Southern Illinois News

Pro Gun & Indoor Range is warning Illinois gun owners about a law being considered in the General Assembly that would outlaw several different types of guns and accessories. 

HB5855 would make many types of commonly owned guns illegal. Pro-Gun & Indoor Range is located at 2406 N Skyline Dr. in Marion. 

“The new law HB5855: please read, 90 percent of the guns we own will not meet the restrictions when passed, 90 percent of the guns in the shop will not be able to sell to Illinois residents. Having a town hall meeting soon. Please respond with first name and phone number if u wanna be called about date and time,” Pro Gun & Indoor Range posted on Facebook. 

State Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield), who recently won re-election, sponsored the bill. His HB5855 would make the possession of a number of types of firearms and accessories illegal. 

According to the bill's synopsis, the bill, “Makes it unlawful to manufacture, deliver, sell, or purchase or cause to be manufactured, delivered, sold, or purchased or cause to be possessed by another, an assault weapon, assault weapon attachment, .50 caliber rifle, or .50 caliber cartridge. Makes it unlawful for any person to knowingly possess an assault weapon, .50 caliber rifle, or .50 caliber cartridge 300 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, except possession of weapons registered with the Illinois State Police in the time provided. Provides exemptions and penalties. Prohibits the manufacture, delivery, sale, purchase, or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices.”

The bill was referred for a hearing in the rules committee where it will likely see a debate in January. To date, over 20 Democrats have co-sponsored the bill since it has been filed early this month.

Illinois already has the sixth most restrictive gun laws in the country and some of the worst instances of gun violence, according to Everytown Research and Policy. Opponents say HB5855 would likely bring the most restrictive environment for lawful gun owners in the history of the country. Throughout the years, the state has placed various regulations on gun ownership governing.com reported.

Morgan was at the Highland Park shooting in July where seven were killed and over 48 individuals were wounded after a gunman opened fire. In that instance, the alleged gunman, Robert Crimo III, was issued a gun permit by the Illinois State Police despite having red flags on his record for mental illness and instances of violence, which many are calling a failure of the governor’s office. “Had the Pritzker administration done what they said they were going to do, which was to review and make sure laws already on the books were being implemented more effectively, the tragedy in Highland Park might never have occurred,” Sen. Donald DeWitte (R-St. Charles) said in a statement, The Pantagraph reported.

Dan Eldridge of the gun dealers’ association Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois is warning HB5855 would criminalize ordinary Illinoisans. “I would say it’s somewhere between two and 10 million magazines, and it’s a massive impact,” Eldridge told The Center Square. “These are the standard magazines that come with a duty-sized pistol even, they’re the standard magazines that come with a rifle. These are not aftermarket extended capacity magazines. With an immediate effective date, mere possession of a – and I’m not going to use their words, I’m going to use accurate words – mere possession of a standard-capacity magazine is a crime. There’s no getting around that. So you’ve got Second Amendment issues. You’ve got Fourth Amendment issues. You’ve got Fourteenth Amendment issues. You can’t do this.”