CHICAGO – State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, will meet with local students to discuss the need for tougher gun laws and measures she has supported to effectively address gun violence on Monday, May 14 at 10:20 a.m. at the Farragut Career Academy, located at 2345 S Christiana Ave. in the Little Village neighborhood.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to have this open discussion with the students of Farragut Academy about gun violence and what can be done to solve it,” Hernandez said. “Keeping our communities safe has always been a top priority of mine, which is why I have always fought to ensure programs like CeaseFire are fully funded and why I am fighting to crack down on military-style assault weapons.”

Earlier this year, Hernandez voted to pass a series of commonsense gun safety measures including:

• House Bill 1467, which bans bump stocks and trigger cranks;
• House Bill 1465, which raises the age limit to purchase assault weapons from 18 to 21;
• House Bill 1468, which extends the waiting period for assault weapons; and
• Senate Bill 1657, which expands licensing requirements for gun dealers.

Since then, Republican Governor Bruce Rauner has vetoed the gun dealer licensing legislation and is still sitting on legislation to expand the waiting period for assault rifles.

“Communities like the Little Village have had enough. I am inspired by the wave of young people becoming involved in the process and making their voices heard,” Hernandez said. “I look forward to having a productive conversation about what we could do together to increase safety in our neighborhoods so we can go about our daily lives without the fear of senseless gun violence.”

DES PLAINES, Ill. – In response to local students calling for action and walking out of their schools in solidarity to show respect for the 17 children who were shot in Parkland, Florida, state Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, has issued the following statement:

“Today, I was at Maine West High School, the same school my children went to and the same school I have been to many times as a parent. I was inspired and encouraged by all the students who chose to voice their concerns for school safety. Children should be allowed the right to learn without fear.

“Again, enough is enough, and things need to change. We must protect our children from becoming a statistic of gun violence and mass murder. We must also remember we are not only raising children, but we are raising future community leaders as well. I am confident this change will come from them.

“To the students, I heard you today outside of Maine West, as this movement is happening throughout the entire country. I encourage you all to stay active and to continue to fight for the changes you wish to see. I would also like to extend an invitation to any and all students who would like to meet with me and my staff to talk about solutions and rational ways we can keep you and your schools safe. I will continue to fight for common-sense gun safety reforms while in Springfield and encourage students from all over the state to reach out to your local elected officials so they can hear you as well.”

CHICAGO, Ill. – State Rep. Jaime Andrade, D-Chicago, supported a package of gun safety reforms that recently passed the Illinois House.

“It is regretful that so many tragedies had to occur before we could pass such common sense gun laws,” Andrade said. “It is my hope that it will help prevent a future tragedy from happening in our state.”

The bills are designed limit access to assault weapons by increasing the purchasing waiting period to three days and increasing to age for possession and purchase to 21. Another measure includes a ban on bump stocks and trigger cranks. These devices are unnecessary for legal gun use as they increase the firing capacity of a gun which would be disastrous in the hands of a mass shooter. The Gun Dealer Licensing Act sent to the Governor requires licensing and video surveillance for gun stores.

“These reforms are long overdue,” Andrade said. “I call on Gov. Rauner to sign these bills into law so we may take a great step forward in limiting guns and keeping our communities safe.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In an effort to move the needle on school and community safety across the state, state Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, voted to pass a series of commonsense gun safety measures from the House with bipartisan support on Wednesday.

“As a former criminal prosecutor, I understand the devastating consequences that deadly weapons have when in the hands of the wrong people. I have seen firsthand how lives and entire families are shattered because of a single bullet,” Connor said. “This week in Springfield, the legislature took meaningful steps towards putting in place some commonsense safety measures, like banning “bump stocks” that were used in the Las Vegas massacre to transform firearms into automatic weapons and raising the age to buy an assault weapon from eighteen to twenty-one.”

Connor joined Democratic and Republican members of the House in passing legislation to raise the legal age to purchase assault weapons from eighteen to twenty-one, establish new gun dealer licensing requirements to crack down on gun dealers, ban “bump stocks” and trigger cranks that turn semiautomatic weapons into automatic weapons capable of shooting hundreds of bullets a minute, and extending the “cooling off” waiting period for purchasing assault-style weapons from 24 hours to 72 hours, the same waiting period for handgun sales.

“These are commonsense, reasonable gun safety measures that will help to keep deadly firearms out of the hands of criminals, the mentally ill, and those who may be a threat to themselves or others,” said Connor. “No legislation alone will prevent all acts of gun violence, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in the legislature as well as members of my community to promote gun safety and combat the senseless violence in communities throughout Illinois.  We can’t afford to stand still on these issues.”

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. – State Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Buffalo Grove, recently introduced a new measure to increase the waiting period to buy a long gun, as part of a package of gun reform proposals that were addressed Wednesday in the Illinois House of Representatives.

“In the state of Illinois, when you buy a handgun, there is a 72 hour waiting period.  It makes sense that the same should be true for assault rifles,” said Carroll.  “Real action has to be taken to address the gun violence epidemic that is gripping our state and country, and this measure is a commonsense step in the right direction.”

Carroll’s measure, House Bill 1468, increases the waiting period to buy a long gun, such as a rifle, shotgun, or assault weapon, from 24 hours to 72, and also holds non-Illinois residents that purchase long guns at gun-shows to the same standard.  The measure passed out of the House Judiciary Criminal Committee on Tuesday, and was voted upon on the House floor on Wednesday.  The bill passed, and will now progress to the Senate.

“I will continue to be an outspoken advocate for the need of reform.  As lawmakers, we must take action to prevent further gun violence and senseless tragedies,” continued Carroll.  “It is encouraging to see Illinois taking the initiative to address some sensible gun-law reform, and I hope to see our state continue in this direction.”