The capital of Illinois is Springfield At an Illinois House committee hearing Thursday, researchers and community activists said having fewer firearms in communities will help stop bloodshed, from the persistent gun violence haunting Chicago to mass shootings like the one at a suburban July Fourth parade.
Democrats in the General Assembly are pushing for a vote next month on a wide-ranging gun law. The governor called for a ban on semi-automatic weapons after the parade massacre that killed seven and injured 30.
The proposed legislation would ban semi-automatic weapons, restrict gun possession by those younger than 21 and toughen so-called "red flag" laws that allow removing guns from a dangerous person for up to a year.
The sponsor of the measure said the goal was to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who should not have them.
Critics told the committee that the law would probably be unconstitutional.
The proposed gun law would be stopped by a number of U.S. Supreme Court cases.
The people would not be disarmed. "Criminals do not follow the law."
In the wake of the Highland Park shooting, the Protect Illinois Communities Act was put back at the top of the lawmakers' agenda.
There are enough Democrats in the House and Senate to pass the legislation. Democrats from central and southern Illinois, where hunters and sports shooters see guns differently than their counterparts in urban areas, are not very fond of firearms restrictions.
Increased investment in troubled neighborhoods has made a difference, according to witnesses. There was a decrease in violence from 1994 to 2004 when the federal government banned semi-automatic weapons.
It takes more than a gun ban to get it done. There are programs and professionals that can help young people escape the streets.
"I'm all for the ban of assault weapons, I wish all guns were off the street, but that's not reality," said an activist and mentor on Chicago's South Side.
He said that hearts and minds needed to be changed. They're going to use knives, anything they can pick up, if all guns weren'texistent.
Semi-automatic weapons and.50-caliber guns would be banned. The firearms that qualify are not defined by it. There are 49 different types of rifles and 20 different types of pistols on the list.
The measure would prohibit people under the age of 21 who are not in the military from getting a firearm owners identification card. Under the supervision of a guardian, they could hunt.
The Firearm Restraining Order could be issued for a year. The bill would allow the Illinois State Police to target the sale of illegal guns from outside state lines.
Tony McCombie, a Republican from western Illinois, said that the plan would endanger safety.
McCombie will be the House Minority Leader when a new Legislature is seated. They won't be protected and will be victimized. This is not effective or constitutional.
A man who took part in the Highland Park parade and helped bandage the wounded argued that the proposal wouldn't offer the protection promised in its name.
There are people who respect life and people who do not. I carry a gun to protect myself, my family, and my friends.
That's right.
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