(The Center Square) – Components of Illinois’ Safe Gun Storage Act take effect on January 1.
Supporters of Senate Bill 8, including Giffords, a gun control advocacy group, say that in addition to strengthening existing domestic violence laws and investing $19 million in taxpayer funds for community violence intervention programs, Illinois’ enactment of a safe gun storage law scores an “A” for gun safety in the state.
“Through strong leadership, Illinois earned an A grade this year on Giffords’ annual gun law scorecard. Common-sense gun laws stop crime and save lives, and Illinois has proven that these laws work,” Giffords Executive Director Emma Brown said in a statement. “While we celebrate the progress made by states like Illinois, we still have more work to do to save lives.”
Part of the law requires that firearms be stored if anyone is not qualified to handle them under federal and state laws.
“If it’s not on you, then you have to lock it up and lock it up securely,” Kirk Evans, president of American Legal Shield, told The Center Square.
Evans said the law does more than just raise the current age threshold at which guns should be locked from 14 to 18.
“The bottom line is that this regulation adds two categories of people who are not allowed to use firearms, the high-risk population and the prohibited population,” Evans said.
He said it wouldn’t work.
“How on earth do you know someone’s criminal history?” Evans said. “How would you know if they just posted on Facebook that they were going to blow up a school? It makes things very, very subjective and very difficult for individuals to figure out.”
The bill would also require gun owners to report if their firearms are stolen or lost within 48 hours, instead of the previous 72-hour requirement. If a stolen firearm is not stored in a safe and used in a crime, civil penalties can be up to $10,000.
Opponents of the measure said it would also infringe on the right to keep and bear arms by making home defense more difficult.