Type: Title:
Committee(s) Assignment:
Cappleman, James (46) Pawar, Ameya (47) Osterman, Harry (48)
Mnnrp .Insonh (AQResolution
Call for United States Congress and Illinois Assembly to pass an assault weapons ban to protect communities
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Assault weapons are a class of military-style semi-automatic firearms, designed and manufactured for the sole purpose of killing many people quickly, and are the weapon of choice for criminals, enabling them to commit some of our Nation's deadliest crimes; and
WHEREAS, Tragically, there has been a recent series of shooting rampages in which innocent bystanders, attendees at movie theaters, gatherers at political events, school children, and others have been killed by individuals wielding and firing semi-automatic weapons, including at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and the Century Movie Theater in Aurora, Colorado; and
WHEREAS, In 1994, the United States Congress, recognizing the threat to public safety posed by the continued availability of assault weapons, enacted the Federal Assault Weapon Ban, which banned certain models of assault weapons, as well as high capacity magazines. During the first nine years of the federal ban, the use of assault weapons in crimes dropped by 66% and the number of murders caused by firearms dropped by 7%. Unfortunately, the legislation contained a sunset provision, with the ban expiring in 2004, and attempts to reenact the federal ban have failed; and
WHEREAS, In the absence of legislation from the federal government, seven states, including California, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Hawaii and Maryland, attempted to stem the violence by enacting laws banning assault weapons. In addition, the District of Columbia and five large urban cities, including the City of Chicago, have enacted local laws banning such weapons; and
WHEREAS, Despite numerous attempts, the State of Illinois has never been able to muster the political will to e...
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