HB 5855 known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act passed this week in the Illinois House of Representatives in a vote of 64-43. Launched in Dec. 2022, Protect Illinois Communities formed to support efforts to pass gun reform in Illinois. The organization works to ban assault weapons, stop the flow of illegal weapons into the state and increase resources to help implement red flag laws.
In 2022, Chicago endured 630 homicides and 2600 shootings alone. State Representative Bob Morgan sponsored the bill after th3e Fourth of July shooting in Highland Park, the community he represents. Representative Morgan was pres3ent at the Fourth of July parade where seven people were killed. HB 5855 bans assault weapons, large capacity machines and rapid-fire devices. The act also increases FOID eligibility to 21 years of age.
Gun rights advocates say the bill is unconstitutional and threated to sue the state if the bill goes into law. In a statement on Dec. 2, the Illinois State Rifle Association said, “We have consistently heard from anti-Second Amendment legislators that they “don’t want to take away your guns, we only want common sense gun reforms.” Under HB5855 their first step is to take away your magazines and force law-abiding citizens to register their firearms. The legislation goes beyond magazines used in semi-automatic rifles to also include magazines used in millions of commonly owned handguns. Their next step is to use that very registry to take away your firearms. The anti-gun crowd’s agenda has always been to incrementally peal back the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Illinois citizens. The Illinois State Rifle Association will not be entering into any negotiations on this piece of legislation. Elections have consequences. We will see the State of Illinois in court should this bill be enacted into law.”
While the bill bans the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines with more than 12 rounds, those who already own assault weapons have 300 days to enter the serial number of those weapons into the FOID system and those who own magazines with more than 12 rounds 90 days to convert, sell or dispose of them.
Gun violence survivors, advocates, faith leaders and elected officials rallied at the Capitol last week in support of the act. At the rally, Senator Ram Villivalam, Representative Barbara Hernandez, Representative Bob Morgan, Representative Justin Slaughter, gun violence survivor Mary Dieudonne-Hill of the Everytown Survivor Network, Lyric Harris of B.R.A.V.E. Youth Leaders, gun violence survivor Maria Pike of Chicago Survivors board of directors and city gun violence chapter lead for Moms Demand Action, March for Our Lives organizer Rachel Jacoby, founder of Illinois Alliance to Prevent Gun Violence Stuart Reid, Rabbi Reni Dickman, Executive vice president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis, pastor T. Ray McJunkins of Union Baptist Church in Springfield, incoming state chapter lead for Moms Demand Action pastor Brenda Mitchell, and Moms Demand Action leader Caryn Fliegler spoke about the importance of passing bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines during lame duck session.
“Weapons of war have no place on our streets, and it’s long past time that our legislators take action to save lives,” said pastor T. Ray McJunkins of Union Baptist Church in Springfield. “I’m proud to stand with advocates from across the state to make our voices heard in support of the Protect Illinois Communities Act. We shouldn’t let another day go by without passing this critical legislation.”
Representatives from Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, Everytown Survivor Network, People for a Safer Society, Illinois Alliance to Prevent Gun Violence, Parents for Peace and Justice, Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, March for Our Lives, Amnesty International, Purpose Over Pain, and other organizations were also in attendance.
Also, earlier in the week over 300 doctors and numerous mayors and village presidents released letters urging legislators to pass the act. “At the Highland Park parade, I saw firsthand the carnage that was inflicted on innocent victims by an assault weapon. It literally blew bodies apart. Weapons of war have no place in the hands of civilians. We all should have the freedom to attend a parade, a school, or a shopping mall without fear. This is a public health and safety crisis,” said Dr. David Baum of Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot also supported the legislation saying, "I am proud to join fellow mayors and leaders across Illinois in urging the General Assembly to pass this critically needed, common-sense and lifesaving legislation. The flow of illegal guns is an inherently cross-jurisdictional challenge that requires collaboration and decisive action from both the State and Federal government to alleviate the scourge of senseless gun violence which threatens our communities. The Protect Illinois Communities Act will absolutely make a marked, positive difference when it comes to safeguarding Illinois residents and families."
Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch applauded the legislature for their hard work saying, “I want to thank the members whose leadership, hard work, compromise, and compassion have allowed us to find purpose and progress in the pain and trauma so many have felt."
The bill now heads to the Senate where it is expected to pass. Gov. Pritzker indicated he will sign it saying, "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.”
If passed Illinois becomes the eight state with a ban on assault weapons.