Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Corrections Lodge 263 is opposed to sweeping gun control legislation included in HB5855, the Protect Illinois Communities Act. 

HB5855 would outlaw several types of common guns and magazines. It would also compel gun owners to register their guns. The bill would also disallow those under 21 from purchasing weapons and from hunting alone. 

“As many of you are aware, the Illinois House and Senate are proposing gun bill HB5855, The Illinois FOP stands strongly OPPOSED to this bill. This bill will be called next week in the lame duck session,” the Fraternal Order of Police Illinois Corrections Lodge #263 said on Facebook. 

The lame-duck session of the General Assembly began this Wednesday. Rock Island Today reported that HB5855 is expected to be the top measure voted on during the session.

HB5855 outlaws several commonly owned types of firearms and magazines. As many as five million firearms and 10 million magazines in the state may be affected if the gun ban becomes law. Gun rights advocates have vowed to seek legal relief should the bill pass. State Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback (D-Skokie) who co-sponsored the measure is in her final days in the chamber after losing a primary battle earlier this year.

Critics have argued the legislation will criminalize many Illinoisans. “I would say it’s somewhere between two and 10 million magazines, and it’s a massive impact,” Dan Eldridge, of gun dealers’ association Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois told The Center Square. “These are the standard magazines that come with a duty-sized pistol even, they’re the standard magazines that come with a rifle. These are not aftermarket extended capacity magazines.” Eldridge added that “With an immediate effective date, mere possession of a, and I’m not going to use their words, I’m going to use accurate words, mere possession of a standard-capacity magazine is a crime. There’s no getting around that. So you’ve got Second Amendment issues. You’ve got Fourth Amendment issues. You’ve got Fourteenth Amendment issues. You can’t do this.”