State Rifle Association Threatening Suit Over "Ghost Gun" Bill
An unserialized, or “ghost gun” displayed in a recent Washington Post story.
A ban on “ghost guns,” homemade or home-built firearms without a serial number hasn’t even gotten to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk after the legislature passed it Friday night. But the likely law is soon to be challenged in court.
Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson says the organization is considering challenging the bill, which Governor Pritzker is expected to sign, in court.
“Do you think criminals are going to go in and serialize their ghost guns? I don’t think so,” said Pearson. “It’s a ruse just to push gun control on law abiding citizens. It’s not going to do anything to impact criminals. They don’t care.”
The legislation requires all guns, including 3D printed guns, to have a serial numbers. Guns without a serial number would be required to have one added or face criminal penalties. Numerous handguns and semi-automatic rifles can be built at home with aftermarket parts that don’t include a traditional serial number. Ghost gun owners would have six months to have the weapons serialized.
Pearson says a ban on ghost guns is only going to impact hobbyists or home builders who follow the law and won’t impact criminals using unserialized guns to commit crimes already.
But Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, one of the top proponents of the ban, says it will impact crime.
“The rapid proliferation of these weapons is alarming and they are intentionally being used by individuals who want to thwart investigations – a clear threat to public safety,” Dart said in a statement. “We must close this legal loophole to give us the tools to try to stop the flow of these weapons.”
Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) sponsored the legislation in the Senate last week. She praised the Biden administration for plans for a similar ghost gun ban and said Illinois should enact its legislation immediately.
“Although I’m proud to see this threatening issue be taken to the national stage, Illinois must act quickly to enact my legislation to ban the production and distribution of ghost guns.” Collins said in a statement. “We cannot allow fatal gun violence to continue to run rampant in our communities. HB 4383 tackles these issues at their source.”
Pearson says existing laws should be prosecuted before making new laws aimed at limiting law abiding gun owners.
“The fact is that [prosecutors] aren’t punishing the criminals and they don’t intend to punish the criminals,” Pearson said. “We’ve supported gun trafficking [laws]. We don’t want those things here either. If you’re not going to punish the people who commit these crimes, then why do we have all these stupid laws?”