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Illinois House gives last support to battle weapons prohibition
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) -- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a statewide prohibition on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines Wednesday night, aft the authorities Senate and House approved the legislation.
The House voted 68-41 to o.k. the prohibition Tuesday afternoon. The measure passed 34-20 successful the Illinois Senate connected Monday.
Before signing the bill, Gov. Pritzker raised the representation of the July 4th parade massacre successful Highland Park past twelvemonth – which near seven radical dead and 36 injured, and near a 2-year-old lad parentless and wandering around.
The shooter utilized legally-purchased semiautomatic weapon.
Pritzker said the massacre was allowed to hap "all due to the fact that our authorities and our federation person been held hostage by the NRA and their allies clip and clip again.
"After astir each wide shooting, we've seen efforts to prohibition unsafe weapons thwarted – and past leaders nonstop their thoughts and prayers, portion the they throw their hands up – resigning themselves to the thought that weapon unit is simply a sacrifice that Americans indispensable accept," Pritzker said. "But it doesn't person to beryllium that way."
Pritzker emphasized that helium and members of the Illinois General Assembly person been battling the weapon lobby to walk weapon information authorities for years and with immoderate occurrence – but until now, bans connected battle weapons and high-capacity magazines person been elusive.
Pritzker noted that portion astir attraction has gone to "weapons of war" specified arsenic AR-style rifles similar the 1 utilized successful Highland Park, galore wide shootings besides impact handguns modified by switches that crook them into automatic weapons. Such a modified handgun was utilized mass shooting successful May of past year that killed 2 radical and wounded 7 extracurricular the McDonald's astatine Chicago Avenue and State Street, Pritzker noted.
"Gun unit is an epidemic that is plaguing each country of this authorities and the radical of Illinois are demanding substantive action. With this authorities we are delivering connected the promises Democrats person made and, together, we are making Illinois' weapon laws a exemplary for the nation," House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, Senate President Don Harmon, and Gov. Pritzker said successful an earlier associated connection Monday nighttime aft Illinois Democrats reached a woody to o.k. the legislation.
Welch, Harmon, and Lt. Gov Juliana Stratton besides spoke and thanked advocates earlier Pritzker signed the bill.
Passage of the battle weapons prohibition came down aft astir 5 afloat days of backroom discussions and debate, aft the House passed a somewhat antithetic mentation of the authorities past week. The timepiece had been ticking to walk the prohibition earlier existent lawmakers permission bureau and newly-elected ones are sworn successful Wednesday.
Pritzker had said helium wanted the measure passed by Tuesday, truthful helium could motion it earlier the extremity of the existent legislative term.
Speaker Welch (D-Hillside) said the legislation, erstwhile signed by the governor, instantly bans the sale, delivery, and acquisition of assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines successful Illinois. Long guns volition beryllium constricted to 10 rounds per mag and handguns cannot person much than 15 rounds.
"This authorities includes a comprehensive, detailed, and updated database of battle weapons taxable to the ban," Welch said.
The measure besides bans the possession and usage of rapid-fire devices that summation the firing complaint of semiautomatic weapons.
"That's thing we should truly beryllium arrogant of. That's historic," Welch said.
Those already owning guns connected the battle weapons database volition beryllium allowed to support them, but would person to registry them with the Illinois State Police. It would inactive beryllium ineligible for existent owners to person specified weapons connected their ain backstage property, astatine weapon ranges, successful designated hunting areas, and successful different locations.
The measure volition successful summation expedite the implementation of cosmopolitan inheritance checks, but would not alteration the property scope for Firearm Owners Identification cards.
Senate President Harmon (D-Oak Park) introduced the last mentation of the measure successful committee Monday morning. On Sunday, Welch said the House would not judge a watered-down mentation of the bill, but connected Monday evening, Welch, Harmon, and Pritzker said they had reached a woody connected the legislation, and the Senate approved the measure by a 34-20 ballot connected Monday.
Opponents of the authorities person said it would bash thing to trim convulsive transgression successful Illinois.
"People who interruption the law, radical who perpetrate convulsive transgression are not going to registry their firearms, are not going to crook successful their magazines. This volition not halt that crime. What volition hap is law-abiding weapon owners volition beryllium yet again impacted by laws successful this General Assembly, yet again person their Second Amendment rights restrained," Illinois State Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) said during Tuesday's debate.
Some Republicans adjacent went truthful acold arsenic to accidental they would openly defy the ban.
"We volition not comply, and you're not going to bash a darn happening astir it, due to the fact that the law, the Constitution, and the founding principles are connected our side," said Illinois State Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City).
Outgoing Illinois State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), who mislaid the governor's contention to Pritzer, tweeted, "I'll dice connected my beforehand structure earlier anyone takes my guns away. My connection to Springfield: If you privation my guns, travel get them."
The measure besides met with beardown absorption from immoderate authorities House lawmakers.
"The lone happening successful this measure is it's placing a load connected instrumentality abiding citizens," said authorities Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur).
"This volition greatly interaction 2.4 cardinal FOID paper instrumentality abiding citizens successful the authorities of Illinois that powerfully judge successful their 2nd amendment rights," said authorities Rep. Thomas Bennett (R-Pontiac).
I’ll dice connected my beforehand structure earlier anyone takes my guns away. My connection to Springfield: If you privation my guns, travel get them. #voidthefoid #secondamendment #twill https://t.co/ec2ng6AzPh pic.twitter.com/l4EihJtrfZ
— Darren Bailey (@DarrenBaileyIL) January 10, 2023Those opposed to banning assault-style weapons accidental arsenic soon arsenic Gov. Pritzker signs the measure into law, lawsuits volition commencement flying challenging it arsenic unconstitutional. But that menace did not halt supporters from celebrating what they picture arsenic a hard-fought victory.
"This is the archetypal clip we've gotten to a level ballot – and it's astir time," said Illinois authorities Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield), whose territory includes Highland Park.
Morrison has introduced akin bills successful the past. She talked astir the trauma of being astatine the Highland Park July 4th parade.
Dan Eldridge, president of the Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois and the proprietor of Maxon Shooter's Supplies successful Des Plaines, said "we'll respond accordingly" aft opposing the bill.
His store saw a surge successful weapon income past play compared to the aforesaid play successful 2022.
"Rifles are moving astatine 10 times the complaint arsenic past year. So evidently law-abiding weapon owners are concerned," helium said.
Eldridge said, acknowledgment to the 72-hour waiting play for each firearms transactions, they should beryllium capable to implicit immoderate income that we're initiated earlier the measure is officially signed, but they volition person to region those magazines from the package, and supply the firearm to the lawsuit without the magazine.
Meantime, helium expects courts yet volition broadside with weapon owners, and cull the ban.
"We expect that we volition simply clasp possession of those magazines, successful anticipation of the trader lobby radical getting injunctive alleviation against this measure successful national court, which should hap reasonably quickly, and past we'll interaction customers and fto them cod the remainder of their property," helium said.
And Harmon is acceptable for a fight, saying he's assured the instrumentality volition beryllium upheld arsenic constitutional.
"We'll spot you successful court," helium said.
And immoderate lawmakers accidental determination is much enactment to beryllium done.
"Until specified clip that we statesman to marque a superior concern successful the South and West sides and different mediocre communities astir this state, we'll beryllium back," said authorities Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago). "We'll beryllium back."
Dana Kozlov is an Emmy Award-winning governmental investigative newsman for CBS2 Chicago. Prior to joining the presumption successful 2003, she worked astatine WGN, CNN Chicago and WEEK-TV successful Peoria, wherever she began her journalism vocation successful 1992.
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