The Illinois House on Tuesday voted and approved the Senate's version of the assault weapons ban, HB 5471. The bill's sponsor says the bill will prevent the sale, manufacture, possession, and purchase of assault-style weapons, assault weapon attachments, and .50 caliber cartridges in the state. Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) voted against the measure, saying this bill would damage Illinois businesses and punish law-abiding gun owners. "It's those of us who have guns or those of us who have our FOIDs and CCLs who will be punished," Swanson said on the House Floor on Tuesday. "And, not the criminal for using that as a tool for committing a crime." The bill would also expedite the implementation of universal background checks but would not change the age range of the Firearms Owners Identification cards. Upon passage from the house, Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill into law.
The Illinois House has approved a ban on certain types of semiautomatic weapons. The legislation passed on a 64-43 vote early Friday and now moves to the Senate, where it would take 30 votes to pass in the lame-duck session that ends Tuesday. The bill bans assault rifles, rapid-fire devices, and magazines over 12 rounds. The legislation was highly controversial with several days of committee hearings for public input. It was a priority for Gov. J.B. Pritzker in his reelection bid after a July 4th parade shooting in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park killed seven and injured 30. Critics, including State Representative Dan Swanson (R-Alpha), say the ban is unconstitutional and bad for Illinois manufacturing, and add it wouldn't survive a court challenge. "Firearm manufacturers based in the 71st District and throughout Illinois will be pushed out of Illinois by this unconstitutional gun ban," said Swanson, a retired Lieutenant Colonel with the United States Army and Illin
Emergency dispatchers will now have access to many of the same services and benefits as other first responders.Legislation sponsored by State Senator Neil Anderson (R-Andalusia) and State Representative Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) was signed into law late last week. In a statement, Swanson said, "Emergency medical dispatchers are critical members of the response teams and this law recognizes the importance of the role they play in helping save lives during a crisis." Senate Bill 3127 amends existing state laws to include "Emergency Medical Dispatchers" as first responders. This will allow dispatchers to be recognized as first responders, enabling them to receive many of the same services and benefits. The new law recognizes not only the role that dispatchers play, but the fact that many of them face the same issues as other responders, including post-traumatic stress disorders and other issues. Sen. Anderson said, emergency dispatchers "are the first step in the proc
Three months after an investigation into the COVID outbreak that killed 36 residents at the state-run veterans’ home in LaSalle found the facility’s management was “ineffective, reactive and…chaotic” responding to the virus’ spread, Republicans in the Illinois House are once again agitating for more information from Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration.
GOP members are also renewing their call for Attorney General Kwame Raoul to open a criminal probe into the fatal outbreak, which infected nearly all the residents at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home last fall, killing more than a quarter of the facility’s population, and spreading to more than 100 staff members.
Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Republicans try to ratchet up pressure on LaSalle Veterans' Home deaths capitolfax.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from capitolfax.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.