Secretary of State Jesse White Announces Support for the Protect Illinois Communities Act

December 20, 2022

CHICAGO, IL - Today, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White released the following statement announcing his support for proposed gun reform bill HB5855, the Protect Illinois Communities Act:

“I am proud to stand with Illinois lawmakers as they work to pass life-saving gun safety legislation to protect our communities. As a veteran, I am acutely aware that our streets should not be flooded with weapons appropriate for a warzone. While I respect the rights of responsible gun owners, guns are falling into the wrong hands far too often, especially guns that are designed to kill as many people as quickly as possible. I urge legislators to come together and pass much needed reforms. It’s time to take action; the lives of Illinoisans depend on it.”

The Protect Illinois Communities Act, introduced by Rep. Bob Morgan earlier this month, includes legislation that would ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, facilitate better implementation and efficacy of Illinois’s Firearm Restraining Order (FRPO) law, raise the minimum age to obtain a FOID card to 21, and address illegal gun trafficking in the state. 

A poll released by Everytown for Gun Safety last week demonstrated that these gun safety measures have widespread support across the state. Overall, 52% of Illinoisans believe gun laws in Illinois should be stronger, including nearly three quarters of Black voters and 56% of Hispanic voters. A ban on assault weapons has the support of 58% of Illinoisans and two-thirds of voters support increasing the minimum age to obtain a FOID card from 18 to 21.