Prairie State Wire

The Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) is calling on gun rights advocates to oppose what critics are saying would be the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. 

The ISRA warns that "Under HB5855 their first step is to take away your magazines and force law-abiding citizens to register their firearms." The measure goes beyond magazines used in semi-automatic rifles. 

“Anti-2nd Amendment politicians in Springfield have filed HB5855 with the full support of the most anti-gun Governor this state has ever seen, Gov. Pritzker,” ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson said in an email. “The proposed legislation, which they hope to vote on in early January, would ban certain semi-automatic pistols, rifles, and shotguns along with any magazine that has a capacity of greater than 10 rounds including any magazine for your handguns. While technically they are not coming for your kids, the Government believes they know best and will not allow any person under 21 to have a FOID card unless they are in the military.” 

State Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) sponsored the bill. Morgan’s HB5855 would make the possession of several types of firearms and accessories illegal. The bill’s synopsis reads in part: “Makes it unlawful to manufacture, deliver, sell, or purchase or cause to be manufactured, delivered, sold, or purchased or cause to be possessed by another, an assault weapon, assault weapon attachment, .50 caliber rifle, or .50 caliber cartridge. Makes it unlawful for any person to knowingly possess an assault weapon, .50 caliber rifle, or .50 caliber cartridge 300 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, except possession of weapons registered with the Illinois State Police in the time provided. Provides exemptions and penalties. Prohibits the manufacture, delivery, sale, purchase, or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices.” The bill was referred for a hearing in the Rules Committee where it will likely see a debate in January. It has picked up over 20 Democrat co-sponsors since being filed.

Illinois already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country and some of the worst instances of gun violence including the Highland Park shooting in July, governing.com reported. HB5855 would create the most restrictive environment for lawful gun owners in the history of the country.

Morgan was at the Highland Park shooting in July where seven were killed and more than 48 wounded after a gunman opened fire. In that instance, the alleged gunman, Robert Crimo III, was issued a gun permit by the Illinois State Police despite having red flags on his record for mental illness and instances of violence, which many are calling a failure of the governor’s office. “The Pritzker administration’s purported review of the FOID card process following the Aurora shooting in 2019 failed to recognize this gap in the interpretation and application of clear-and-present-danger reports submitted to the ISP,” Sen. Donald DeWitte (R-St. Charles) said in a statement, according to The Pantagraph. “Had the Pritzker administration done what they said they were going to do, which was to review and make sure laws already on the books were being implemented more effectively, the tragedy in Highland Park might never have occurred."