Yingling Backs Bill Strengthening Gun Laws

ROUND LAKE BEACH, Ill. – To keep residents safe, state Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake, helped pass legislation that would restructure many of the laws relating to gun ownership in Illinois.

“As gun violence and mass shootings continue to rise, it is clear that we must take steps to keep residents safe from those looking to use firearms to harm themselves or others,” said Yingling. “When it comes to gun safety, it is critical that we do everything in our power to keep guns out of the hands of criminals without infringing on the rights of responsible gun owners.”

Yingling voted in favor of House Bill 1091, which would put a number of laws in place to ensure guns are not falling into the wrong hands. These measures include background checks for every gun sale, directs the Illinois State Police to share FOID card revocation information with other government agencies, and regulates firearm transfers. The bill also creates a Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force to crack down on gun violence, gun trafficking, and other violent crime.

Since entering office, Yingling has worked to implement commonsense gun legislation. This session, he helped pass legislation expanding Illinois’ “Red Flag” laws, which allow family members to petition the courts to temporarily remove firearms from an individual who is deemed dangerous. In previous sessions, he has worked to strengthen gun laws by voting to ban bump stocks, raise the age to purchase assault weapons, expand mental health protections and extend the waiting period for the purchase of assault weapons.

“It is critical that we are constantly working on creating up-to-date and comprehensive laws to ensure we are doing everything possible to keep residents safe,” said Yingling. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our community, and having strong gun laws is a major way we can crack down on crime and keep our communities safe.”