The Illinois chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement applauding Illinois lawmakers and Illinois State Representative Bob Morgan for introducing an omnibus gun violence prevention legislative package. The package introduction comes following a year that saw at least 22 mass shootings across the country, including one in Highland Park, where seven people were shot and killed and an additional 48 people were wounded at a July Fourth parade.
“Gun violence in all its forms is devastating to families and communities across Illinois,” said Lauren Harper, a volunteer with the Illinois chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We thank Rep. Morgan for pushing for these necessary common sense gun measures and championing gun violence prevention, and we urge the Illinois legislature to follow suit and pass this package.”
This omnibus package has been introduced during the Illinois veto session and is expected to be considered during lame duck session in January. It includes legislation that would prohibit assault weapons, large capacity magazines, and rapid fire conversion devices that enable semi-automatic weapons to fire machine guns, facilitate better implementation and efficacy of Illinois’s Firearm Restraining Order (FRPO) law, and address illegal gun trafficking in the state.
According to Everytown’s gun law rankings report, Illinois has the sixth strongest gun safety laws in the country and is a national leader in enacting gun violence prevention laws. Some of these laws include requiring background checks on all gun sales, an Extreme Risk law, and laws to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.
In an average year, 1,505 people die and 2,715 people are wounded by guns in Illinois. Gun violence costs Illinois $18.6 billion each year, of which $625.5 million is paid by taxpayers. Learn more about gun violence in Illinois here.