Supporters, opponents of Illinois gun-ban legislation prepare for fight

[December 14, 2022]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – In the ongoing debate around proposed gun control legislation at the Illinois statehouse, advocacy groups on both sides are working to advance their positions.

Several Illinois state representatives on the working group that crafted the proposed prohibition of certain semi-automatic firearms and magazines in House Bill 5855 were on the advocacy side of the gun control debate before becoming lawmakers, like state Rep. Maura Hirschauer.

“Before I was in office, I was an advocate and community advisor with Moms Demand Action,” Hirschauer, D-Batavia, said during Monday’s House hearing on the bill. “So I wore red shirts just like many of the people are wearing in this room today.”

State Rep. Denyse Stoneback, D-Skokie, also came from the gun control advocacy space.

“After the Sandy Hook school tragedy, I started a nonprofit in Illinois called People for a Safer Society and on the advocacy side, before I entered the legislature, worked on it,” Stoneback said during Monday’s hearing.

The sponsor of the bill, state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, looks to get the measure approved before Jan. 10.

Monday’s hearing on HB5855 only featured victims of gun violence and other advocates for banning certain weapons, including Moms Demand Action. Another group advocating for the bill's passage that started this month is Protect Illinois Communities.
 

“The newly formed organization will provide resources to engage voters across the state as well as members of the state legislature as they consider gun reform legislation to keep our communities safe,” the group says on its website.

The Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.
Greg Bishop / The Center Square

On the other side, there are several groups promoting the rights of gun owners, including Guns Save Life, Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois representing gun stores and the Illinois State Rifle Association.

ISRA Vice President David Lombardo said he has warned that this level of gun control could be coming for years.

“The ISRA will not be entering into any negotiations on this piece of legislation,” Lombardo said in a video posted to the group’s website. “You’ve wanted to draw a line in the sand for a long time? OK. Now it’s time to draw that line. We will see the state of Illinois in court if this law is enacted. But we have a problem.”

Lombardo put the call out for gun owners to send dues and donations to the group so they can mount the legal challenge if the proposal is ever enacted.

“If we could get just 10% of the [Firearm Owner’s Identification Card] holders, our operating budget would be over $9 million, then we could really mount an effective war over our right to keep and bear arms in Illinois,” Lombardo said.

Lombardo said right now, there are about 21,000 dues-paying ISRA members, a fraction of a percent of the 2.4 million Firearm Owner’s Identification Card holders.

Another hearing on HB5855 is scheduled for Thursday. As of Tuesday, witness slips in support of the measure total just over 2,000. Opponent witness slips total nearly 6,400. A third hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 20.

Greg Bishop reports on Illinois government and other issues for The Center Square. Bishop has years of award-winning broadcast experience and hosts the WMAY Morning Newsfeed out of Springfield.