Governor Signs Two Bills Regarding Guns

Governor Bruce Rauner has signed two bills into law concerning guns.

One measure (House Bill 2354) enacts "red flag" legislation giving courts authority to use emergency civil restraining orders to disarm individuals termed "dangerous"; the other measure (House Bill 3256) extends the 72-hour waiting period for handgun delivery to all guns purchased in Illinois.

Rauner also stressed that he will veto dealer licensing legislation if and when it is sent to his desk.

House Bill 2354 co-sponsor Rep. Kathleen Willis, a Democrat from Northlake, said, "In the wake of gun violence tragedies, we hear again and again from friends and family members who saw warning signs but felt helpless because they couldn't keep guns away. With this law, families and law enforcement can seek emergency restraining orders if a person's gun possession would pose a significant danger to themselves or others."

Rep. Peter Breen, a Republican from Lombard, said, "This tightly worded legislation puts critical protections in place to help curb mass shootings by disturbed individuals who should not have access to guns."

The 72-hour waiting period in Senate Bill 3256 is a bipartisan measure extending the wait to all guns purchased in the state. The governor's release on the signing states, "In suicide cases, for example, health professionals say if the impulse to commit suicide is not acted upon immediately, it often does not arise again."

Regarding dealer licensing legislation, Rauner said, "I intend to veto it again because it has no appreciable potential to reduce criminal access to guns."

The governor's release states Loyola University in Chicago has conducted studies on gun violence finding that criminals rarely buy their guns directly from federally licensed and regulated gun dealers, but from street sources or from sources out-of-state. Rauner said no amount of duplicative state regulation of gun dealers, who are already federally licensed, will change that reality.

The governor also reminded that he is seeking an amendment to the County School Facilities Sale Tax statute to let school authorities use such revenue to hire School Resource Officers or mental health workers based on local determinations of need.