Illinois House passes assault weapons ban

Posted on January 6, 2023
Gov. JB Pritzker and House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside). (Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois legislature is partway through its big goal of the 2023 lame duck session: ban the sale of assault weapons.

The bill which passed the House in a post-midnight vote actually only bans the sale of new assault weapons and grandfathers in everyone else. House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) said the bill is meant to disallow new sales of guns which, Welch said, belong on a battlefield and not in a neighborhood.

The bill, which does not change the age at which one can get a Firearm Owners’ ID card, has the support of House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), who quoted suburban conservative hero Henry Hyde, the late Republican congressman, as saying, “Enough is enough.”

At least one Republican said Durkin is showing the kind of leadership which is making Republicans a non-factor in Illinois.

SB 2226 has passed the House, 64-43.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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