The vote for the ban comes roughly 6 months after the Highland Park parade shooting
ByEvelyn Holmes and Craig Wall via WLS logo
Sunday, January 8, 2023 10:29PM

CHICAGO (WLS) -- An historic gun bill that would ban assault weapons in Illinois is running into trouble in the Senate Sunday night.

An amendment filed by the Senate president is now causing backlash in the House and the governor's office.

But what are the possible changes and the concerns being raised?

Senate President Don Harmon is causing a stir Sunday night with an amendment he filed to the assault weapons bill passed early Friday morning by the Illinois House.

The amendment removes language that would require current owners of assault weapons to report to the state police the serial numbers of the weapons they would be allowed to keep under a grandfather clause.

The move also prompted harsh criticism from House Speaker Chris Welch, who helped the bill clear the House early Friday morning with his own amendments.

"I will not accept a watered-down version of legislation that falls unacceptably short of the comprehensive solutions that the people of this state deserve," Welch saying in a statement.

The governor along with the First Lady, were equally critical while, as they hosted an open house in the old State Capitol.

"The people of this state deserve a real assault weapons ban, one that has a real accounting of the weapons currently in circulation... and the current version in the Senate falls short," Governor JB Pritzker said.

"I don't believe we're gonna water it down. This is a critical issue that the governor of the House and the Senate Democrats all agree on. We just want to make sure the bill we put on the governor's desk is the best bill possible," Harmon said.

Gun safety advocates once again making the trek to Springfield, keeping up the full court press on lawmakers, with the historic legislation seeming so close to becoming reality.

"We've been speed dating senators going door to door and knocking on their doors and talking to them what we really need in the bill. We want to see serialization and registration put back into the bill," Harper said.

The group is also concerned the law effective date could be delayed allowing people time to stockpile weapons that would become illegal

The Senate is expected to make further modifications to its bill over the next day or two before bringing a final version to the floor for a vote. But if it does not go far enough, the needed approval from the House could be in jeopardy.

State Senate considering Protect Illinois Communities Act, after passing House
ByChristian Piekos via WLS logo
Monday, January 9, 2023 12:49PM

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Doctors from hospitals across the Chicago area voiced their support for the Protect Illinois Communities Act Monday, sharing their heartbreaking stories of treating gunshot victims.

"I think we can all say enough is enough and that should not be a controversial statement," Dr. Omar Lateef, Rush, said.

Doctors from Rush, Northwestern, Mt. Sinai, University of Chicago and elsewhere gathered to voice their support for the potentially historic assault weapons ban.

Doctors spoke about how busy their emergency rooms frequently are with victims of gun violence.

They also highlighted how taxing these violent crimes are emotionally and mentally for caregivers and staff and especially the families of victims.

One doctor described gun violence in Chicago as a cancer.

"Sometimes I can hear the families sobbing and grieving outside of my office. You can hear the wailing, and the sobbing and the screaming and it tears your heart out," Dr. Russel Fiorella, Mt. Sinai. "You see people pulling at each other, collapsing on the sidewalk in total grief. This is a weekly and monthly occurrence."

These doctors said they do what they can to save lives on a daily basis, but are now calling on the Illinois General Assembly to do what they can to mitigate these shootings and save lives.

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Look at the ratio of witness slips. No one wants this ban except the tyrannical politicians trying to secure their safety

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Even in general comment areas on facebook and reddit the comments are overwhelmingly against the AWB.

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Fu%^&n Democrats .....Anyone who votes democrat is garbage...Period

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Did the few firearm manufacturers left in Illinois get an exemption carved out?

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Yes, though that was missing in the earlier versions it was added in.

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Just spoke with Springfield Armory on the phone, they just built a new factory in Geneseo, and have no plans to leave. That's a shame.

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Fu%^&n Democrats .....Anyone who votes democrat is garbage...Period

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The ISRA will file suit seeking an injunction which probably will not be given and then we begin the long arduous task of grinding our way through the court system over the next several years in hopes that the Supreme Court agrees to hear it and decides in our favor.

My plan was to wait 6 years for my youngest to graduate high school before we moved but it looks like we will have to accelerate those plans