Americans for Responsible Solutions Applauds the Illinois House Judiciary – Criminal Committee for Advancing Bill To Help Slow The Flow Of Illegal Guns In Illinois
May 17, 2016– Americans for Responsible Solutions, the national gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, and the Illinois Gun Violence Prevention Coalition today applauded the Illinois House Judiciary – Criminal Committee for advancing a new proposal, the Gun Dealer Licensing Act (HB 1016), to help slow the flow of illegal guns in Illinois, and urged legislators to act to save lives.
The bill, which was introduced earlier this month, would give state authorities and law enforcement the tools to encourage better business practices among federally licensed gun dealers and hold corrupt dealers accountable to slow the flow of illegal gun trafficking in Illinois and help keep guns out of the wrong hands. Read more about the Gun Dealer Licensing Act here.
Negligent gun dealers within Illinois fuel the illegal gun trade. From 2009 to 2013, 40 percent of the guns used in crimes in Chicago came from gun dealers within Illinois. But thanks to loopholes in federal law and a lack of federal resources for enforcement, Illinois doesn’t have the tools and authority it needs to combat illegal or negligent business practices that threaten Illinois families.
The vote in favor of the bill comes on the heels of Congresswoman Giffords’ visit to Illinois last month to help launch the new Illinois Gun Violence Prevention Coalition and urge legislators to support the bill. The coalition, which includes gun violence prevention groups, community advocates, and faith groups, has helped lead the fight in support of the Gun Dealer Licensing Act.
“This bill will help level the playing field for gun dealers throughout Illinois by promoting commonsense business practices that will curb the in-state trafficking of illegal firearms. So we applaud leaders in Illinois for advancing a commonsense proposal that will crack down on the illegal gun trade and help keep guns out of dangerous hands,” said Robin Lloyd, State Legislative Director, Americans for Responsible Solutions. “We thank the members of the Illinois House Judiciary – Criminal Committee who supported this commonsense legislation that will hold negligent gun dealers accountable while protecting responsible dealers and the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding people. We urge the leaders in the Illinois House to follow suit and support these responsible changes to Illinois’ laws.”
“As a state, we need to do more to combat gun trafficking and keep guns out of the wrong hands. That starts with providing our state authorities with the tools they need to encourage better business practices among gun dealers, hold corrupt dealers accountable, and slow the flow of crime guns into our communities. I urge my colleagues in the House to join me in supporting this commonsense step to keep guns out of the wrong hands,” said Illinois State Representative Kathleen Willis (D-Northlake), a chief author of the legislation.
The Gun Dealer Licensing Act will help slow the the flow of illegal guns through a number of small changes to the state’s laws, including:
- Requiring Criminal Background Checks for Gun Dealer Employees: Gun store employees often have access to huge inventories of guns and it is just common sense to make sure that the dealer and employees are just as responsible as the buyers.
- Training and Education for Gun Dealers Employees So Our Background Check System Can Work Better: The bill would require training to ensure that dealers and their employees know how to conduct background checks, identify and stop straw purchases, and properly store guns to prevent thefts.
- Ensuring Gun Dealers Are Held Accountable: IDFPR and law enforcement would have the ability to inspect the inventories of licensed gun dealers, so we can make sure gun dealers are held accountable for missing firearms.
Between 2002 – 2014, 14,273 people were killed with guns in Illinois, nearly three times the number of all U.S. combat troops killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined. A person is killed with a gun in Illinois every eight hours. In 2014, 1,179 people were killed by guns in Illinois. [Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence]
Groups represented in the Illinois Gun Violence Prevention Coalition include:
ABJ Community Services
All Saints Episcopal—Chicago
Americans for Responsible Solutions
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
Catholic Charities
Center for American Progress
Chicago Board of Rabbis
Chicago Survivors
Chicagoland Brady Chapter
Community of Congregations
Community Renewal Society
Countryside Unitarian Church
Emanuel Congregation
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Faith Community of St. Sabina Greater Institutional AME Church Gun Responsibility Advocates
Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC)
Howard Area Community Center
Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
Illinois Conference of Churches
Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV)
Increase the Peace Englewood Jewish Council on Urban A airs
Joint Action Committee for Political A airs (JAC PAC)
Lake Street Church of Evanston
League of Women Voters of Illinois
Moms Rising
National Council of Jewish Women Chicago North Shore
National Gun Victims Action Council
National Youth Advocate Program
Northwest Suburbs Organizing for America
Open Communities
Organizing Catholics for Justice
Organizing for America Chicago North Chapter
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Parents for Peace and Justice
Peace & Justice Committee Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
Peaceful Communities
People for a Safer Society Presbyterian Church USA Progressive Community Church Purpose Over Pain
Quinn Chapel AME Church
Saint Joseph Anglican—Spring eld
Strengthening Chicago’s Youth
Seabury Western Theological Seminary
St. Felicitas Catholic Church
St. Francis Xavier Parish
St. Joseph Anglican
The Peace & Justice Committee of St. Edmunds
United Church of Christ United Church of Rogers Park United Methodist Church