Tag: legislation
The March Environment & Agriculture Community Advisory Committee meeting will be via Zoom.
This month we will be discussing the restoration and future options for superfund sites or sites otherwise contaminated and restored, and, in particular, the Kerr-McGee site in West Chicago.
Contact environment.49th@gmail.com for the zoom link, more information, or to be placed on our email notification list.
To the People of Kane County:
Gun violence is a uniquely American public health epidemic; while we know the remedies, public officials like Sheriff Ron Hain refuse to prescribe them. We are fighting every day for those remedies, so on one point we agree with what the Sheriff said in this Daily Herald headline: we are also embarrassed that Sheriff Hain has a “D” by his name.
The Protect Illinois Communities Act is not about politics, it is common sense public safety policy that will keep weapons of war out of neighborhoods and homes. It was publicly discussed at three subject matter hearings in December of 2022. If the Sheriff had cared to pay attention or check his facts he would have seen that several representatives from law enforcement spoke on the record in support of the bill at a hearing on December 20, 2022. But, much to the detriment of the people of Kane County, Sheriff Hain doesn’t care about facts, he prefers to spread misinformation and stoke the flames of controversy.
Families in our community have been loud and clear — enough is enough. There is nothing political about dropping your child off at school and fearing you may never see them again. No Kane county resident should feel unsafe celebrating at a parade, shopping at their local grocery store, or gathering in a park. Legislators in Illinois heeded the calls of our constituents and joined eight other states in banning the sale and possession of assault style weapons. We took action and we stand by our commitment to common sense gun safety.
Gun violence is a complex and multifaceted public health crisis and each piece of the puzzle deserves attention — from sustained investment in community violence intervention programs and, yes, mental health support, to job creation and addressing inequalities in our public schools. But for us to continue to pretend that the mass proliferation of guns isn’t the number one factor contributing to gun violence is to deny both basic common sense and empirical research in a way that is either embarrassingly naive or maliciously disingenuous. We do need a more comprehensive approach to mental health treatment, we need to expand access to opportunity, and we need to bridge political and cultural divides – but no serious approach to gun violence can ignore the ease of access to weapons of war.
Again, we ask Sheriff Hain to step back from public disputes and commit to working together on public safety policies that will benefit the people of Kane County. Our doors are always open for collaboration and he knows where to find us.
Sincerely,
Senator Cristina Castro – 22nd District
Senator Karina Villa – 25th District
Representative Barbara Hernandez – 50th District
Representative Maura Hirschauer – 49th District
Representative Anna Moeller – 43rd District
Join us for the first Environment & Agriculture Community Advisory Committee meeting of the 103rd General Assembly! New for this group this session will be in-person meetings at West Chicago Public Library. Occasionally we may go back to a zoom meeting as needed due to space availability or group needs.
This month we will be discussing recent legislation that has passed as well as initiatives coming up this session. Our guest will be Kady McFadden, a leader in the area of climate policy.
Contact environment.49th@gmail.com for more information or to be placed on our email notification list.
To the People of Kane County:
We are four Illinois State Representatives that represent many of you and your families in Kane County. Like you and so many others who have contacted us in recent days, we are disappointed by the recent statement from the Kane County Sheriff that misrepresents the Protect Illinois Communities Act. We are additionally alarmed by statements from sheriffs across the state that call into question the constitutionality of the law. Sheriff offices have no authority to determine the constitutionality of a law–that is up to the courts. Nor can they pick and choose which laws to enforce; they must enforce them all.
This bipartisan law is the product of hundreds of hours of negotiations and advocacy from across our shared community, including with the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Association of Police Chiefs, and the Illinois Association of Sheriffs. Law enforcement was given a seat at the negotiating table and several of their changes were incorporated into the final bill.
Many of us have been working on gun violence prevention policy for years, and we recognize that gun violence is a complex and multifaceted public health crisis and each piece of the puzzle deserves attention. We agree with the Kane Sheriff that expanding funding and access to mental health services is an important component of gun violence prevention. That is why we have invested over $500 million in community based violence interruption programs, including diversion programs and youth employment opportunities. We have expanded tele-health for mental health providers, and designated that 20% of the revenue from cannabis sales go directly toward statewide mental health funding.
We also agree with Sheriff Hain that another key factor in preventing gun violence is assuring that law enforcement has the tools and technology they need to solve crimes – which is why we supported over $200 million in new funding for law enforcement. In fact, this Act provides further protection to our law enforcement as assault rifles, extended magazines, and rapid-fire modifications put law enforcement at particular risk. A statewide ban of assault weapons, high capacity magazines, and switches protects and supports our police.
