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scy-chicago · 6 years ago

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Governor Pritzker Signs Gun Dealer Certification Bill SB 337

This week’s blog is written by Dion McGill, SCY Communications and Community Outreach Manager

Yesterday, Several members of the Strengthening Chicago’s Youth staff and myself had the pleasure of joining many of our friends and colleagues in the gun violence prevention community as Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed SB 337, The Combating Illegal Gun Trafficking Act.

The signing event was a packed house, with a bevy of gun violence prevention champions. Speakers at the event included, Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, States Attorney Kim Foxx, IL Attorney General Kwame Raul, IL Representative Kathleen Willis, IL Senator Don Harmon, and Governor J.B. Pritzker. The event was held at Young Elementary School in the Austin neighborhood of the city.

SB 337, The Combating Illegal Gun Trafficking Act, will reduce the number of illegal guns and gun crime in Illinois by requiring background checks for gun shop employees, allowing law enforcement to inspect gun stores, and requiring video security to prevent theft.

Every day, children in Illinois are exposed to violence in their communities, schools and homes, and the effects of exposure to violence can last throughout a lifetime. Additionally, firearm injuries are a leading cause of death for Illinois children. As a former Chicago Public Schools teacher, I know these facts all too well. My time as a teacher is actually what got me involved and invested in the gun violence prevention movement.

Growing up in the Roseland community of Chicago, I am no stranger to gun violence. However, as I’ve become an adult, I realize how fortunate I was that my parents kept me fairly well insulated from the realities of gun violence that were abound in our community. Unfortunately, I’ve encountered many students who were not as fortunate. I can vividly recall a student coming into class one day with a sling on his arm, and after asking him what happened, the student recounted that he’d been shot the previous day while at the local park. This grew into a broader conversation in which several students admitted to being witnesses to the event.

As a veteran who spent time in Afghanistan, I can relate to stories of witnessing excessively violent acts. However, that is not a story I want to hear from a 14 year old. Unfortunately, events like this can often be daily occurrences, further traumatizing the youth subjected to them.

Gun violence in Chicago is further exacerbated by the high rate of illegal firearm trafficking that occurs in our state. As reported by many news outlets around the release of the Chicago Gun Trace Report, a majority of guns used in Chicago crimes come from outside Illinois. Research from the University of Chicago Crime Lab, Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, and other institutions has shown how the illegal trafficking of firearms is a major contributor to the incidence of homicide. In states that license gun dealers, illegal trafficking is substantially reduced.

During the signing event, IL Senator Don Harmon recounted when he first introduced a version of this bill,

“ When I first introduced a version of this bill in 2003, I thought we’d be having this celebration a little sooner. 16 years is a long time to wait, and we should celebrate, but there's more work to be done. I'm committed to continuing this fight.”

He went on to say,

During 16 years of political dithering, how many children have we lost? We can’t stop with this bill. There’s more work to be done.

States Attorney Kim Foxx also made note during her comments that gun violence is her top priority. She also said that we must hold elected officials accountable to protect people and not politics.

Prior to signing the bill, Governor Pritzker wrapped up all of the comments of the morning in saying,

We’ve taken an important step today with SB 337. Now we need to restore funding for violence interruption. Job creation, trauma informed services and mental health are critical. Need to ban weapons of war!

I couldn’t agree more that this is an important step for Chicago. As a part of our Focus on Five, common sense approaches to gun violence prevention is a top priority of SCY. We are excited to continue working with a large variety of partners throughout Chicago to continue fighting the epidemic of gun violence. Together, anything is possible!

#SB337 #Chicago #GunViolence #enoughisenough #ouronejob #scychicago

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