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"We've already lost over 20 Chicago students to shootings this
school year. Parents, friends and neighbors are crying out to their
elected leaders for help. How many more children have to die before
lawmakers pass legislation that will save lives and keep guns out of
the wrong hands?" asked the governor. "Today's House vote is a big
disappointment to everyone involved in the fight against gun
violence. But we won't give up. We'll keep lobbying and pushing
lawmakers to take action. The young lives at stake are too important
to forget."
House Bill 4393, sponsored by Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago, is
aimed at reducing gun trafficking by preventing bulk purchases of
handguns. The legislation applies only to handguns. Hunters and
sportsmen who purchase and use shotguns and rifles are not affected.
Research has shown that limiting handgun purchases to no more
than one per month can reduce interstate gun trafficking. Gun
traffickers often buy firearms in bulk, then turn around and sell
them on the street. Studies show that handguns sold in bulk sales to
the same individual purchaser are frequently used in crime. A study
of ATF crime gun trace data revealed that 22 percent of all handguns
recovered in crime had been transferred to a purchaser as part of a
multiple sale.
Since September, 21 Chicago Public Schools students have been
killed, 20 by gunfire. Last school year, 24 of the more than 30
students killed were shot to death, compared with between 10 and 15
fatal shootings in the years before.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
