Anti gunners love nothing more than to criminalize and hamstring the law abiding, which is exactly what a new Illinois bill seeks to accomplish.
On May 29, Illinois General Assembly bill SB0008, known as the “Safe Gun Storage Act” passed both houses of the Illinois legislature, and now heads to Governor Pritzker’s desk to be signed.
The bill is being positioned as a safe storage law that will keep firearms from minors, but transfers unconstitutional burdens onto gun owners, disarms them, and is vague with regard to enforcement.
For example, the law prohibits firearms owners from keeping or storing a firearm anywhere, “the owner knows or reasonably should know… an at-risk person, or a prohibited person is likely to gain access to the firearm.” At risk persons include those with suicidal tendencies and prohibited persons are defined as criminals. The opportunity for this vagueness to be abused is glaring, notwithstanding that gun owners must now be able to predict the future.
The bill also penalizes gun owners who have their weapons stolen, although it avoids using that verbiage:
If a minor, an at-risk person, or a prohibited person obtains a firearm and uses it to injure or kill someone, or uses it in a crime, the civil penalty will be up to $10,000.
Section 10-5. “Gun trafficking information” calls for the Illinois State Police to begin building a database that is inordinately focused on tracking the victims of gun theft. The database will include:
- the state where the firearms originated
- the Federal Firearms Licensee that sold the firearm
- annual statistical data on Firearm Owner’s Identification Card and concealed carry license applications
- firearm dealer license certification inspections
The bill also focuses law enforcement efforts to study purchase patterns of those who have passed background checks, presumably to prevent straw purchases.
The Illinois State Police will regularly study and compile reports on the number of Firearm Owner’s Identification Card checks to identify patterns of firearms trafficking or straw purchases.
The bill also requires victims of theft to report a lost or stolen firearm within 48 hours, and failure to do so has criminal implications:
By January 1, 2027, the Illinois State Police must create an electronic system for law enforcement to report individuals who fail to report the loss or theft of a firearm, as required by Section 24-4.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
Absent in the bill are mentions of additional enforcement of laws against criminals who steal firearms and use them in crimes.
Disarming citizens was a tactic used by the Bolsheviks as part of their efforts to consolidate power and maintain control.
I’d compare Illinois amending 2A in a sneaky way to the parking prohibition tactics, where they will prohibit parking on the street from 1-5 am…
You get it?