The spokesman for Gun Owners of America explains why state officials need to take a closer look at their controversial gun law.
The state of Illinois recently passed PICA, or the Protect Illinois Communities Act, which essentially bans the sale or transfer of any sort of rifles that are considered “assault weapons.” Furthermore, anyone who currently owns them must register them with the state of January 1, 2024, or face potential penalties. It also bans the sales of “switches” and caps the size of magazines.
However, the law is getting major pushback. Several Illinois county sheriffs have already confirmed that they refuse to enforce the law. In fact, Sheriff Jeff Connor of Madison County released a statement, indicating reason behind the refusal. “The Madison County Sheriff’s Office will not expend its limited resources to check whether otherwise law-abiding gun owners have registered their weapons with the State,” nor are they “arresting or housing otherwise law-abiding individuals solely due to non-compliance with HB 5471 (the Illinois law).”
This has sent state officials into a frenzy to defend the newly instated law, but now one county has gone even further. ABC 7 reports that McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally has filed a challenge to the law, which has now been transferred to federal court. “I think that one of the problems with this bill is that a criminalizes vast swaths of the Illinois population, including many in McHenry County, and that’s not legislation in furtherance of the public good or of what we need here in Illinois that seems to be highly political and also problematic,” he noted in a statement.
Joining us now to discuss the effects of this law is Stephen Willeford, a spokesman for the Gun Owners of America. You may recall in 2017 how he stopped the Sutherland Springs, Texas mass shooting, acting as the “good guy with a gun.” His expertise is welcome in this matter.
Q&A:
- Do you think state officials scrambled to put this law into effect following both the decision of the Supreme Court regarding New York’s gun law and what took place in Highland Park last summer? Or is it something else that you believe drove this decision?
- What kind of effect does this law have on private gun owners, or those that wish to practice Constitutional-Carry (or Concealed-Carry to some)?
- Do you believe the sheriffs are doing the right thing in challenging the law, even as they come under pressure by state officials?
- Now that a challenge has been filed by McHenry County, do you believe the court will take the law out of effect? Or will Illinois officials try to keep it going?
- Could other states, such as New York, try to follow Illinois’ example of restrictive gun laws? Do you believe they’ll have any sort of effect when it comes to keeping people safe?
- You’ve often talked about the effectiveness of Constitutional-Carry (or Concealed-Carry) over restrictive gun laws. What makes this such a safer alternative?
- Tell us more about your “hero with a gun” incident in 2017.
- Where can we learn more about you, as well as the Gun Owners of America?
My official website is http://www.stephenwilleford.com. You can read more about the Gun Owners of America at https://www.gunowners.org/.
About Stephen Willeford…
Stephen represents the Gun Owners of America and is known around the country as the “good guy with the gun” for helping stop the largest Texas mass shooting in the history of the state in 2017. He is available to speak about all 2nd Amendment issues, as well as the importance of the Gun Owners of America. You can read more about him at http://www.stephenwilleford.com.
CONTACT: Jerry McGlothlin at: geraldmcg@outlook.com or 919-437-0001.
