Today, the House voted 68-41 to pass the Senate amended version of House Bill 5471, for a comprehensive ban on many commonly-owned firearms and magazines. This latest erosion of Second Amendment rights from the General Assembly now goes to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk for his signature. Please call Gov. Pritzker’s office at 217-782-0244 and at the phone numbers listed here and ask that he VETO HB 5471.
House Bill 5471 bans many semi-automatic firearms that law-abiding citizens commonly own for self-defense, competition, and recreation, as well as certain spare parts for them, bans handgun magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition, long gun magazines that can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition, and “combination[s] of parts” from which such magazines can be assembled, bans .50 BMG caliber firearms and ammunition, and expands the duration of the state’s “red flag” firearm restraining order by increasing it from 6 to 12 months.
Citizens may only lawfully keep their banned firearms or banned parts if they register them with the government. They may keep banned magazines owned prior to the ban, but may only use and possess them under certain conditions, such as on private property and at shooting ranges. The magazines also must be transported unloaded and enclosed in cases. Owners of banned magazines must notify state police to transfer them to heirs, out-of-state individuals, and licensed firearm dealers. The bill also requires individuals to hold a FOID to possess banned magazines.
Again, please call Gov. Pritzker’s office and ask that he uphold the Second Amendment.
