9zas

 

[datainmotion]

Hmmmm...how does that go? Give them an inch...

 

[sparks40]

I just read this from an aquaintance of mine about twenty minutes ago....

"I just received an email regarding the Bills in congress and according to the author it's been taken care of. Before getting everyone's hopes up I'm waiting for verification and then we can all thank a specific Rep that acted upon the problem so quickly. As well as the Ham who went above and beyond for his fellow Hams. In case there was an error I don't want to release any names as of yet... we should know in the next couple of days."

I'll post again as soon as i find out what's going on...Keep your fingers crossed.

 

[pinoy1042]

Nevada SB-140

well they passed it in Nevada, but we fought very hard against it, but still lost.....we can talk on our mobile radio's on if it is hands free, or radio microphone has no button's on it, and or it is during a drill, training exercise....73's get to fighting.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Has anyone in IL or NV contacted ARRL about this? These states are legislating beyond their constitutional authority. If the local hams don't have deep enough pockets to file federal lawsuits, the ARRL does.

 

[jeatock]

Can't be true!

Pah-shaw! Illinois lawmakers and their supporters would NEVER legislate beyond their authority, or unreasonably intrude into the lives of citizens.

 

[kc9ltw]

serious threat to Ham Radio Communications in Illinois from KARS

SERIOUS THREAT TO THE
AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE IN
ILLINOIS
Some of you may be aware of bills
HB3970 and HB3972 presently before
the Illinois General Assembly.
They are ostensibly about outlawing
“distracted driving.” On the surface
this seems to be a noble pursuit. However,
ignoring for the moment the
gross incompetence of our present
federal and state politicians, it is a
clumsily written piece of legislature that
cuts a broad swath, potentially making
almost any form of mobile communications
illegal.
It is draconian lawmaking that removes
even more of our civil liberties
and will likely have little effect on mobile
texting while making honest citizens
lawbreakers.
Protect your civil rights and insure
your right to operate mobile. Contact
you state representative and senator
today!
Use the following link to get their
name, address and phone number:
ht tp: / /www.elect ions. i l l inois.gov/
D i s t r i c t L o c a t o r /
DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx
Remember, emails don’t work with
politicians. You must phone or write to
be heard! Tell them that the Illinois
Secretary of State recognizes Amateur
Radio Operators with special license
plates for “assistance to countless victims
of accidents, disasters and other
mishaps by providing a vital communications
link to emergency services."

 

[OCO]

Already posted here..

 

[newsphotog]

Does anyone have any text of the actual bill for us to read? A lot of people thought that the Iowa cell phone ban would outlaw mobile amateur radio use, but it didn't. Of all the posts I've read about this, no one has yet to offer up the text or a link for the bill for us to read it ourselves. If you're going to write to your legislators, it's best to write an educated letter and not hearsay.

 

[vinzep491]

This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. You create a bigger hazard changing your CD or radio station than using your radio mic. Atleast you can keep your eyes o nthe road while talking on the ham, you gotta look down anytime you touch the radio.

 

[SCPD]

Looks like an amendment is in the works Bill Text: IL House Bill 3972 - 97th General Assembly | eLobbyist

 

[kc9ltw]

what about the thousands of taxi's with 2 way radio's in chicago? I also believe that in IL school Buses are required to have 2 way radio's? They want to ban CB & HAM.... Like our court systems are not full of cases or a serious nature!

 

[Robinsmark]

AMEN Brother!

Hmmmm...how does that go? Give them an inch...

Yes just like the cell phone ban!

 

[DaveNF2G]

I have to agree with the person above who said that we need to read the actual text to see if it says what we think it does.

New York's cellphone law is very explicitly worded to apply only to phones and not to any kind of two-way radio. Unfortunately, hams have been ticketed by uninformed police officers anyway, but no convictions have resulted.

 

[kc9ltw]

according to the F.C.C. data base there are 22,000 licensed ham operators in the Land of Lincoln, if we could find a good lawyer and each chip in $10 bucks this current attempt to regulate common sense could be addressed! Any ham clubs have any idea's?

 

[SCPD]

post it

I say make a Fund for this and do it with paypal etc and a po box and let us all know when you do it,this is
another over stepping of power.Do it up!I recommend qrz or any other ham outlet including here

 

[K3HY]

Looks like an amendment is in the works Bill Text: IL House Bill 3972 - 97th General Assembly | eLobbyist

Thanks for actually posting the FACTS on the amendment.

 

[XTS3000]

Pass the law, don't pass the law. Doesn't matter to me. I'll continue to talk on my mobile radio. So I'll be breaking the law. Catch me if you can.

Cops are easy to spot most of the time, so when I see one, I'll just lower my mic so no one can see it.

Program an XTL properly and you can hold the mic in your lap and still be 100% loud and clear. No cop can see a mic below window level.

If you get into a crash, they can get your cellular records to see if you were on the phone when the crash happened. Most ham repeaters don't record the audio, let alone time stamp each transmission.

I'm done with lawmakers passing laws that they have NO CLUE what they are voting on or passing.

 

[jaymatt1978]

Folks do yourselves a BIG FAVOR AND READ THE BILL. They already put exmptions in for two-way radio devices, including ham radio, so I think the matter is closed. Everytime I read these threads, it never ceases to amaze me the "sky is falling mentality". Instead of posting on here, invest the five or so minutes and write your local resprestative. There are three simple steps to writing such letters. First introduce yourself, not just your name and town, but pro vide some background, how long you have been a ham and maybe name one specific ac tivity you're involved with, helping out during an emergency. Secondly never flat out just say the bill is bad and they should vote against it, that never works. Only highlight the part you really object too. Recognize in the authors' eyes the bill is trying to make people safer. Show them the err of their ways and, most importantly, give them a reasonable solution. ALSO copy the e-mail to your local ARRL official, even if you'rre not an active ARRL member, so they can use real life examples to plead thier case. Trust me folks when I say I have been doing this for a long time !