We are concerned that the sheriff’s statement will create confusion as we work to implement the law over the coming months. Despite what the sheriff would like you to believe this Act puts forth negotiated provisions to protect law abiding gun owners: it is not a gun grab. The law does not require the seizure of assault weapons and large capacity magazines. Nor does it dictate that the sheriff’s department go door to door checking FOID cards and gun cabinets.
Instead, the Act gives law-abiding gun owners over 300 days to apply for an endorsement on their FOID cards that will ensure that they lawfully keep any assault-style weapons that were lawfully purchased and possessed prior to January 11, 2023.
Illinoisans have experienced too much gun violence, with impacts that go beyond the devastating loss of life or physical injury. Lingering trauma destroys us from within and to force our constituents to endure these effects is negligent and reprehensible. By banning the sale and distribution of assault weapons, high-capacity ammunition magazines, and switches in Illinois, the Protect Illinois Communities Act makes our schools, parades, grocery stores, places of worship, and workplaces safer from the gun violence that is a threat to our wellbeing everywhere.
We intend to work collaboratively with the Illinois State Police, the Governor’s Office, the Attorney General, the Kane County Sheriff, and local law enforcement to ensure that this life-saving law is successfully implemented. We invite Sheriff Hain to contact us directly with his concerns and questions as we move forward cooperatively, in the interest of community safety.
Sincerely,
Rep. Barbara Hernandez, 50th District
Rep. Maura Hirschauer, 49th District
Rep. Anna Moeller, 43rd District
Rep. Suzanne Ness, 66th District
To the People of DuPage County:
We are the 16 Illinois State Senators and Representatives that represent the overwhelming majority of you and your families in DuPage County. Like so many concerned individuals who have contacted us in recent days, we are dismayed and angered by the recent pronouncement by the DuPage County Sheriff to unilaterally direct his office to flout and disregard the duly passed and signed Protect Illinois Communities Act. The Sheriff has no authority to determine the constitutionality of a law–that is up to the courts. Nor can he pick and choose which laws to enforce; he must enforce them all.
This bipartisan law was the product of hundreds of hours of negotiations and advocacy from across our shared community and constituents. It will fight the senseless barrage of gun violence that has plagued our state for far too long. By banning the sale and distribution of assault weapons, high-capacity ammunition magazines, and switches in Illinois, the Act makes our schools, neighborhoods, parades, grocery stores, and workplaces safer from the gun violence that is a threat to our wellbeing everywhere.
The DuPage County Sheriff’s intention to violate his sworn duty to uphold our state’s laws is a dereliction of duty and puts our safety at risk. The Sheriff’s words send a clear message that lawbreakers are welcome here. Should any related tragedy occur within our borders, not only will he bear responsibility for the resulting and everlasting scars upon our community, but he also will put our livelihoods and property tax dollars at risk, as his declaration now opens us up to financial liability.
Please know that even if the DuPage County Sheriff will not do his job to protect you, we as your Illinois Senators and Representatives are already doing so with the full weight of our offices. We are working closely with the Illinois State Police, the Governor’s Office, the Attorney General, and additional levels of state and local government and law enforcement to ensure that we will fill the void left when the sheriff abandoned his duty to protect our community. We will never abandon the constituents that we have sworn to serve, not only in DuPage County, but for the whole state.
Sincerely,
Senator Laura Ellman, 21st District
Senator Laura Murphy, 28th District
Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton, 23rd District
Senator Rachel Ventura, 43rd District
Senator Karina Villa, 25th District
Rep. Dagmara Avelar, 85th District
Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock, 46th District
Rep. Terra Costa Howard, 42nd District
Rep. Barbara Hernandez, 50th District
Rep. Norma Hernandez, 77th District
Rep. Maura Hirschauer, 49th District
Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, 84th District
Rep. Jenn Ladisch Douglass, 45th District
Rep. Michelle Mussman, 56th District
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, 81st District
Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, 41st District
from WGEM
Maura was recently interviewed on HB5855, which includes an assault weapons ban similar to her bill introduced earlier this year. It includes some changes as well as other provisions to help keep communities safer.
