Ban Assault Weapons // And no to any ‘Sanctuary County’ nonsense

January 6, 2023 – The Illinois House has done its job and passed the Protect Illinois Communities Act, which bans the sale or purchase of assault weapons and any high-capacity magazine holding more than a dozen bullets.

Read more at the Chicago Tribune and at the Facebook page of Moms Demand Action Illinois. Sign up for alerts there. The bill now goes to the Illinois Senate, which must pass it by Tuesday January 10th, the last day of the lame-duck session, so contact your state senator today. Witness slips may be needed, please stand by.

Contrary to the fears of the gun advocates, no existing weapon will be confiscated, but people who do own such instruments of mass destruction will have a year to register them with the state police. This is a reasonable compromise. Nobody is disputing the rights of law-abiding citizens to own firearms for personal protection and sport. But firearms are just like cars and driving, they’re both a right and a privilege, subject to reasonable restrictions to protect the public safety. And in the wake of the many mass shootings and ongoing gun violence plaguing us, it’s time to say: enough is enough.

In the meantime, right here in McHenry County the gun people are again pushing a resolution to declare the county a “gun sanctuary”, a blatantly illegal and unconstitutional act — no one is or should be exempt from the law. The issue is scheduled to be considered at the January 31st meeting of the Law & Government Committee. Please plan on coming out to oppose this horrendous resolution. It’s at 8:30am on Tuesday January 31st, at the county administration building at 667 Ware Road in Woodstock, just north of the courthouse.