IL safe gun storage bill passes House committee

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The safe gun storage plan is one step closer to becoming a law as it passes the Illinois House gun violence prevention committee on Tuesday.

This legislation would require all guns to be put in safe storage if there are minors, at risk people or Illinoisan ineligible for a FOID card in the building.

If a minor or a prohibited person gains access to the firearm that wasn't safely stored, the gun owner could be fined up to $1,000. If that person kills someone with that firearm, the fine is bumped up to $10,000.

State Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-West Chicago) in committee said this bill is a "common sense proposal."

"75% of school shooters get their guns from their homes before they perpetrate the violence," Hirschauer said. "Safe firearm storage is a practice in which all of us, gun owners and non gun owners alike, can agree."

Under this policy, if a gun is stolen by an intruder, the firearm owner would not face any fines. However, in the case a firearm is stolen, the owner must report the crime in 48 hours.

Republicans in the committee raised concerns over the legislation, saying that the plan could be unconstitutional following Supreme Court cases like Heller v. D.C.

Ed Sullivan representing the Illinois State Rifle Association said the state should educate children on firearm safety, not lock up guns.

"I have a kid that when he was 12 years old you hand him an AR-15 he could take it apart, clean it, put it back together," Sullivan said. "People think that's crazy but if you're in a house and there's a gun laying around you want my child there."

Senate Bill 8 passed out of the House gun violence prevention committee on a partisan 9-5 vote. With the legislation passing committee, it will head to the House floor. If it passes the House floor, the proposal could be signed into law by the Governor.