Collection of gun control bills passes out of Illinois House

State Journal-Register – by Brandon Moore

Invigorated by gun control advocates who flooded the Capitol Wednesday, the Illinois House passed a series of gun control measures that included a ban the sale of bump stocks and a requirement for gun dealers to be licensed.

The measures come just two weeks after tragedies involving firearms, including the death of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer and the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, caught the nation’s attention and sparked widespread outcry over the previous lack of action on the issue.  

Adding to the pomp and circumstance were protesters from gun control advocacy group Moms Demand Action, who held a rally outside the Capitol, as well as Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, who held a news conference in the Capitol where he advocated for stricter gun laws.

Cupich said “sensible gun-safety regulations” will not infringe on legitimate rights of law-abiding people to use guns.

“It’s is now up to those we elect to serve the common good to act to stop the rampant violence that has turned our schools, our churches, theaters and our streets into places of slaughter,” Cupich said.

The cardinal said the “youth of our nation are shaming the adult world into action.”

The lack of action changed Wednesday as, in addition to passing a slew of fresh gun control bills, the House dusted off the gun dealer licensing legislation — Senate Bill 1657 — it mothballed after it passed the Senate last year.

With the 64-52 vote, that legislation will hit Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk soon. If signed into law, it would require that gun dealers get licensed in a way similar to auto dealers and Realtors. A simultaneously passed trailer bill sets a $1,000 cap on licensing fees within a five year period.

Proponents argued it was a common sense bill meant to ensure professional standards were being maintained at gun shops, while critics said the fee would punish small businesses and the state would have to invest millions of dollars it doesn’t have to hire inspectors.

“This bill is about bad actors in this industry who, (with a) wink and a nod, allow those guns to end up in our neighborhoods killing young people in our neighborhoods,” said state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago. “This is not about (those) who are good corporate citizens because they are already doing this stuff.”

The governor’s office would not comment on whether Rauner would sign the licensing bill but would like the broader conversation about gun safety measures to continue.

“We will review any legislation when it is sent to the governor’s desk,” said spokeswoman Rachel Bold. “However, today we were encouraged to hear a great deal of bipartisan conversation about the critical issue of protecting our families. We are in favor of that conversation continuing.”

The conversation will certainly continue in the legislature as the rest of the House-approved bills must now go before the Senate. Though the upper chamber is in session Thursday, a mandatory three-day waiting period to take up House-passed legislation will prevent the bills from being debated for nearly two weeks.

House Bill 1467, which would ban the sale of bump stocks and trigger cranks, and HB 1468, which would require a 72-hour mandatory waiting period after the purchase of an assault weapon, passed with bipartisan majorities. HB 1465, which would ban the sale of assault weapons to those under 21, passed on a nearly party line vote.

Bold said Rauner supports a ban on bump stocks but did not specify if he supports the current language of the bill.

Despite Rauner and Republicans in the legislature appearing open to some gun control measures, House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, criticized the governor for not being adequately vocal in the debate.

“Today, Democrats and a few thoughtful Republicans stood up and answered the call, but the silence from Governor Rauner speaks volumes and is reflected in the fact that the majority of his caucus opposed even these most basic gun safety measures,” said Madigan in a statement. “While the successful passage of these bills is a critical step for safer communities, it should have been a step we took together rather than another example of the governor’s failure to lead.”

For many Republicans, Wednesday’s actions were rushed. They said they could have supported more gun control measures, but Democrats did not include them in the process and were careless in crafting legislation.

State Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, R-Leland Grove, who voted yes on the bump stock ban and mandatory cooling period, said the recent shootings may have driven the actions but that politics were mixed in as well.

“I think, politically, we’re a couple of weeks before a primary election, and for some of these bills where there was no conversation or collaboration, unfortunately, that those were political votes,” Jimenez said. “When we’re talking about constitutional rights and whether or not we’re going to have further regulation, those are the conversations that should be the most thoughtful and most bipartisan that we can be.”

Many Republicans, however, did vote for the bump stock ban, calling it a common sense measure that does not infringe upon Second Amendment rights.

“Assault weapons have one purpose — to inflict maximum injury and death,” said state Rep. David Harris, R-Arlington Heights. “You pull the trigger and the bullets keep coming out until the magazine is empty. No one needs this device to hunt deer or duck.”

A bill named after Bauer, which would ban the sale of body armor and high-capacity magazines, was not called Wednesday. The previous day, Democrats and Republicans alike said the bill needed changes, which bill sponsors are still working on.

Doug Finke of the State Capitol Bureau contributed to this report. Contact Brenden Moore: 782-3095, bmoore@sj-r.com, twitter.com/brendenmore13.

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