By Greg Bishop/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House is set to hear testimony about a slew of measures Gov. Bruce Rauner has raised to enhance public safety, and among them is freeing up money for armed school resource officers.
The House heard the governor’s plan Monday to bring back the death penalty for cop killers and mass murderers, but other issues the governor injected in a bill he changed with his amendatory veto are slated for a Wednesday hearing.
Rauner said Monday his plan will increase the safety of school children and all citizens.
“Seventy-two hour waiting period for all guns, not just handguns,” Rauner said.
The bill Rauner changed, House Bill 1468, increased the waiting period for certain semi-automatic rifles and shotguns to 72 hours, not 24 hours. Handguns already have a 72-hour wait period. Rauner’s amendatory veto would increase that to 72 hours for all guns HB1468 didn’t include, such as bolt action rifles.
“Making sure we have truth in sentencing and there aren’t plea bargains that let dangerous violent offenders back on the streets too early,” Rauner said of another element he proposed.
Rauner also wants to ban bump stocks.
Another policy he proposed would be to free up school facility money to be used for certain personnel.
“Highly trained, highly skilled professional security in schools to protect the students and teachers, but also mental health professionals that could be counseling students and hopefully identifying issues before they develop into larger problems,” Rauner said.
Last week, Rauner praised Dixon High School resource officer Mark Dallas, who shot and injured a school shooting suspect before the suspect could injure any students at the school who were rehearsing for graduation.
The sponsor of the bill Rauner changed, state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, said he’s open to the conversation.
“There’s some very important stuff in there,” Carroll, D-Buffalo Grove, said. “I’m about public safety. I’m about the process of public safety, so let’s talk about these issues.”
Asked if he’ll file legislation to separate things like wait times for purchasing guns or freeing resources for school resources officers from something like the death penalty for cop killers and mass murderers, Carroll said he’ll wait and see.
“We’re going to hear the testimony and we’ll see where we go from there,” Carroll said.
The hearing for Rauner’s changes to HB 1468 and for Senate Bill 2580 – House Floor Amendment 1, which mirrors the governor’s AV langage, is expected Wednesday.
