Newly-elected Governor Pritzker signed the controversial gun licensing bill, Senate Bill 337, on Jan. 17. Opponents to the measure argue that the bill places a hard financial burden on smaller gun stores—demanding high licensing fees, containing high fines and mandating electronic based record keeping.
State Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg), who opposed the Senate Bill 337 when it came before the Senate, voiced his concerns about the Governor’s action:
“While I can recognize the efforts from the new Administration to act swiftly to address gun violence in our state, I cannot support a measure that unfairly targets small gun dealers and fails to address some of the fundamental factors that contribute to gun crimes,” said Senator Fowler. “The demands of Senate Bill 337 upon our firearm dealers are costly, leaving me to question how we can expect the smaller gun sellers of our state—just like the ones that operate here in Southern Illinois—to afford this bill. Duplicative and unaffordable regulation isn’t the answer.”
Senate Bill 337 passed out of the Senate by a vote of 35 to 20 and was eligible to go before the Governor on May 30, 2018.