Tag: guns

Hirschauer Passes Comprehensive Gun Safety Measure to Block Illegal Ownership, Improve FOID Card Process

Posted on by Office of Maura Hirschauer
Hirschauer Passes Comprehensive Gun Safety Measure to Block Illegal Ownership, Improve FOID Card Process

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Fighting to curb the flow of illegal firearms and prevent violence, state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, passed legislation Saturday to strengthen the state’s gun licensing system. Hirschauer’s House Bill 1091, dubbed the Block Illegal Ownership and Fix the FOID bill, now moves to the Senate for consideration. 

“Gun violence is a public health issue that affects far too many families and communities,” said Hirschauer, a longtime volunteer with the gun safety group Moms Demand Action. “As the Aurora shooting tragically illustrated, there are loopholes in Illinois’ gun laws that allow dangerous criminals to possess and use firearms, even after their FOID card has been revoked. This bill takes crucial steps toward preventing the ongoing plague of gun violence and mass shootings.” 

The evidence-based gun safety measure makes several changes to Illinois’ gun owner licensing laws by:

  • Requiring background checks for all gun purchases, including person-to-person, private sales;
  • Verifying the identity FOID card applicants through a one-time fingerprint check;  
  • Enabling the Illinois State Police to retrieve guns once a FOID card is revoked; and
  • Dedicating life-saving mental health funding for communities most impacted by gun violence. 

“As a longtime commonsense gun reform advocate, I commend my colleague Rep. Maura Hirschauer for her leadership on this bill which shuts the door on existing loopholes in current law to prevent firearms from reaching the hands of bad actors,” said Rep. Kathleen Willis. “The proliferation of gun violence in our communities and across the country needs to be met with evidence-based gun violence prevention measures, and that is precisely what this bill does.”

“Protecting loved ones from gun violence is a visceral issue that connects with people across the state, especially parents,” said Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “I’m proud to support Rep. Hirschauer’s bill because it offers proven measures that will keep kids and families safe. This is a straightforward proposal to address gun violence given the decades-long stalemate at the federal level, and I hope my Senate colleagues give it strong consideration.”

Numerous studies have shown the widespread threat of gun violence. Nearly 1,400 Illinoisans die every year due to gun violence, one in 10 being children or teenagers. Nearly 40 percent of gun deaths are due to suicide, also highlighting the importance of another gun safety bill passed by the House earlier this session: Rep. Stoneback’s bill, House Bill 1092, to improve Firearm Restraining Orders to prevent those who may pose harm to themselves or others from acquiring a gun. 

For more information about either bill bill, visit ilga.gov.

Rep. Maura HirschauerRep. Maura Hirschauer

(D-Batavia)
49th District

Springfield Office:
276-S Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-1653

District Office:
946 Neltnor Blvd #108
West Chicago IL 60185

The post Hirschauer Passes Comprehensive Gun Safety Measure to Block Illegal Ownership, Improve FOID Card Process appeared first on Illinois House Democratic Caucus.

Hirschauer Backs Bill to Disarm Potential Mass Shooters

Posted on by Office of Maura Hirschauer
Hirschauer Backs Bill to Disarm Potential Mass Shooters

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, is fighting to keep guns out of the hands of potentially violent individuals,

having recently voted to pass a measure to strengthen specific firearm restrictions for people who pose a risk to themselves or others.

“When someone is exhibiting dangerous behaviors, taking appropriate precautions is critical for their own safety and the safety of everyone around them,” said Hirschauer. “A short-term hold on the person’s ability to purchase or possess a firearm may very well prevent a catastrophic shooting event, but it’s incumbent on those closest to them and law enforcement officials working together—and quickly—to respond if someone is a possible threat.”

Hirschauer is sponsoring House Bill 1092, which expands the scope of Illinois’ “red flag” law, under which close family or household members can petition a judge to temporarily remove guns from a person who poses a threat to others or themselves. Red flag laws, also known as Extreme Risk Protection Order laws, have received renewed attention recently, as Indiana’s version could have potentially prevented an April mass shooting at a FedEx facility had it been used to its fullest extent.

