Bump Stock Ban, Gun Dealer Licensing, New Firearm Laws Pass House

SPRINGFIELD, IL — The Illinois General Assembly passed several new gun regulations after Democrats brought a package of proposed new laws to the House floor Wednesday. The bills are part of a package of legislation proposed last week by the House Democratic leaders aimed to restricting who can buy guns, who can sell them and who can intervene to seize them. Four new laws passed the House with another measure given Senate approval.

House Speaker Michael Madigan recognized "Democrats and a few thoughtful Republicans" for the passage of the measures, although he suggested the "silence from Governor Rauner speaks volumes." The Democratic leader asserted that the new gun laws should have been a bipartisan effort and promised to continue calling for more.

“Our work does not end here,” Madigan said. “We will continue this push for stronger gun safety laws, and we hope Governor Rauner will finally decide to join us to protect our schools, protect our communities and protect our children.”

The governor's office said Rauner will review any legislation after it is sent to him for approval.

"[T]oday we were encouraged to hear a great deal of bipartisan conversation about the critical issue of protecting our families," Spokeswoman Rachel Bold said. "We are in favor of that conversation continuing,"

"We will work with the General Assembly to keep guns out of the wrong hands, ban bump stocks, make our schools safer and work with law enforcement to protect our children and families."

Senate Bill 1657, sponsored by 77th District Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-Addison), adds new licensing requirements for firearm dealers and create a gun dealer licensing board. A similar bill failed last year.

The latest version of the new regulations and a companion bill passed by a vote of 64-52. It was sent to the governors desk Thursday.

The following bills passed the House and await Senate approval:

House Bill 1467, sponsored by 55th District Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines), bans so-called "bump stocks." The devices came to national prominence after they were allegedly used by the perpetrator of last year's massacre at a Las Vegas concert. The bills also bans "trigger cranks," which also take semiautomatic guns that require a trigger pull for every shot to fire at rates closer to that of automatic weapons.

The "bump stock" ban passed by a vote of 83-31 with four members not voting.

House Bill 1465, amended by 55th District Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-Schaumberg) changes the age requirement for the purchase and possession of high-capacity magazines and firearms it defines as assault weapons. Only people aged 21 or older can now buy the items. Current owners have 90 days to transfer ownership. It also bans .50 caliber rifles, although it exempts competitive shooters, transportation of weapons to legal events and possession of prop weapons for movies.

The bill to increase in the minimum age to buy or have such assault-style weapons passed 64-51.

House Bill 1468, sponsored by 57th District Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-Northbrook), adds a requirement for a 72-hour waiting period before buying assault-style weapons and .50 caliber rifles.

"I would say almost all responsible gun owners would say that waiting a couple extra days for a firearm isn't the end of the world," Carroll said. "It's fairly straightforward, it goes from 24 hours to 72 hours," he said. Current law already included the waiting period for handguns.

It was approved by a 79-37 vote, no Republicans spoke in opposition.

Earlier Wednesday afternoon, state representatives held a lengthy debate on Willis' bill to implement a state-level gun dealer licensing scheme. Several representatives questioned why a Senate-passed trailer bill (HB1273) containing additions to the bill had not been brought to the floor for a vote before the licensing act.

So Willis eventually did call the trailer bill, which included an explicit ban on security cameras in restrooms, a delay until 2020 on the requirement to implement it and a reduction in the cost of licenses to $200 a year.

Republicans opposed to the bill questioned why big-box stores were exempted from the regulation if they don't make more than 20 percent of their revenue from firearms sales. They suggested it unfairly targeted small business owners and could force gun dealerships out of business.

The Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation, who would be charged with managing the new licenses, joined gun dealerships and rifle associations in filing witness slips against the bill. The state agency said it didn't have the resources to handle the extra responsibilities. According to Willis, the bills sponsor, they "always" say that.

Even among supporters of the tougher gun restrictions, some representatives questioned why it took a mass shooting at a school in another state to prompt action on the long-stalled measures in light of the continuing gun violence in the Chicago area.

Earlier Wednesday, the Senate passed its version of another gun-related bill by a vote of 40-14. The Lethal Violence Order of Protection Act, sponsored by 29th District Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield), allows law enforcement or family members to go to a judge and get someone's guns taken away temporarily.

"Too often, family members of an individual displaying threatening or self-harm behavior do not know where to turn for help," Morrison said after it passed through the senate. "This plan not only gives families the power to intervene when they see troubling behavior but it also protects the rights of individuals by ensuring due process in the court system."

Co-sponsor 24th District Sen. Chris Nybo (R-Elmhurt) said he hopes the new type of court order might begin to stop future tragedies before they take place.

"With help from the public in identifying dangerous individuals, this initiative allows for law enforcement to temporarily remove the individual's FOID card and firearms until the court determines they are no longer a present danger to others," Nybo said. "It's a preventative measure that could save lives in Illinois."

A House version of the bill (HB772) has yet to come up for the vote.

The president and CEO of Gun Violence Prevention PAC pointed out, in a news release from House Democrats announcing the passage of the new laws, more than 400 young people have been killed in school shootings during the six years since Sandy Hook.

“Meanwhile, children are dying everyday here on the streets of Chicago and nothing has been done to stop it. If these children were victims of a foreign terrorist, our leaders would spare no expense in eliminating the threat. If they had been killed by a defective product, that product would be recalled overnight," Kathleen Sances said.

"Today, legislators took a major step forward on behalf of victims by taking critical steps to protect our children, families and communities from gun violence.”

The votes on the bundle of new legislation followed a call from the archbishop of Chicago Wednesday morning to push for more action from state lawmakers to reform gun laws.

Cardinal Blase Cupich said young people are "shaming the adult world into action," as they organize for changes to the country's gun laws in the wake of the Feb. 14 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.

"We should not be naïve about the role of money in our national epidemic of gun violence. Arms dealers are driven by profits... but profits are never more important than people, and we must never allow the desire for money to eclipse our most sacred duty to keep our children safe," Cupich told reporters.

“When even small measures to limit access to items such as armor-piercing bullets, bump stocks and high-volume magazines are opposed, we must ask those who oppose them: Whom are you protecting?”

Related:

• Gun Control Bills Head To Illinois House For A Vote
• House Democrats Present Package Of New Gun Laws
• New Gun Control Bill To Honor Chicago Police Cmdr. Paul Bauer

Read the bills:

• House Bill 1465 (21 and over restriction on assault weapons)
• House Bill 1467 (Bump stock ban)
• House Bill 1468 (72 hour waiting period for some guns)
• House Bill 1469 (Ban on body armor and high-capacity magazines)
• Senate Bill 1657 (Gun dealer licensing)

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