SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Legislators are working to pass an assault weapon ban in the lame duck session.
Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) was at the Highland Park 4th of July parade that turned into a mass shooting. Now he has been working with groups like Moms Demand Action to ban several semi-automatic weapons.
“We’re talking about banning the sale of assault weapons in the state of Illinois,” Morgan said. “We’re talking about banning the sale of high-capacity magazines that are plaguing our communities with gun violence. And now is the time. We cannot wait.”
Morgan filed two amendments Thursday changing some key parts of the bill. A proposal to change the age of legal gun ownership has been dropped, the ban magazines has loosened from 10-round to 12-round, and they have weakened a penalty for violating the magazine ban to a misdemeanor with a fine.
The bill passed along party lines in the House Executive Committee Thursday afternoon. The vote in the House of Representatives was 64-43.
Republicans largely did not support the bill, who argue the bill is ineffective and will only punish law-abiding gun owners.
“You are turning legal gun owners with this bill into felons,” Rep. C. D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) said. “We don’t know what the answer is to mental instability, right to frustrated children that have mental issues or whatever it may be. We’re doing something here that is going to harm more legal citizens than anything.”
One of the votes for the bill includes outgoing House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs).
“Enough is enough,” Durkin said.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement regarding the house’s passage of the bill.
For months lawmakers and advocates have been hard at work negotiating two very critical pieces of legislation to keep Illinoisans safe. Tonight, with the leadership and support of Speaker Welch, the Illinois House passed critical reproductive health protections and an assault weapons ban. The people of Illinois send us to Springfield to tackle tough issues and these bills are historic steps in the right direction. I look forward to working with our colleagues in the Illinois Senate to get bills addressing these issues to my desk so I can sign them as soon as possible.
I’d like to thank Rep. Cassidy for her tireless work to protect reproductive healthcare and Rep. Morgan for his work to get weapons of war off our streets.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker
The bill is scheduled to head to the Senate. Legislators hope it is voted on before the new set of legislators are sworn in Wednesday.
