Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HJR0051
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Full Text of HJR0051  96th General Assembly

HJ0051ham002 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 


 
HJ0051HAM002 LRB096 12504 GRL 27693 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 51

2     AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend House Joint Resolution 51 by
3 replacing everything after the heading with the following:
4     "WHEREAS, Illegal interstate firearms trafficking and the
5 gun violence that results from it have become growing problems
6 in all portions of the State of Illinois, other areas of the
7 Midwest, and throughout the nation; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Children and students are too often the victims of
9 gun crimes, in their homes and on our streets, before, after,
10 and during school hours; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Since the current school year started in September
12 2008, thirty-six Chicago Public School students have been shot
13 and killed; and
 
14     WHEREAS, In Gun Violence: The Real Costs, a book written by
15 Philip J. Cook and Jens Ludwig, the data collected by the

 

 

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1 authors show the cost of security in Chicago public high
2 schools to be $41 million a year, and the costs of security in
3 suburban and downstate Illinois schools are similarly rising
4 rapidly; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Since the federal ban on assault weapons was
6 lifted in 2004, the Chicago Police Department has seized 1,547
7 such weapons; and
 
8     WHEREAS, According to a five-year study conducted by the
9 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 43% of
10 all guns seized within five police districts in the City of
11 Chicago originated in Mississippi; and
 
12     WHEREAS, There is an enormous number of illegal guns in
13 Chicago, other areas of Illinois, and throughout the Midwest,
14 and 80% of murder victims in Chicago are killed by guns;
15 therefore, be it
 
16     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
18 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Interstate
19 Gun Trafficking Task Force within the Illinois State Police, to
20 consist of the following: (1) the Director of State Police or
21 his designee; (2) the Illinois Attorney General or her
22 designee; (3) the Cook County States Attorney or her designee;

 

 

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1 (4) the Sheriff of Cook County or his designee; (5) the
2 Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department or his
3 designee; (6) two appointees of the Governor who are
4 representatives of suburban or downstate law enforcement
5 officials; (7) the Executive Director of the Illinois
6 Association of Chiefs of Police or his or her designee; (8) the
7 Executive Director of the Illinois Sheriffs' Association or his
8 or her designee; (9) a member of the Illinois State's
9 Attorney's Association; (10) a member of the Illinois House
10 chosen by the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives;
11 (11) a member of the Illinois House chosen by the Minority
12 Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives; (12) a member
13 of the Illinois Senate chosen by the President of the Illinois
14 Senate; (13) a member of the Illinois Senate chosen by the
15 Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate; and (14) the DuPage
16 County State's Attorney or his designee; and be it further
 
17     RESOLVED, That all appointments shall be made no later than
18 45 days following adoption of this resolution; and be it
19 further
 
20     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall study measures that
21 help reduce illegal interstate gun trafficking in Illinois and
22 the harmful effects of such activity; and be it further
 
23     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall choose its chair and

 

 

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1 other officers and meet at the call of the chair; and be it
2 further
 
3     RESOLVED, That the members of the Task Force shall serve
4 without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their
5 reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for
6 that purpose; and be it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its findings and
8 recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly on or
9 before December 31, 2010; and be it further
 
10     RESOLVED, That legislatures of other states in the Midwest
11 are encouraged to create interstate gun trafficking task forces
12 in their respective states, which task forces may cooperate
13 with the Task Force created by this resolution and with each
14 other; and be it further
 
15     RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to
16 the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, the
17 President of the Illinois Senate, the Minority Leader of the
18 Illinois House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the
19 Illinois Senate, the Governor of the State of Illinois, and the
20 Director of the Illinois State Police.".