Debates on gun rights continue in Springfield

Posted on July 29, 2022
The chairman, State Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago), questioned Scott Pulaski, a gun dealer from Alton. (WJBC File Photo)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Even though Highland Park’s Fourth of July massacre was just a few weeks ago, it was far from the dominant theme of Thursday’s meeting of  the Illinois House Public Safety and Violence Prevention Task Force. The chairman, State Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago), questioned Scott Pulaski, a gun dealer from Alton.

Do you say we should wait until we enforce all laws and not pass any new laws to protect the Second Amendment?” Ford asked.

“We have plenty of laws already in existence,” answered Pulaski, who says he favors “working to enforce those laws rather than adding new on top, which tend to burden law-abiding gun owners rather than the criminals, who are ignoring the existing laws.”

Other takeaways from Thursday: guns are used in far more suicides than homicides; the state can’t account for many FOID cards which have been revoked; and, despite stories of guns coming in from Indiana, more crimes are committed with Illinois-purchased guns than you may think.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected].

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