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There’s little advantage to living in a state as bright blue as Illinois if massive Democratic majorities in the state senate and house don’t bend that power for the good of changing lives.
In the new year, four Democrats in the House will introduce sweeping legislation, called the Protect Illinois Communities Act, to control the gun violence that destroys well-being in our state. Whether it’s an indiscriminate drive-by shooting on the West Side or mass shootings at schools or in a North Suburban 4th of July parade, we face the scourge of gun violence across Illinois.
Proud to say that Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-8th) was one of the four co-sponsors of the legislation. Ford represents the West Side as well as parts of Oak Park, Forest Park and other suburbs to the south and west. He has been a powerful leader on issues of criminal justice reform. He played a leading role in crafting, passing, and last week refining the landmark SAFE-T justice reform bill that will take effect on January 1.
This new gun law, which also has the support of Gov. JB Pritzker, would ban the sale of assault weapons and, after 300 days, ban the possession of such weapons in Illinois. It would raise the legal age to legally purchase a gun to 21 and ban the sale of bullet-spraying oversized ammunition clips. It will also focus on investigating the trafficking of firearms from neighboring states without effective gun safety laws and extend the duration of a gun restraining order to 12 months from 6.
There will be opposition to this common-sense push for gun safety from Republicans and likely a certain percentage of downstate Democrats. That is why action at a moment when the Democratic majority is so surprising is the necessary step.
There will also be doubts about the merits of passing such a law at a time when the US Supreme Court has been gripped by the far right.
But fighting for what is right means ignoring the doubters. This means driving action at the local and state level to spur a wave of action across America that turns our national fetish for guns into a more manageable aberration.
Thanks to Rep. Ford for providing leadership.
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