Gathering to call for a comprehensive and well-funded approach to reducing gun violence, advocates spoke at a “Stop The Violence” rally in front of the state capitol Wednesday.

State Senator Jacqueline Collins joined other officeholders that included Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton to address activists, who included anti-violence group inVEST. Advocates called for a plan funded in part by the legalization of cannabis to fund programs aimed at attacking the root causes of gun violence and reinvesting in communities long hurt by punitive public policy.

CHICAGO–State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after an unknown gunman shot and killed an 18-year-old man and wounded another person at Orland Square Mall Monday night: 

“Last night, I, unfortunately, witnessed two tragedies. The first was yet another senseless shooting, as a young man was gunned down literally a few feet away from where I was shopping with my family, along with other families, at Orland Square Mall.

State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) issued the following statement on the shooting at Mercy Hospital in Chicago yesterday:

“I am deeply saddened to hear about the horrific shooting at Mercy Hospital in Bronzeville yesterday. I am praying for all those who were affected. To the families of the victims—I cannot even begin to fathom the pain you are experiencing, but please know that our community is here for you.

CHICAGO—State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) issued the following statement in response to testimony from Illinois Department of Public Health Director Nirav Shah stating that gun violence is a public health crisis:

“I am glad Director Shah agrees with me that the level of gun violence plaguing our communities is unacceptably high and is a public health crisis requiring our immediate attention.  Now that we can agree that gun violence is in fact a health crisis, Gov. Rauner and the Department of Public Health need to allocate funds and start research on the matter so we can figure out how to best address this epidemic affecting our communities.

“We continue to see tragedies across our state and nation resulting from gun violence. Three people were killed and at least seven were wounded in shootings over last weekend in the city of Chicago, and on Sunday, an Illinois resident took the lives of four unsuspecting victims at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee.

It is time for us to address the root causes of gun violence as opposed to bowing to the whims of the gun lobby, so we can do everything possible to prevent gun violence from continuing to harm our communities.”

As governor, Bruce Rauner slashed funding for mental health programs, leaving thousands of people without needed services and costing people their jobs.

Now, the governor wants to create a new working group to explore the connection between mental health and public safety and come up with recommendations for him to consider.

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton points out the governor’s inconsistencies and in a recently published opinion piece calls on the governor to join efforts to do something right now about mental health and gun violence rather than create another government group and schedule more meetings.

“Last weekend, millions of people across this country joined March For Our Lives rallies. They didn’t demand more government meetings. They demand action, and I think they deserve it,” Cullerton says.

“Before assembling another batch of bureaucrats to ponder possibilities, the governor should take action on what’s right in front of him.”

You can read Senate President Cullerton’s opinion piece here:
Quad-City Times - Guest view: Rauner can prove he's serious about mental health, guns
State Journal-Register - John Cullerton: Gov. Rauner, don’t silence gun safety movement
Daily Herald - Cullerton: We need action on existing gun bills, not more work groups

SPRINGFIELD –In an effort to stop gun violence in Illinois, State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) voted in favor of restrictions on people under 21 years old owning assault weapons, a measure banning devices that turn firearms into fully automatic machine guns and legislation to institute a 72-hour waiting period between applying for and purchasing an assault weapon.

Sen. Aquino released the following statement:

“As students across the country advocated for better gun laws, I voted to take real action and stop the bloodshed. After last month’s massacre in Florida and countless other incidences of violence in our schools, places of worship, homes and neighborhoods, it is long past time to do something.

“Governor Rauner recently vetoed legislation that would require gun dealers to be licensed and held accountable by the state. This time, I hope that he will put the safety of our communities above the interests of the gun lobby by signing these proposals into law.”

SPRINGFIELD – Following passage in the House, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) will serve as the chief co-sponsor of legislation to ban bump stocks in Illinois.

“I do not believe that there is any reason anyone should be able to modify a gun to make it an automatic weapon,” Murphy said. “Sensible gun legislation is a start to preventing mass shootings and preventing access to this tool is a good start.”

House Bill 1467 bans the sale, manufacture, purchase, possession or carrying of a bump stock or trigger crank. A bump stock attaches to a rifle to make the weapon fire more quickly. House Bill 1467 is currently in the Senate Assignments Committee.

SPRINGFIELD – In the wake of the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas earlier this week, State Senator Julie Morrison (D – Deerfield) announced today she is filing legislation to ban “trigger modification devices” such as “bump stocks,” which are attachments to semiautomatic rifles that drastically increase the number of bullets fired from a weapon.

“Bump stocks serve no purpose but to inflict maximum carnage on a target and have no place in our communities,” Morrison said. “The federal loophole allowing bump stocks is essentially giving the green light for individuals to purchase and unfortunately use weapons that act just like a fully automatic weapon – which has been banned in this country since 1986.”

SPRINGFIELD – At least 17 people were killed and 41 others wounded, including four teenagers, an eighth-grade student and twin 17-year-old boys, making it Chicago’s deadliest weekend of the year. State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) released the following statement:

“Our communities are in pain and instead of uniting together, we find ourselves battling one another for survival. But if we continue to kill each other, who will uphold our legacies? It is disheartening to watch communities suffer at the hand of gun violence.