Op-Ed By State Rep. Maura Hirschauer (Click here to read in the Chicago Sun Times)
Before I was a state representative, I was a volunteer and community leader with Moms Demand Action. My work with that organization informs my daily commitment to making sure that no parent drops their children off at school and fears they might not see them alive again, and that no person looks for active shooters in the grocery aisle, church pew or parade route.
When I took office, I promised to honor the lives lost and changed by gun violence with action — the action that drove me to run for office in the first place. It is why I filed HB5522 back in January. After the mass shooting in Highland Park, I recommitted myself to banning assault-style weapons and large capacity magazines.
I am proud to co-sponsor the new gun reform package that will keep Illinois on the path to leading the nation in gun safety. The Protect Illinois Communities Act Is a logical, necessary step to reduce the harm caused by gun violence. Now more than ever, we must see change. We owe it to all whose lives have been irreversibly touched by gun violence.
More than 110 Americans are killed by guns each day, and the wide availability of high-capacity assault weapons extends this danger beyond reason. I respect the right of Illinoisans to bear arms and protect their families, but no one needs to wield a weapon capable of firing 30 bullets in 10 seconds to feel secure in their home. There is no reason for assault weapons, whose sole purpose is to kill efficiently and effectively, to be available in Illinois. Yet these weapons of war have made their way onto our streets and into our schools, grocery stores, workplaces and community celebrations.
Another sad truth is that young people ages 18 to 20 commit gun homicides at three times the rate of those over 21. Far too often, young people suffering from mental illness are able to access weapons that turn their darkest thoughts into a nightmarish reality. Putting killing machines into their hands is reckless endangerment.
Children and teens are actively targeted in the marketing of firearms, despite the gun industry’s clear knowledge of the risk factors of gun ownership by young people. Guns are not toys or video game controllers. It is irresponsible to treat them as such. We must close the loophole that allows young people to obtain firearms before they understand the gravity and potential consequences of that decision.
Although Illinois’ current laws continue to be weakened by those in neighboring states that refuse to take action for gun safety, we aren’t helpless to fight back. We can reduce the flow of incoming illegal weapons by empowering the Illinois State Police to work with federal and local officials to trace illegal guns and hold straw purchasers accountable. Giving law enforcement the tools and technology to track illegal crime guns while simultaneously strengthening the laws on our books is essential to keep guns out of the wrong hands.
The ripple effect of gun violence can be felt all across Illinois, from Chicago to Highland Park to Aurora to East St. Louis. The trauma from gun violence is disproportionately felt by Black Illinoisans, who are 32 times more likely than white Illinoisans to die by gun homicide. Guns are the leading cause of death of Illinois children ages 1-17 years old. Throughout the pandemic, Illinois led the country in gun sales, and today there are more guns in Illinois households than ever before, leaving our children at risk. We cannot ignore the fact that the rise in gun violence is related to easy access to firearms.
Children are being killed and families torn apart while lawmakers allow their hands to be tied by the gun lobby. The outsized influence of the NRA has endangered us all for far too long, and it is high time we stood up to their bullying. If legislators have the courage to stand up to the NRA and ban weapons of war from our streets, we can move closer to making Illinois a state where no one has to live in fear of being gunned down in their community.
This goes far beyond partisan politics. We have a moral obligation to fight for this change.
We’ve reached a flashpoint, beyond which to do nothing is to be complicit in avoidable and unacceptable tragedy. Enough is enough. We must pass the Protect Illinois Communities Act.
The Joint Advisory Committees will advise both State Representative Hirschauer (49th) and State Senator Villa (25th). The purpose of the advisory committees is to listen to the voices of our districts and ensure effective representation.The Environment & Agriculture Advisory Committee meets the 4th Thursday of each month at 7pm.
If you have not participated in these meetings before, please email environment.49th@gmail.com to sign up for the Zoom link.
The Joint Advisory Committees will advise both State Representative Hirschauer (49th) and State Senator Villa (25th). The purpose of the advisory committees is to listen to the voices of our districts and ensure effective representation.The Environment & Agriculture Advisory Committee meets the 4th Thursday of each month at 7pm.
If you have not participated in these meetings before, please email environment.49th@gmail.com to sign up for the Zoom link.
The Joint Advisory Committees will advise both State Representative Hirschauer (49th) and State Senator Villa (25th). The purpose of the advisory committees is to listen to the voices of our districts and ensure effective representation.The Environment & Agriculture Advisory Committee meets the 4th Thursday of each month at 7pm.
If you have not participated in these meetings before, please email environment.49th@gmail.com to sign up for the Zoom link.