Prairie State Wire

The head of the Illinois State Rifle Association is pushing back against a bill that would allow civil penalties for those who handled weapons later used in a violent crime.

The bill — HB4150, also known as the Protecting Heartbeats Act — is modeled on a Texas bill that put the enforcement mechanism of an abortion ban in the hands of citizens pursuing civil lawsuits and penalties against abortion providers.

While Democrats say the bill is aimed at penalizing so-called “straw deals” in which an intermediary purchases weapons, ammunition or other related items and then resells them privately to parties.

Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois Rifle Association, said the bill goes much further than its sponsors say it does.

“There's no defense. It's designed to destroy the firearms industry and the people who like to shoot them for sport…or for duty…or who knows what?,” Pearson told Prairie State Wire.

Pearson said the liability for law-abiding arms dealers would be tremendous if the law were to pass and, if passed, will result in the entire industry being shuttered in Illinois.

“You couldn't buy insurance to get this stuff because it makes sure it's everyone liable,” Pearson said. “So even if you didn't do anything, it would make you liable if you sold a box of ammunition to a person who was legally qualified to get a box of that ammunition and some of that was used in the crime — the dealer, the ammunition manufacturer would be held liable, which means they would have to pay.”

The bill would allow a minimum civil penalty of $10,000 with no maximum civil penalty per instance.

State Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) is behind the legislation.

“We have an opportunity to lead, for other states to copy this legislation and create a safer environment, safer neighborhoods for our kids and for our families,” Croke told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Croke intends to bring the bill up for a vote in the General Assembly’s veto session to be held in the latter part of October.