5 months after Highland Park shooting, Morgan introduces plan to ban ‘assault weapons’
By Ben Szalinski for The Daily Line
December 5, 2022
CHICAGO - Illinois lawmakers will consider a plan when they return to Springfield in January that could make Illinois the ninth state to ban assault weapons half a year after seven people were killed and dozens were injured from a mass shooting at the Highland Park Independence Day parade.
Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield), who represents Highland Park, filed HB5855 Thursday night, which is called the Protect Illinois Communities Act. The proposal would ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons and large capacity magazines, raise the age for someone to buy a gun to 21 years old, and boost the state’s “red flag” laws.
Morgan was tapped by House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) earlier this year to lead a working group on gun reform after his firsthand experience participating in the Highland Park parade. Since the shooting, Morgan has called on Illinois lawmakers to ban semi-automatic weapons such as the one used to shoot parade-goers in July.
“My district was shaken on the Fourth of July and is still putting the pieces back together," Morgan said in an email to The Daily Line. "The gun violence I witnessed is a daily reminder for me of the urgency of our work."
Despite urgent calls to pass legislation after the shooting, lawmakers did not consider a semi-automatic weapons ban during veto session, which ended Thursday. By deferring a potential vote until January, lawmakers will only need a simple majority to pass the bill, meaning not all Democrats will have to support the measure.
Morgan’s bill would ban the sale of “assault weapons” and the sale of large capacity magazines 300 days after the bill takes effect. The bill would immediately take effect with the governor’s signature, meaning the guns and magazines could be banned by the end of the year.
The bill requires current owners of “assault weapons” to register their guns with state or face penalties. Illegal sale or possession of an “assault weapon” is a Class 3 felony for the first offense.
"Gun owners are largely law-abiding citizens, who safely store their weapons, purchase their weapons and ammunition from legal firearms dealers, and follow the rules of how they can be used," Morgan said.
California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and the District of Columbia already have “assault weapons” bans.
The bill does carve out some exceptions for members of the military and those using their guns for sporting competitions.
The bill also makes a notable change by raising the age for obtaining a Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) to age 21, unless a person is a member of the military. The Highland Park shooter was 21-year-old at the time of the shooting, but purchased his gun legally when he was under 21 with the help of his father.
Highland Park has a municipal ordinance in place banning “assault weapons,” but the shooter is a resident of neighboring Highwood.
"We restrict handgun purchases to those over 21, but currently allow 18-year-olds with a FOID card to buy unlimited AR-15s and ammunition- it makes no sense," Morgan said.
After the shooting, Illinois’ firearm restraining order laws, also known as “red flag” laws, came under scrutiny after it was revealed the shooter had prior contact with Highland Park police for making violent threats. Illinois State Police have since worked to close a loophole in the law, but Morgan’s bill also attempts to shore up the “red flag” laws.
Under the bill, an order preventing a person from owning guns for six months if they are deemed a threat to themselves or others would be valid for a year rather than half a year.
John Hopkins University released a report Thursday with several recommendations for reducing gun violence in Illinois, including a one-year firearm restraining order, raising the age for FOID cards to 21 and banning large capacity magazines.
Advocates who have pushed for legislation for months welcomed the bill’s filing.
“In the absence of a federal ban, Illinois is long overdue for a statewide ban on weapons that continue to kill so many, not only in Chicago or Highland Park, but in Crest Hill, Decatur, East Saint Louis, Elgin, Joliet, Peoria, Rockford, Romeoville, Wheeling, and Yorkville,” Gun Violence Prevention PAC President Kathleen Sances said in a statement. “We don’t have to live like this, and we certainly don’t have to watch our neighbors die senselessly. We look forward to reviewing the bill and continuing to work in support of needed gun safety solutions – too many lives are on the line.”
They also hope lawmakers move expeditiously on the legislation.
“Illinois already has some of the strongest gun laws in the country, and the policies in this bill, including new age restrictions and extended restraining orders, will add to that strong record,” Brady President Kris Brown said in a statement. “Most importantly, an assault weapons and large capacity ban would help prevent tragedies like Highland Park from occurring again. Weapons of war have no place in our communities, and every day we wait to renew and reinstate the assault weapons ban, more lives will be lost.”
Some Republicans already are announcing their opposition to the bill.
“This is the true horror of Springfield politics,” the Illinois Freedom Caucus wrote on Facebook. “Before we could even process the failed fiscal and public safety policy being pushed by the far left, the people of Illinois are slammed with another Unconstitutional bill. HB5855 is an egregious violation of our constitutional freedoms not only as citizens of Illinois, but of the United States!”
The Freedom Caucus is made up of five of the House’s most conservative members led by Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland).
"We can choose inaction because of the fear spread by the NRA, or we can take the steps necessary to protect our children from school shootings and our families from a mass shooting at a parade," Morgan said.
Morgan’s bill will be presented in a subject matter hearing in front of the House Judiciary- Criminal Committee on Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. in Chicago.
