SPRINGFIELD – Today Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC) Illinois is launching the “Our One Job” campaign, a digital advertising and grassroots advocacy effort to pass the Block Illegal Ownership and Fix the FOID Bill (BIO Bill) and curb the flow of illegal guns that cause too many preventable gun violence tragedies. The ads highlight the importance of closing dangerous loopholes in our gun laws and are part of a renewed legislative push to pass the BIO bill in the current Spring session, after it successfully passed the House in the previous General Assembly. You can view a version of the ad here.
“Our one job is to keep our children safe, yet for communities across Illinois that job gets more difficult by the day,” said Kathleen Sances, Gun Violence Prevention PAC President. “After losing more than 100 children to gun violence since the BIO Bill passed the House in 2019, we are ramping up our advocacy efforts with legislators, law enforcement officials, and faith leaders from across the state to urge both chambers to pass this legislation now and help end the scourge of gun violence plaguing our state.”
“To protect our children and our communities, we must act now,” said State Senate Sponsor Ram Villivalam. “Our statewide coalition is moving to pass common sense gun safety legislation such as background checks that would block illegal gun ownership and help keep our youth safe.”
“Our highest calling is keeping our kids safe,” said State Representative Sponsor Kathleen Willis. “Our coalition of community leaders has seen gun violence plague communities across our state and is acting now to pass common sense gun safety legislation to help curb the gun violence that takes too many children from us.”
“I’ve seen firsthand the devastation caused by illegal firearms,” said Phil Andrew, former FBI agent, safety and security expert and gun violence survivor. “The evidence is clear. Background checks based on positive identification work for public safety and protecting rights. That’s why I join leaders in law enforcement, public health, domestic violence prevention and lawful gun owners across Illinois in urging our lawmakers in Springfield to pass this common sense gun safety legislation and help us all do our most important job: keeping kids and communities safe.”
“Gun violence took my husband from me two years ago and it continues to take so many other Illinoisans, including children, from communities across our state,” said Abby Parks, widow of Aurora shooting victim Clay Parks. “We cannot wait to fix the loophole that led to my husband’s death — legislators in Springfield must pass this common sense gun safety legislation now so every child can have the future we owe them.”
“Every child in this country is born with a God-given right to a full life; every time gun violence rips their future from them, we all fail,” said Reverend Ciera Bates-Chamberlain. “Lawmakers in Springfield have an opportunity to pass common sense gun safety legislation; we urge them to seize this moment and help us better protect our children and the futures God intends for them.”
Get more facts on the BIO Bill here.
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To download a full version our press release, click here.
