(The following is a news alert from Freedom States Alliance affiliate, Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence. It represents the concerns of the Illinois Council, and we are passing it along out of deference to their work.)
Take a close look at the Illinois legislature these days, and you’ll find the reason why several promising gun control bills have been defeated in the House this month.
In the last couple of weeks, House Republicans from the suburban Chicago area prevented three key bills from moving forward in Springfield. In particular, 16 House Republicans from the suburbs voted against legislation that would have mandated criminal background checks on handgun sales, HB 758, and prohibited the sale of no more than one handgun a month.
In addition, they also voted against another important measure. Currently, Illinois law states that parents are required to safely store firearms so that they are not accessible to children and teens under the age of 14. Another bill would raise that standard to the age of 18.
We need to be absolutely clear about what happened here. This is not a planned uprising among Republicans in favor of specific pieces of gun legislation. It is, rather, a damaging blow against what voters want – a blow largely caused by phone calls and emails delivered repeatedly by the NRA. During this legislative session, House Republicans from suburban Chicago have made decisions on the gun issue based on calls from a vocal and intimidating minority.
If you are from Lake, McHenry, Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will Counties, it’s likely that a legislator who caved to pressure tactics on bills aiming to reduce gun violence represents your county.
In a month when the deadly impact of guns is a major story in the news, this story is especially ironic. In Chicago alone during the weekend of April 18-20, 32 people were shot and 6 were killed. We should add, however, that this news is not especially surprising – one could come up with a list of deadly, and often preventable, gun-related tragedies in Illinois every month of the year.
We strongly believe that bills cited above are a positive example of measures that can make a difference in the lives of families and communities. Now, let’s take a closer look. Keep in mind the following:
- House Republicans, in all of these cases, were simply responding to a group that does not represent their constituency.
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Despite the fears of various legislators, it is important to remember that there is absolutely no proof voting against the NRA in suburban Chicago has hurt an elected official’s chances to be elected.
- A 2007 poll conducted by the Illinois Campaign to Prevention Gun Violence, has demonstrated strong support for gun control measures in Illinois.
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None of these laws would impact law-abiding gun owners or threaten their rights in any way.
- In the case of one bill (HB0758, which mandates universal background checks), two votes from House Republican voters in the suburbs would have helped pass the bill out of the House
- None of the House Republicans from the suburbs – none of them – spoke out against the universal background check bill during a debate in the House.
We can place the loss of key pieces of legislation that aim to reduce gun violence squarely at the feet of these key legislators:
House Republican Minority Leader, Representative Tom Cross (R) 84th District
(217) 782-1331 – Springfield office
(815) 254-0000 – District office
Representative Bob Biggins (R) 41st District
(630) 941-1278 – District office
(217) 782-6578 – Springfield office
Representative Dennis M. Reboletti (R) 46th District
(630) 530-2730 – District office
(217) 782-4014 – Springfield office
Representative Sandra M. Pihos (R) 42nd District
(630) 858-8855 – District office
(217) 782-8037 – Springfield office
Representative Sandy Cole (R) 62nd District
(847) 543-0062 – District office
(217) 782-7320 – Springfield office
Representative Suzanne Bassi (R) 54th District
(217) 782-8026 – Springfield office
(847) 776-1880 – District office
Representative Angelo Saviano (R) 77th District
(708) 453-7547 – District office
(217) 782-3374 – Springfield office
Other Illinois House Republicans who should be held accountable for opposing common sense measures to reduce gun violence include:
Mark Beaubien, Jr.; Patricia Bellock; Franco Coladipietro; Mike Fortner; Brent Hassert; Renee Kosel; JoAnn Osmond; Harry Ramey; Tim Schmitz and Mike Tryon.
Intelligence from several sources indicated that at least ten Republicans would support the bill on universal background checks.
Also, we believe it is important to note that Senate Republicans have been more supportive than their House counterparts various measures designed to reduce violence in the course of this General Assembly.
What’s Next
A couple of things are “next.â€
First, it will be critical for us to get out the word to these legislators and the public that we disagree strongly with these votes. One of the most powerful ways to do that, of course, is by making sure that people who are voting this November know all about how their local legislator failed to support legislation designed to make our communities safer.
We can, for example, contact the media. We can encourage local media to ask legislators serious questions; perhaps they can ask them how many of the people sending emails and making phone calls to them on gun legislation are actually from their district.
We also urge constituents of suburban Chicago legislators to contact them in the next week – and ask them why they don’t support consistent criminal background checks and other key measures. What their recent vote on universal background checks does is make it easier for prohibited people to find ways to buy guns.
We need to call our legislators – not just once, but many times.
How we communicate what is at stake here in the coming months – and years – is critical. We can play a major role in raising public awareness about the impact of gun violence.
Let’s face reality: The people who oppose bills that could reduce gun violence may feel, however wrongly, that they have something to lose because they are gun owners. They are highly motivated. Meanwhile, there are many other issues that may be more immediate to most citizens – like education, health care or the price of gas. What we know, however, is the evidence that is right in front of us: 30,000 Americans die from gun wounds every year. We have no doubt that that number can be reduced in a major way – and that, together, we can raise awareness in a way that makes a difference.
Good News
During this legislative session, one bill we supported received unanimous support in the House: HB4628. The bill focuses on what should happen when a child kills someone with a gun that was owned by an adult. If the bill becomes law, adults who are responsible for “selling or giving a concealable firearm†to a person under 18 years of age could face murder charges (adults in this case can include gun dealers). Currently, adults can face up to three years in prison.
It’s important to note here that HB4628 is a bill that received support from both sides, which shows that sometimes wide-ranging agreement can happen on gun-related bill. At a time when more and more teens are being killed by guns, this measure tries to focus on adults who may be providing those guns.
HB4628 is now in the Illinois Senate.
We urge people to contact state senators and support this measure. The senate sponsors are Kwame Raoul (D-13th District) and Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16th District).