The Hirschauer-backed House Bill 1092 strengthens the original Illinois law that took effect in 2019, expanding who can petition the courts for a firearms restraining order to include former spouses and partners who share a child with a potential shooter. To ensure law enforcement officers are familiar with how the law is supposed to work, the measure creates a training program for local authorities, as well as a public awareness campaign to empower more people to use it.

“Red flag laws are intended to help people in crisis access mental health services and supports while unarmed, so they can reclaim their gun rights when they’re no longer a risk,” said Hirschauer. “By educating both law enforcement and the public on how to use the state’s law effectively, this measure will help curb gun violence and save lives in our communities.”

House Bill 1092 passed the House last week and now awaits consideration in the Senate.

“Red flag laws are intended to help people in crisis access mental health services and supports while unarmed, so they can reclaim their gun rights when they’re no longer a risk. By educating both law enforcement and the public on how to use the state’s law effectively, this measure will help curb gun violence and save lives in our communities.”

 

Hirschauer Bill Takes Trauma-Informed Approach to School Shooter Drills

Posted on by Office of Maura Hirschauer
Hirschauer Bill Takes Trauma-Informed Approach to School Shooter Drills

 

Students and school personnel would receive advance notice of planned active shooter drills

under legislation introduced by state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, aimed at preventing psychological impacts from these training simulations.

“It’s scary and heartbreaking that our reality necessitates preparing teachers and young children for how to respond if an attacker barges into their classroom with a gun,” said Hirschauer. “While there’s a need for law enforcement to train for real emergencies that we all hope never occur, drills that are overly realistic can be extremely traumatizing for children. My bill keeps the well-being of students and staff at the heart of school lockdown drills by taking a trauma-informed approach to these situations.”

Hirschauer, a longtime volunteer with Moms Demand Action, is sponsoring House Bill 2400 to address how lockdown drills affect children. The measure specifies that school shooter drills must be age and developmentally appropriate, include school-based mental health professionals and be announced in advance, with an option for parents and guardians to exempt their child from participating. Under current state law, schools and law enforcement agencies are required to conduct a lockdown drill within the first 90 days of the school year.

“We must continue to do everything in our power to protect students from the physical threat of school shootings, but we can’t jeopardize their mental health in the process,” said Hirschauer. “I am committed to removing the harmful impacts of active shooter drills and making sure they’re conducted in a more effective way.”

“We must continue to do everything in our power to protect students from the physical threat of school shootings, but we can’t jeopardize their mental health in the process”

Image of HB2400 Factsheet

HB2400 – School Law Enforcement Drills FactSheet

Hirschauer District 49 Logo

Reps Hirschauer and Stoneback visit Aurora to learn about NIBIN system

Posted on by Office of Maura Hirschauer
Reps Hirschauer and Stoneback visit Aurora to learn about NIBIN system

 

Today was an important day in the gun violence prevention movement.

For the first time in years, we heard our President declare gun violence a public health epidemic and outline a comprehensive plan of executive orders that will be crucial steps to curb gun violence across the country.

Here in the 49th District I am taking time to learn about and understand the multifaceted impacts of gun violence in our community. Today, alongside my colleague and sister GVP advocate, Representative Denyse Stoneback, I visited the Aurora Police Department to speak with local law enforcement and ATF representatives about the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, or the NIBIN, system. 

We saw first hand how shell casings are collected, analyzed, and logged into the network. We heard accounts from officers in the major crimes task force of how leads generated from NIBIN reporting led to the arrest of straw purchasers in Indiana. Aurora PD runs a model NIBIN site that is used by police departments in the collar counties. Communities across Kane, DuPage, Grundy, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, and Will counties benefit from the technology housed and stewarded by the Aurora Police Department.

Thank you to the Aurora Police Department for hosting us and sharing critical information with Rep Stoneback and our teams. The things we learned today will serve to shape our legislative priorities in the areas of gun violence prevention. Gun violence is a public health crisis, and we are committed to working together to keep our communities safe.

“Gun violence is a public health crisis, and we are committed to working together to keep our communities safe.”

 

 

 

Maura IL Icon