By Illinois Radio Network/Benjamin Yount
SPRINGFIELD – Among Illinois’ 250 or so new laws for 2019 are a pair of hotly debated new gun laws.
A shooting at a Waffle House in Tennessee in April drove one of Illinois’ new gun laws for the new year.
Travis Reinking is from Tazewell County, he had a history of mental illness, but got his guns back, and went and killed four people.
Illinois lawmakers wasted little time in using his case to craft a new law that allows for a temporary order of protection to take away someone’s guns.
Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the law in July.
“There has to be a judge, there has to be proof of the issue. It can’t just be an accusation, there has to be real proof of danger,” Rauner said at the time. “There is a two-week period to show proof. Then there is a six-month period.”
The other gun law that saw plenty of debate and headlines is a new law for 2019 that will require people to wait three days to buy any gun.
It used to be one day for rifles, and three days for pistols.
But opponents, like state Rep. Allen Skillicorn, said the new law will only apply to legal gun buyers. And he said they already go through rigorous background checks.
“Is there any logic to make people who’ve had repeated, every single night, background checks to make them wait another three days?” Skillicorn asked during debate at the statehouse.
The two new gun laws are among nearly 250 new laws that Illinois will see in the new year.
