Illinois Assault Weapons Ban Passes in Win for Pritzker

Isis Almeida
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(Bloomberg) -- Illinois lawmakers approved a bill that will ban the sale and manufacturing of certain assault weapons in the state, a win for Governor J.B. Pritzker as he starts his second term.

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The state Senate passed the legislation by a margin of 34-20 late Monday, with Pritzker pushing for the ban at his inauguration speech hours earlier. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives — which last week backed a version of the measure — approved the bill. Both chambers are controlled by Democrats.

“We passed one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the nation, one I will be proud to sign,” Pritzker said in an emailed statement on Tuesday. “This legislation will stop the spread of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and switches, and make our state a safer place for all.”

The bill comes in response to rising violence, including a mass shooting that killed seven people in the suburb of Highland Park on the Fourth of July. Pritzker faced mounting criticism from billionaire Ken Griffin during his first term, with the hedge fund founder relocating his Citadel firm to Miami from Chicago, partly due to crime.

“I’m done with the NRA having its way when it comes to mass shootings,” Pritzker, a Democrat, said in his inauguration remarks. “Why do we allow anyone to easily purchase a rapid-fire, high-capacity weapon that can kill dozens of unarmed people in under a minute?”

Senate members initially presented what House Speaker Chris Welch said was a “watered-down version” of his chamber’s bill. Pritzker also criticized the proposed changes on Sunday, saying the senate’s version fell short of what was needed.

After long deliberations, lawmakers reached a deal that includes an immediate ban on manufacturing, selling, importing or purchasing a range of assault weapons. The legislation also bans attachments that increase the rate of fire of semi-automatic weapons.

“After continued negotiations between the leaders, stakeholders and advocates, we have reached a deal on one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the country,” senate President Don Harmon said in a statement on Monday. “Gun violence is an epidemic that is plaguing every corner of this state and the people of Illinois are demanding substantive action.”

Republican Senator Darren Bailey, who lost his bid for governor to Pritzker in November, said he and millions of Americans would not comply with the ban. Others argued that the bill was unconstitutional.

(Updates with House passage in second paragraph, adds governor comment in third)

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