Rock Island Today

After re-entering the Capitol after a March 14 Senate walkout in conjunction with a nationwidel protest against gun violence, two Republican senators fervently fired off their feelings over proposed gun control legislation.

Sens. Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) and Neil Anderson (R-Andalusia) did not refrain from expressing their concern over HB1467 sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago). 

After the symbolic bipartisan walkout, Kwame said it was time to act on the bill, which would criminalize the unlawful use of any weapon that is sold, purchased, possessed or manufactured with a bump stock or trigger crank.

Sen. Dale A. Righter (R-Matton) makes it clear March 14 gun legislation bill further divides GOP and Democrat lawmakers

Righter got right to the point, speaking straight to the bill.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, one of the consistent and adamant cries that we have heard from members of this General Assembly, oftentimes Mr. President from the majority party, is a cry for bipartisanship,” Righter said. “And the notion that Republicans in the gun lobby, the Second Amendment advocates, need to come forward and say ‘We can do this.’”

He began listing names.

“Sen. (Michael) Connelly (R-Lisle), Sen. (Chris) Nybo (R-Elmhurst), Sen. Anderson, Sen. (William) Haine (D-Alton) – all have bills on issues related to this that are sitting in assignments going nowhere, including a bump stock ban that would get broad bipartisan support,” Righter said.

Rather than use the Republican-drafted legislation, Democrats bring in a new bill with an amendment from the House with added language and repeals from five years ago.

“And why,” Righter asked. “So, we can have a debate, so we can have an argument.”

Pointing to senators on the other side of the aisle, Righter said, “You have the opportunity, you do … to bring proposals out that Republicans and Democrats can support together, including the much-hailed bump stock ban.

“But you choose instead … to put language in that is a poison pill, which leads the objective observer more and more and more to the conclusion that you don’t really want bipartisan compromise and progress on these issues,” he said

He said if the bill was voted down and the bump stock ban bill already filed in the Senate was brought out, then “we could all join hands together and have the bipartisan victory that you all say you want.”

But that is not what Democrats will do, he added.

“You are going to load it up with language that you know Republicans and Second Amendment advocates are not for, and you will go out and claim your victory,” Righter said.

Anderson noted the “good news” though was that President Donald Trump’s administration proposed a rule banning bump stocks nationwide, but the bad news was the bill language, which personally bothers him as an avid shooter.

“When you buy a gun, the first thing you modify is the trigger,” Anderson said. “Everybody pulls different and the weight is adjusted for that person, and it makes it more accurate, especially when you are competition shooting.”

The last thing Anderson said he wants is to become a felon because he modified the trigger on his gun.

“The other concern I have under this bill is that it would ban the production of re-enactment guns,” Anderson said, adding the cliche that if we do not learn from our history, we are bound to repeat it. “And when it comes to the Second Amendment, if we don’t understand why we have that right and why it’s there, we are bound to repeat history.”

The bill passed 37-16 and was moved to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk.