IL Semiautomatic Gun Ban Ready for Pritzker's Signature

Illinois is on the verge of banning the sale or possession of semiautomatic weapons after the House on Tuesday approved prohibiting the firearms.

The House voted 68-41 to make Illinois the ninth state, & Washington, D.C., to prohibit the sale or possession of semiautomatic weapons. The vote concurred with a plan the Senate OK’d on Monday night, which means it’s ready to move to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has already announced he’ll sign it.

This action is driven largely in part by the killing of seven people at a 4th of July parade last year in Highland Park.

The legislation would ban dozens of specific brands or types of rifles and handguns, .50-caliber guns & attachments and rapid-firing devices. No rifle could accommodate more than 10 rounds, with a 15-round limit for handguns.

Those who currently own such guns would have to register them with the Illinois State Police. Merchants could sell or return current stock and Illinois-based manufacturers could sell their wares outside Illinois or to law enforcement.