Illinois Bump Stock Ban Advances Despite GOP Opposition

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Illinois House Democrats outvoted GOP members of the state Judiciary Committee 7-5 on Tuesday, advancing a bill to ban "bump stocks" that amp up firepower by modifying semi-automatic weapons to mimic the firing speed of fully automatic weapons. The same type of device was used by Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock, who killed 59 people and wounded hundreds more during a country music festival on Oct. 1.

Tuesday's vote advances a bill sponsored by Des Plaines Democratic State Rep. Martin Moylan, who is also calling for a ban on assault weapons, large-caliber rifles and magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Republican panel members voted against the measure, calling it too broad and backing a competing bill that would ban bump stocks but no other devices. National Rifle Association (NRA) lobbyist Todd Vandermyde said the Democratic bill would also ban common firearm modifications, such as after-market triggers, "criminalizing a lot of very common things gun owners do to modify their guns to make them shoot better, to make them shoot more accurately," according to the Chicago Tribune.

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State Rep. Barbara Wheeler, R-Crystal Lake, said she is working with the NRA on the bump stock-only ban. "House Bill 4120 prevents the future sale and possession of the device used during the deadly Las Vegas shooting," Wheeler said in a statement. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

“I’m the first person to stand-up for our essential right as Americans to keep and bear arms, whether for personal protection, hunting or another sporting purpose,” said Wheeler. “However, the horrific events in Las Vegas showed quite clearly the devastation that can be caused by a rifle attachment like a bump-fire stock in the hands of an ill person. After speaking with firearm experts and the Illinois State Rifle Association, we all agreed that bump-fire stocks have no practical protection or sporting use and should be taken off the market.”

RELATED: NRA Calls For Regulations On 'Bump Stocks' Implicated In Las Vegas Shooting

The panel vote on Tuesday sends the bump stock ban to the House floor.

AP Photo/Rick Bowmer