(The Center Square) – The Illinois House Gun Violence Prevention Committee continues to hear proposals involving further gun control measures. One would create a task force to investigate insurance mandates for gun owners. The other would increase fees for transferring firearms.
State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, has House Bill 33 to increase the fee from $2 to $10 for when someone transfers a firearm to someone else. He said the extra funds would be used to go after those with expired or revoked Firearm Owner’s ID cards.
“The question is whether we’re getting those resources to law enforcement to do the job that we’re charging them to do, that’s what this legislation is about,” Morgan told the committee.
Four dollars would go to confiscating FOID cards and firearms from those not in compliance. The other $6 would go back to administrative costs.
Josh Witkowski with Illinois Federation for Outdoor Resources said they’re opposed because of how the funds would be used.
“Law abiding firearms owners engaging in legal transactions are being asked to pay extra to handle individuals who are not in compliance,” he said.
Witkowski also said the FOID card could be in jeopardy with a recent court ruling against the requirement for having the ID to keep a gun in the home.
Another measure Morgan brought, House Bill 43, would create a task force to look into what it would take to require insurance for Illinoisans who own firearms.
“This would be like an insurance rider,” Morgan said. “We all have insurance on our home that you might have flooding insurance that would just kind of be a rider on your underlying homeowners insurance or you might have cybersecurity insurance for small business.”
Witkowski said there is no legitimate market for such an insurance product and the makeup of the task force would be lopsided.
Morgan said he’s willing to work on what the task force’s makeup will be and other language in the bill.
State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich said he doesn’t see the need for such a requirement, among other objections.
“Ultimately, I see this as kind of a penalty for those trying to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” Niemerg said.
Legislators also heard House Bill 1710 from state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, about homicide clearance data transparency.
