Grab your wallets and purses, politicians want more of your money.
Both houses of the Illinois General Assembly, in an attempt to curb illegal gambling (and increase tax revenue) created a law that put poker runs under the control of the Department of Revenue. Now every motorcyclist knows that a poker run is only about gambling, right?
As part of the law there are new regulations, permits and fees. From what I could gather the permit is $400 and each stop (venue) is charged an additional $150. If you don’t pay the fees you will be an illegal gambling operation and subject to all the appropriate fines and imprisonments.
If you have ever participated in a poker run you know that they typically support a charity of some sort. You also know that they normally do not raise huge sums of money and if it rains they might even go in a hole. But, in Illinois I guess that the state is the only real charity that matters.
Luckly, there are a few members of the General Assembly who understand what a poker run really does and are attempting to change the law. So if you live in the People’s Republic of Illinois you might want to contact your beloved leaders and let them know your opinion on this subject.
If you live somewhere else, keep an eye on your esteemed politicians, if it works in Illinois it might becoming to your state soon.
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 
What a joke! Bikers coming together for a charitable cause and politicians taking it away with just a few signatures.
Your right! A run would have to pull over $1100 just to pay the state for five stop ride.
they just approved some astronomic amount for the Obummer library.
I’ve got a feeling this is just the first in a number of ludicrous taxes.
Check your facts and try to be a bit more current. There are currently 2 bills going through the house and senate as I write this that is going to correct this mess.
Do uou have a link to the bill? I looked all over and couldn’t find it.
Turns out I am a little late to this, there are bills working their way through the General Assembly to “fix” this issue. Check http://abate-il.org/State%2003052014/legislative.htm for detail.
Do what the politicians do. Rename the events and press on. Semantics isn’t just for lawyers. And, how is payment going to be proven? We the People are in charge. Let the Springfield Schmucks bring it on.
Here are legislative bills being proposed. go this from the ABATE of IL FB page.
SB3312 (Forby) (Brauer) POKER RUN – LOCATIONS Amends the Charitable Games Act. Provides that the Department of Revenue shall issue a charitable games license only for the conduct of a poker run to a non-profit organization that the Department determines is organized for the sole purpose of providing financial assistance to an identified individual or group of individuals suffering extreme financial hardship as a result of an illness, disability, accident, or disaster. Further provides that any organization applying for a license to conduct a poker run shall list the name and address of each predetermined location and that any premises that is listed as a predetermined location of a poker run shall not be required to obtain a providers’ license for such poker run so long as the provider does not charge any fee or seek any other compensation for the use of the premises. Effective immediately. The Revenue and Finance Committee was supposed to hear this bill yesterday (Thursday) was cancelled so House Sponsor Rep. Rich Brauer couldn’t move it. This cancellation sets us back 1 more week.
We were looking at having this bill sent to the Governor for signing next week but that will not happen now. We are now looking at the week of May 12th for the bill to hit the House Floor for a final vote. Below is the committee for the House Revenue and Finance Committee,
http://www.ilga.gov/house/committees/members.asp?CommitteeID=1263&GA=98 EVERYBODY needs to call these members particularly Chairman John Bradly and ask them to please get this bill moved ASAP so that we can go on in life and do what our Illinois State Bikers do best, Help those that need a “Friendly Hand”.
HB4223 (Brauer) (Forby) POKER RUNS-RAFFLES ACT Amends the Raffles Act and the Charitable Games Act. Provides for the regulation of poker runs as raffles rather than as charitable games events. Provides that poker runs shall be licensed by the governing body with jurisdiction over the key location and the license granted by the key location shall cover the entire poker run. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to make corresponding changes. Effective immediately.
Unfortunately Senator Forby had a serious health issue in his family early this week and was not in session to present this bill.
Cullerton Meeting
On April 28th I had a set-down with Senate President John Cullerton and my first topic with him was on our Poker Run bills.
He knew there were 2 bills, 1 from each chamber and wanted to know which we were actually going to send to the Governor and I said that the senate bill was further along and that would be the one most likely and the house version we were amending as a back up in case we needed it later if something unforeseen happened.
I told him how important this bill was to the mc world and to those charities and individuals that depend on our world for help.
I asked him if he would EXPEDITE the bill to the Governor and ask for him to sign ASAP. President Cullerton said he would do that.
Thanks for the update!! Looks like a move for the better! But the house bill looks like it gives control to a local county vice the state, dose that make it better or worse.
Hope the SB is the one that makes it through. I am going to cut and paste your reply to Redit so others will know what is happening.