Illinois lawmakers pushing effective ban on Glocks, other pistols with certain trigger style
Rep. CD Davidsmeyer (left) questions Rep. Justin Slaughter about a bill that would prohibit guns with cruciform triggers from being sold in Illinois. (Bridgette Fox/Journal-Courier)
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An Illinois House committee has passed a bill that effectively would ban popular Glock firearms and other pistols that experts claim can be easily modified into “machine guns.”
The bill would ban the sale of any pistol with a cruciform trigger — previously trademarked by Glock — in Illinois, though there is an exception for law enforcement agencies. It passed the House’s committee on gun violence prevention in a 9-5 vote along party lines, with Democrats for and Republicans against.
People who already own Glock pistols would not have to give up their weapons, according to the bill’s language. Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Orland Park, the bill’s main sponsor, said the bill is a responsible action to curb gun violence because Glock pistols can be modified using common household tools.
“This is a consumer product safety measure,” he said.
Glock sells similar pistols in Europe that don’t have a cruciform trigger, Slaughter said, noting the company would be allowed to sell those pistols in Illinois, though they currently aren’t sold in the United States.
“It is to put pressure on Glock; it’s eaten away at one of its markets, like California, and New York, and Maryland, and Illinois, and anyone else who will join in this fight to make sure they can’t continue to sell guns that they know are this easy to convert into machine guns,” said Sam Levy, director of Everytown for Gun Safety.
Rep. CD Davidsmeyer, a Murrayville Republican who represents part of west-central Illinois, said the bill is an infringement on Second Amendment rights.
This kind of policy falls in line with market regulation that a state’s general assembly might normally take up, Levy said.
“The Second Amendment right doesn’t extend to every type of firearm you might enjoy,” Levy said. “You have every right to carry your own for your protection, for your safety and your home as you see fit. I respect that entirely. However, that right does not mean to choose any make, any model, including models that are especially dangerous and that are uniquely lethal.”
Davidsmeyer and other Republicans disagree, saying the removal of choice still is an infringement on the Second Amendment.
One expert estimated that 80% of guns on the market wouldn’t be effected.
John Weber, Illinois director of the National Rifle Association, said he doesn’t think the bill would reduce gun crimes.
The NRA is suing California over its version of the law, which is set to take effect July 1.
Another bill out of committee Wednesday intends to make Firearm Owner Identification reinstatement more thorough for people who have had mental health evaluations. It “specifies evaluator qualifications, training requirements, consent and notice requirements, collateral record obligations, evaluator attestations, documentation standards, and reporting requirements to the Illinois State Police,” according to its language.
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