State Rep. Dan Burke asking his colleagues to reject NRA money

No more.

Sneed has learned State Rep. Dan Burke, who introduced the Commander Paul Bauer (gun control) Act this week, plans to introduce a new House resolution next week encouraging members of the General Assembly NOT to accept any further contributions from the National Rifle Association.

“I have never supported the NRA agenda or taken money from them,” he said.

“It’s my way of responding to a question asked by a student who witnessed the gun massacre at a Florida high school that U.S. Senator Marco Rubio failed to answer at a recent town hall meeting,” added Burke.

“However, I will add I did vote for the concealed-carry gun bill because I do feel instances have occurred, particularly dealing with the elderly, where they have been able to successfully defend themselves and their families from a home invasion,” he added.

“But to endorse the sale of weapons of mass destruction is abhorrent,” said Burke, who was unable to provide statistics on how many General Assembly members accept NRA contributions.

“However, Southern Illinois is an NRA bastion,” he added.

Meanwhile, Burke tells Sneed the Commander Paul Bauer Act, which bans the sale of high-capacity magazines and body armor, should be ready for a vote Tuesday. (Bauer was killed by a 9mm Glock attached to a high-capacity magazine.)

“There are at least four or five amendments which have to be attached to the Bauer bill before it can pass,” he said.

“But they will be introduced as floor amendments which will not be referred back to a committee hearing.

“For example: Motorcycle enthusiast organizations are concerned because they have Kevlar panels inserted into their garments to protect from injury spills, which could qualify as body armor,” he noted.

Fingers crossed.

Pssst!

Sneed also hears House Republican Leader Jim Durkin is encouraging Republican members to support the Bauer Act.

Hello . . . Gov. Bruce Rauner?

Ka-ching!

. . . and ding-a-ling?

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, who has a kookie sense of humor, tells Sneed President Donald Trump’s new tax law had flipped her upside down.

• Translation: “After collecting 758 million dollars in property taxes from 126,000 people in 11 days due to the new tax codes, my aerial yoga instructor gave everyone an opportunity to express themselves,” she told Sneed.

“So this is how I expressed my upside-down feeling,” Pappas chuckled.

P.S. One of the 100,000 Maria Pappas campaign bags she distributed is attached to her toe.

Don’t ask.

Raising Rialmo . . .

$$$.

Get out the abacus: As of Thursday afternoon, the GoFundMe campaign set up by attorney Joel Brodsky for his client, Robert Rialmo — the Chicago Police officer who fatally shot Bettie Jones and Quintonio LeGrier December 2015 in the West Garfield Park neighborhood — has only collected $15,315 of its $50,000 goal from 276 donations — 37 which were anonymous.

Spice ’em up?

Is this a case of sugar and spice and everything nice?

• Translation: The ’90s Brit pop group sensation The Spice Girls are reportedly attending Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding May 19 at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. (In case you’ve forgotten, one of the former Spice Girls is fashion designer Victoria Beckham, who is married to soccer legend David Beckham.)

• The big question: Will the 5-member girl group also perform at the event?

Sneedlings . . .

Actress Marilu Henner spotted walking Wednesday night in the Gold Coast’s “London Fog”and looking ever so “stunning,” said a Sneed reader. . . . Today’s birthdays: Jon Bon Jovi, 56; Ben Roethlisberger, 36; and Reggie Bush, 33.