Three Illinois State Laws Showcase Democratic Party’s Disarray

The⁢ Political Elites in Illinois ⁢Have Lost Their Collective ​Mind

The political⁤ elites​ in Illinois have lost their collective mind. At a time when both major‍ and minor crimes in Chicago are out of control and people feel unsafe, the state’s leadership⁣ thought it would be ⁣a good idea to inhibit citizens from exercising their constitutional ​right to own ​a gun, while simultaneously literally giving criminals a get-out-of-jail-free card by ​ending cash bail, and now ⁢allowing certain illegal immigrants to become police officers.

Illinois’⁢ Gun Grab

The new ​law, enacted in January‍ 2023, bans the sale of nearly 200 different types of so-called ‌assault weapons, including the AR-15 and AK-47. The⁢ law also bars the sale of magazines that have more than 15 rounds of ‌ammunition for handguns and more than 10 rounds of ammunition for a long gun.

Illinois Democrat ‌Governor J.B. Pritzker‌ gloated ⁣at the signing‍ ceremony stating, “Illinois ⁢now officially prohibits ⁢the sale and ⁣distribution of these ​mass-killing machines.” ⁢But ⁢if only Governor Pritzker was⁤ a student of⁣ facts and not just someone afraid of scary-looking guns, he would ​recognize the ineffectiveness ⁣of laws like these.

The data do not support those in favor of⁤ more and⁣ more gun ​control. Only 12% of mass killings are “mass public shootings.” Most mass killings are familicides – ‍murders of family members or ⁢intimate‌ partners – and felony-related killings – robberies or gang-related turf battles. Mass ‍public shootings account for less than one-half-of-one percent ‍of ​all gun deaths every year.

ABC News reports, “…there are only 20 ‍million assault ‍rifles in the United States, a fraction of the estimated 400 million guns in the country.” In 2019,⁣ handguns were used in 62% of the nation’s gun ⁤murders,⁢ according‍ to FBI data.

“According⁣ to a 2016 Survey of⁢ Prison Inmates from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, handguns were ⁤the⁢ most common‌ type of gun possessed by federal and state prisoners. About 18% of the prisoners said‍ they possessed a handgun, and 2% or less possessed a⁤ rifle or shotgun,” according⁢ to ABC‍ News.

Criminals, by definition,​ do not care about‌ the law. That is what makes them criminals. The same prison inmate survey found that only 7% of prisoners purchased their weapons under their own name from⁤ a licensed dealer. More than half of prisoners had stolen the⁢ weapon,‍ found it at the scene of a crime, ⁢or obtained it off ‌the ⁢street or from the underground market. Furthermore, from August 1988 through August 2019, more⁢ than “85 percent ‍of Mass Public Shootings occurred in gun-free zones.” Criminals⁣ don’t care about the law, ‍so gun laws will not‍ affect ⁤them.

In addition, although the law will likely be strictly enforced ​in Chicago, most Illinois county⁣ sheriffs have issued statements‌ announcing they will not enforce the law. More than‌ half the counties in the state have passed resolutions, declaring ⁢themselves “2nd‌ amendment sanctuary counties.”

And if our⁢ leaders really wanted to save lives, shouldn’t‌ they be banning cars and‍ trucks?​ 46,980 people died in motor vehicle crashes nationwide in​ 2021. By contrast, less than half that number‌ of people, 20,958 died as a⁤ result ‍of gun violence. ⁣The right to bear arms is⁢ guaranteed‍ in the Constitution, the right to drive a car is not. It’s a simple comparison, but it shows how politicians aren’t ‍worried ​about saving lives,‌ they are worried about making headlines.

The Illinois gun law does allow those who owned the now-banned guns and magazines prior​ to the ⁢law’s enactment can keep them … but only if they are registered with law ⁢enforcement, effectively creating an Illinois gun registry.

The Elimination of Cash Bail

Not satisfied with disarming ⁢law-abiding citizens, Illinois also decided to become one of the only states to eliminate cash bail for people arrested and ⁢awaiting ‌trial for their crimes. Under the new law, called “the SAFE-T Act,” Judges across Illinois will not require those charged with a crime to post bail in order ⁢to leave jail while they await trial.

Prosecutors from ‍rural Southern Illinois to Chicago are concerned by a section of the law that they say appears to identify a subset of​ crimes in which the ⁣only reason a defendant could be held in jail awaiting‍ trial is if there is⁤ a high likelihood, they’ll flee to avoid prosecution. ⁣Those crimes ⁢include aggravated battery, robbery, burglary, aggravated ⁢DUI, kidnapping, vehicular homicide, and all drug ​offenses.

The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police opposed the law and called a recent decision by ‌the Illinois State Supreme Court “a slap ⁢in the face to those who ​enforce our laws and the people those ‌laws are supposed to protect. The court ignored the pleas of nearly every prosecutor in the state ⁤of Illinois, Democrat and Republican, ‍that the elimination⁢ of cash bail will put dangerous criminals back on the street, instead of keeping ​them in jail or forcing ‍them to post cash bail as they await trial,”⁣ the group said.

This policy will almost ⁤inevitably⁤ result in more crime, with many examples of its shortcomings⁤ in other⁣ liberal‌ cities. In Yolo County, California, the District Attorney’s Office conducted a review of the re-arrest of people released ​from‌ under the $0 bail initiative. The study found that more than 70% of those released were rearrested, with 29% of rearrested for a crime of violence including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, carjacking, and domestic violence.

Allowing Non-Citizens to Become Police Officers

And‌ now, the⁢ brain trust in Illinois has ⁣decided that non-citizens can become police and arrest American citizens. Illinois ⁤House Bill 3751 was just signed into⁣ law‍ and⁢ beginning January 1, 2024, will allow illegal⁣ immigrants with valid federal work permits and DACA recipients to join law enforcement in Illinois – something that federal laws ‌currently forbid. What could possibly go wrong?

These three laws reinforce that the Left actually embraces​ violence and ​chaos, especially in Democrat-controlled cities like Chicago. Disarm​ the citizens and‌ free the criminals.

The Left ‍knows the ⁣answer⁣ to the gun crisis, they just don’t like it. Reducing the number of criminal shootings requires authorities​ to enforce the‍ gun ‍laws⁣ that are in place‍ rather than pleading them down, keep criminals in jail, eliminate “gun-free zones,” and expand the right for citizens⁢ to legally carry a concealed weapon. Criminals will start thinking twice if the person next to them could ⁤be a good ⁣guy with a gun.

Jim‍ Nelles is ⁤a Navy veteran and ⁢supply ⁢chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in the ⁢Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and the Daily Wire. ‌He has served as a chief⁢ procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.

The views expressed⁣ in this piece are those of the author and do not ⁢necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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