The Illinois state House rejected a gun control measure by a vote of 54-48 Thursday, that would have banned bump stocks and other devices that allow guns and rifles to fire ammunition faster.
The bill was brought before the House by Democratic Rep. Marty Moylan in response to the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas, according to The Illinois News Network.
Critics felt the bill’s language was too broad and would lead to confusion, making law abiding gun owners into criminals. If passed into law, the bill would have made owning weapons with trigger enhancements a Class 2 felony, carrying a sentence of three to seven years in prison.
One of the main opponents of the bill, Democratic Rep. Jerry Costello, spoke with The Daily Caller News Foundation and said the proposal was too broad and unfairly targeted average citizens and competition shooters.
Democratic Rep. Chris Welch, who supports the bill, said lawmakers shouldn’t turn their backs on their constituents in favor of gun manufacturers. “We don’t represent gun dealers and manufacturers. We represent people,” Welch said.
Ten Democrats voted agains the bill and 16 members from both parties were not present for the vote and avoided going on record. A similar watered down bill seeking to regulate bump stocks has been filed by Republican Rep. Barb Wheeler, but has thus far stalled in the Rules Committee.
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