Illinois House passes bill to ban sale of assault weapons
CHICAGO (CBS)-- The Illinois House passed an assault weapons ban.
This is being considered a major victory for the dozens of Chicago-area residents, including advocates and gun violence survivors across the state, who made it their mission to push this legislation forward.
Just after midnight, the full House passed this assault weapons ban.
Chicago-area residents packed the state capitol Thursday afternoon to rally in support of a bill that would ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines like the one used in the Highland Park mass shooting six months ago.
The bill advanced out of committee Thursday night. Lawmakers were still trying to push it through during the last few days of the lame duck session.
If it becomes a law, those who already own a gun on that list can be kept, but would need to be registered with Illinois State Police within 300 days. Critics are questioning the constitutionality of the bill and are already promising legal action.
This proposal will now advance through the Senate by the end of the lame duck session, January 11.
There was a huge showing of people from the Chicago area, including a bus load from Highland Park, Thursday.
"We have never been more close than we are right now, literally right now because of you," State Rep. Bob Morgan, a Democrat whose north suburban district includes Highland Park, told the crowd.
Morgan introduced the House version of the bill.
The bill would ban assault weapons, large-capacity magazine weapons, regulate the sale of assault rifles and more.
There have been several versions of the bill in recent years that have gone nowhere, but support was renewed by the horrific July 4 Highland Park mass shooting. Dozens of Highland Park residents made the trip downstate on Thursday, inspired to finally push the bill through in honor of the victims who were injured or lost their lives that day.
"This is not just about mass shooting this is about shootings happen every single day," Lyric Harris, South Side high school junior from Chicago, said.
