House Tussles Over Gun Legislation

April 9th, 2008 at 02:33pm Andrea Zimmermann

The House has debated two gun-control bills over the past two days, but both times the measures failed to pass.

Today, Rep. Deborah Graham, D-Chicago, presented a bill that would require adult gun owners who have minors under 18 years of age living in their house to keep their gun in a locked box. Rep. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford, is a co-sponsor on this bill.

Since September, 21 students in the Chicago Public Schools have been killed. Twenty of those are by gunfire. Last year, 24 students were shot to death. In previous years, the numbers have been between 10-15.

This legislation was one of many bills the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is carrying this session, prompted by a rash of gun violence among teens in Chicago.

Graham, the bill’s sponsor, moved the bill to postponed consideration before the vote was officially recorded, which sponsors often do when it looks like they haven’t gotten enough votes to pass the bill. By doing this, Graham will be able to call her bill for a vote again later.

According to the bill, if the gun is not locked up or otherwise temporarily unusable, the offense is punishable by a Class C misdemeanor. The punishment, a Class A misdemeanor, becomes harsher if a minor shoots someone with the unlocked gun.

During the debate, Graham called the bill a preventative measure, “much like having a smoke detector in your home.”

Despite Republican speculation during the debate, Graham said the homes of gun owners would not be ransacked to check for compliance.
“The authorities are not going to bombard your home if you have not done this,” she said.
Rep. Dennis Reboletti, R-Elmhurst, said the Chicago gun violence is simply about “gang warfare,” a comment that Graham disputed.

“This does not do anything to save peoples lives,” Reboletti said.

On Tuesday, a bill backed by Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago, also failed to pass. The bill aimed to limit the number of handguns a person could buy in one month to help curb illegal gun traffiking. Hunters and sportsmen purchasing rifles and shotguns in bulk would be exempt.

Before the vote could be recorded, Arroyo also moved his bill to postponed consideration.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued this statement:

“We’ve already lost over 20 Chicago students to shootings this school year. Parents, friends and neighbors are crying out to their elected leaders for help. How many more children have to die before lawmakers pass legislation that will save lives and keep guns out of the wrong hands? … Today’s House vote is a big disappointment to everyone involved in the fight against gun violence. But we won’t give up, we’ll keep lobbying and pushing lawmakers to take action. The young lives at stake are too important to forget.”

Entry Filed under: Chuck Jefferson, House of Representatives, Rod Blagojevich