As Illinois lawmakers prepare for the start of the 2024 legislative session on January 4, all eyes are on the potential for new gun control measures to be passed during the lame duck session. This session follows the contentious decisions made in early January 2023, when legislators approved a ban on certain semi-automatic firearms and magazines, a measure that remains under legal challenge.
One of the key proposals this year focuses on expanding the state’s red flag law, a move championed by state Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove. Didech has called for clarification and strengthening of the law to mandate that firearms be removed from individuals when a domestic violence survivor is granted a firearm remedy in an order of protection. Although current law requires those subject to an order of protection to surrender their firearms, Didech’s proposal would require police to actively confiscate these weapons.
The Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), however, is strongly opposed to the bill, with Ed Sullivan criticizing it as a “straight confiscation” proposal. Sullivan pointed to a recent Supreme Court ruling in Rahimi v. United States, which ruled that individuals charged with domestic violence can be temporarily disarmed, provided they are given due process, such as a hearing. He raised concerns that the bill could violate this principle.
Gun control advocacy group One Aim Illinois supports the measure, with executive director Yolanda Androzzo urging lawmakers to pass what they call “Karina’s Bill,” designed to remove firearms in cases involving domestic violence. Androzzo argued that without this legislation, domestic violence survivors are left vulnerable.
Two other proposals—a requirement for quicker reporting of lost or stolen firearms and a measure mandating that guns be locked up in certain circumstances—have also garnered opposition from the ISRA. State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, has dismissed these measures, arguing they would do little to improve public safety and primarily serve to “disarm law-abiding citizens.”
As the lame duck session nears its conclusion on January 7, Illinois lawmakers face a final window to push through new gun control laws before the new General Assembly convenes on January 8. With both sides of the debate entrenched in their positions, the coming days could prove pivotal in shaping the state’s gun laws for years to come.
