4 days ago
Illinois bill strengthening rules on gun storage heads to Pritzker's desk
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — An Illinois bill strengthening the rules on storing firearms is headed to the Governor's desk.
The House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday evening requiring new rules for storing guns in homes where children and at-risk people are present. The proposal would also shorten the time firearm owners have to report a gun as lost or stolen.
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Also part of the bill is creating a registry for Illinois State Police to keep track of people who do not report lost or stolen firearms.
The bill's sponsor said these changes will help guns from getting into the wrong hands.
'The number of guns stolen each year is rising, and this is a key factor in the cycle of gun violence,' Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-West Chicago) said on the House floor. 'Firearm theft compromises the effectiveness of our common sense gun laws. It often results in these weapons being acquired by people who are legally prohibited from possessing them.'
Republicans criticized the bill, saying it targets legal gun owners instead of addressing criminal activity.
'Let's call this what it is: a reckless assault on the rights of honest citizens,' State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) said in a statement. 'Instead of addressing actual criminals, this legislation goes after hunters, sportsmen, and countless responsible firearm owners across our state.'
Niemerg said he's confident that guns rights groups will challenge the constitutionality of the proposal in court if it's signed into law.
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