Gun Violence Prevention Advocates hold Springfield news conference on eve of Gun Dealer License vote

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Nov. 7, 2017 - PRLog -- Just five short weeks ago, the 100 organization strong Illinois Gun Violence Prevention Coalition (ILGVP) launched the #OurOneJob is to keep our kids safe project to generate support for SB 1657, the Gun Dealer Licensing Act. The bill would stop a major source of illegally trafficked guns from entering Illinois communities by requiring criminal background checks for gun store employees, training for employees to help stop straw purchases and basic store security measures to prevent theft.

At a Springfield news conference on Tuesday, coalition representatives stood with bill co-sponsors Illinois State Representative Kathy Willis (D-Addison) and Illinois State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) to discuss the status of the effort and the broad support the measure has from constituents, experts and the professionals who deal with the impact of gun violence first hand.

To date, the #OurOneJob campaign has been seen nearly 1.3 million times -- leading 433,330 people to take action.  This constituent-driven effort was responsible for tens of thousands of contacts -- phone calls, emails, petition signatures, social media shares and in-person visits to lawmakers.

"Innocent lives are taken--sometimes in mass shootings and every day in our neighborhoods--and yet we keep doing nothing. Doing nothing is unacceptable. SB 1657 is an opportunity to enact simple measures that can save lives without infringing the rights of law abiding gun owners," said bill co-sponsor Sen. Harmon.

With the shared goal of combating the gun violence that is tearing apart families and communities throughout Illinois, the coalition acknowledged some of the prominent supporters of this common-sense gun violence prevention measure, including:

Law enforcement officials, including Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson; Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx; retired military officers; retired Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm agents and many more;

Civic leaders like Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and many others;

Faith leaders of all denominations, who are often the go-to source for aid and comfort when gun violence hits their respective communities, joined the effort in full force;

Medical professionals, like the pediatricians at Lurie Children's Hospital, who witness heartbreaking fatalities and attempt to repair unthinkable physical damage support 1657. Just last week they shared that gun violence is now the leading cause of death for Illinois children.

"Over the course of just 5 weeks, the Our One Job campaign had a profound impact on the debate over gun dealer licensing," said Kathleen Sances, ILGVP coalition member and Executive Director of G-PAC. "Members of the Illinois Gun Violence Prevention Coalition (https://ilgvp.com/), especially the parents who have found the strength to turn their unimaginable grief into action – have worked tirelessly to demonstrate that SB 1657 will help combat gun violence."

All the reports, data and polling only strengthen the case for the Gun Dealer Licensing Act. For example:

·       There wasn't a single district with an approval rating of SB 1657 below 86%.  In some districts, 91% of constituents favor gun dealer licensing.

·       About 40% of guns recovered in Chicago are traced to gun dealers in Illinois, according to the Chicago Gun Trace Report which analyzes data to figure out the origin of guns being used in crimes.

·       Since 2013, more than 7,000 crime guns were recovered each year by the Chicago Police Department – a rate far above LA and NYC.

Fifteen other states, and the District of Columbia, require dealers to obtain a license to sell firearms. Research shows the states with licensing and oversight of gun stores saw reduced gun trafficking from in-state stores by 64%.

"There is no one perfect solution, but gun dealer licensing is a strategy that we already know works. I strongly urge my fellow lawmakers to listen to their constituents and the experts, and take action now. A yes vote on SB 1657 will help keep Illinois children safe from gun violence," concluded co-sponsor Rep. Willis.