After emotional pleas from Cardinal Blase Cupich and a chorus of gun safety advocates, the Illinois House passed legislation this week requiring gun dealers to be licensed by the state, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The House passed other measures to raise the minimum age to purchase an assault rifle to 21, to ban the sale of bump stocks and to require a 72-hour “cooling off” period on assault rifle sales. The gun dealer licensing bill was sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk.

“This is one of the most important bills that we will vote on this session because this bill will put a huge dent in the ability of criminals, straw purchasers to get these guns and sell them to gang members who then bring them into our streets and kill people,’ state Rep. Scott Drury, D-Highwood, said during a lengthy debate.”

This is a post related to the Gun Policy strategy of the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities.