Gun dealer licensing legislation (SB1657) that will help save lives passed out of the Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee last week. SB1657 would license firearm dealers in Illinois and help keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them.
The bill was placed on calendar order for a second reading and now moves on to the full Senate for a vote. CIOGC encourages community members to contact their State Senator to tell them that Illinois needs to license its firearm dealers and to vote YES on SB 1657!
From 2009 to 2013, more than 3,000 guns recovered from crime scenes in Chicago were traced back to just three Illinois firearms dealers. In other words, only three out of Illinois’ more than 2,400 gun retailers were the source of close to 17% of Chicago’s crime related to guns. State licenses would give Illinois a pathway for stricter scrutiny of these bad apple gun dealers, and the ability to deal out consequences if they fall short.
Currently, 85% of Illinoisans agree that Illinois needs gun dealer licensing to rein in its unscrupulous gun dealers. Please make your voice heard and tell your Senator to vote yes on SB1657!