Kankakee Times

State Rep. Thomas M. Bennett (R-Gibson City) is advocating against HB5855, the Protect Illinois Communities Act. 

On his website, he encourages the public to oppose the bill, noting that it would "outlaw individual hunting for people under the age of 21 and would require a registration fee of $25 per firearm to be paid to the State of Illinois." An "overreach by the government," Bennett wrote on his gun rights petition form.

“Friends, Please join me in fighting HB5855. HB 5855 would effectively criminalize ownership of entire classes of firearms by Illinoisans,” Bennett said on Facebook. “Please show your opposition by signing the petition and supporting the Second Amendment! Together we can stop this overreach by the government.” 

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Sterling) called the bill unconstitutional. “While HB 5855 is likely far from in its final form, the constitutionality of the bill will certainly go before the courts,” McCombie told Prairie State Wire. 

Some are warning the bill may do more harm to gun control proponents' efforts than good. Guns Save Life founder John Boch spoke out against the legislation. He said that HB 5855 would criminalize the owners of semi-automatic weapons and will bring out a pro-gun sentiment. “I think this bill is going to be what’s gonna wake up the sleeping giants who say ‘hey, no, we’ve had enough. You never are satisfied by taking little pieces so we’re going to take a bigger chunk of the pie back this time,’” Boch told WMAY, Lake County Gazette reported. “(Bill sponsor Rep.) Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) is going to lose in court, and not only is he going to lose this, but I anticipate he’s going to get a whole lot of Illinois gun laws that are currently on the books struck, and that’s going to lead to a much safer society for all of us from criminals.”

Critics have argued the legislation will criminalize regular Illinoisans and have little effect on criminals. “I would say it’s somewhere between two and 10 million magazines, and it’s a massive impact,” Dan Eldridge, of gun dealers’ association Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois told The Center Square. “These are the standard magazines that come with a duty-sized pistol even, they’re the standard magazines that come with a rifle. These are not aftermarket extended capacity magazines. ... With an immediate effective date, mere possession of a – and I’m not going to use their words, I’m going to use accurate words – mere possession of a standard-capacity magazine is a crime. There’s no getting around that. So you’ve got Second Amendment issues. You’ve got Fourth Amendment issues. You’ve got Fourteenth Amendment issues. You can’t do this.”