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Illinois lawmakers are considering a new way to cover the costs of violence: Send part of the bill to firearm manufacturers.
The proposed Responsibility in Firearm Legislation Act, or RIFL Act, would create a state licensing program for gunmakers selling firearms in Illinois.
Manufacturers would pay annual fees into a special fund supporting violence intervention and victim services. The state would calculate each company’s share partly through an “experience rating” tied to firearms recovered after shootings.
The latest Senate amendment sets the combined first-year fee at $50 million. Later fees could equal between 7% and 15% of estimated firearm-related costs borne by Illinois and its residents.
Gunmakers without a state license would eventually be locked out of the Illinois market. Retailers would also be prohibited from selling firearms made by unlicensed companies.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms says the proposal places the blame on the wrong people.
“Instead of putting criminals behind bars and keeping them off the streets,” CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb said, Illinois wants to hold manufacturers financially responsible for criminal acts.
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Gottlieb argues that most violent offenders did not legally obtain or possess their firearms in the first place. Charging manufacturers will not change that, he said. It will simply raise costs that eventually reach lawful gun buyers.
CCRKBA also disputes claims that the proposal would save Illinois hundreds of millions of dollars. Gottlieb says lawmakers would get better results by keeping repeat violent offenders behind bars and putting more officers in high-crime neighborhoods.
Supporters see the proposal differently. They argue that firearm injuries create enormous medical, law-enforcement and social-service costs. The companies profiting from gun sales, they say, should help cover some of those expenses.
That leaves Illinois with a pretty basic question: Should gunmakers help pay for the damage caused with their products, or should responsibility remain with the criminals who misuse them?
CCRKBA’s answer is clear.
“Bad actors who are kept in jails and prisons aren’t out on the streets,” Gottlieb said.
SB 2279 has not passed. The measure was re-referred to the Illinois Senate Assignments Committee on May 22, meaning it remains a proposal rather than law.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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Ya, lets charge the gun manufacturer great idea. And at the sametime let’s get the auto manufacturer and the gas company and any one else mechanics. Any one or any thing that has to do with cars to fork up their sure of cash cause of the accidents they cause on the roads and deaths by automobiles. Dumb asses lets blame the wrong people as usual. So you are going to blame someone might as while blame the Lord an get money out of him too.
Illinois does NOT want this. 90% of the state of Illinois is conservative. Only the WOKE idiots in the greater Chicago area and their liberal central to northern cities want this, and their woke, Pitzker paid for political hack judges and justices. If they want someone to pay for the shootings, have the anti 2ers that make the streets dangerous and Pritzker pay for the shootings, and stop making the Pro Gun, Pro Self Defense, Pro CCW conservatives pay for it. Look at the statistics and you’ll find that armed citizenry means safer streets and a more free populace. However, since there is a complete lack of logic in the woke crowd, I know this will never happen, because after all, if they were logical, they wouldn’t be woke, fascist, liberals.
Sue car companies for allowing drunk people to drive?
So the plan is to just let the criminal violence continue and throw some money afterwords. That’s what you get when a governor was raised with money to throw around. Why do you people keep electing these idiots?
silly idea.
This is like charging an auto maker for a drive by shooting or a knife manufacturer for a stabbing.
If anything or anyone should be charged, it should be the lenient courts that are letting these criminals off with lite sentences or early release.
Perhaps we should adjust income taxes by race based on criminal statistics.
I think the politicians should be fined for not doing their job. It’s their job to keep criminals under control. Prosecute, lock up as necessary. If you as leaders can’t do your job then you should be terminated immediately. No future in working for the people. We don’t want you we don’t need you. Get out!!
Then why not do the same for automobile manufacturers?
And if Illinois is anything like Colorado, and it is, just before the bill is finalized it will be modified in a back room deal that puts all the “fees” being levied into the general fund. This is because the politicians could give a fuck about actual safety or helping anyone. They just want more power. And using money from their enemies to buy votes from their block IS the playbook. Keep an eye on this.
It’s Illinois. It goes into to General fund for politicians, the after the dollars are taken and distributed , the change goes to whatever fund they claimed it is earmarked for.
The Demotrash ALWAYS project THEIR failings on others. That’s all they do.
It appears the U.S. Congress needs to update CHAPTER 105—PROTECTION OF LAWFUL COMMERCE IN ARMS, section 7902 to include protection not only from civil lawsuits, but punitive taxation.
Maybe if they enforce the laws that they.
So if Illinois tries to pass this law then everybody will sue automobiles makers when some asshole plows into a crowd.
Current law already does not allow firearm manufactures to be held responsible for misuse of their product just like you can’t sue Ford if a dunk driver kills people with his F-150. Illinois knows this, they just come up with unconstitutional BS then put them in force until somebody sues IL and it goes to the supreme court which can take years.
HOW STUPID, GUN MANUFACTURERS CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CRIMES THAT ARE COMMITTED AFTER THEY MAKE THE GUNS AND THEY ARE SOLD ALL OVER THE WORLD—–THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY TO ATTACT AND DESTROY OUR 2nd AMENDMENT RIGHTS— THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN CONSIDERED—– PERIOD ——–
So by this ‘rationale’ any company that makes forks and spoons should have to pay the extra medical costs associated with overweight folks. That makes even more sense since over eating is a choice for the most part, criminal actions are not the choice of the victims.
Using this logic then car makers need to pay for drunk drivers and drivers under the influence of drugs
I think we need to outlaw democrat/communist/socialist for destroying out country.
Gee if we’re talking hypotheticals here, then hypothetically speaking if violent criminals were shot and killed while committing their first felony, that would sure cut down on repeat offenders and be cheaper for the honest taxpaying citizens.
James S. –
You took the words right out of my mouth.
Drugmakers, surgeons, psychiatrists, automobile-baseball bat,-golfclub-kitchen knives-and-hammer-makers then must pay for resultant deaths they are responsible for, just like judges’ restitution for damage by crinimals they softheartedly (softheadedly) released on the public .
Guns were not invented/designed for murder and poaching, but for righteous defense, and (incidentally) legal hunting; cars and golfclubs were not invented for murder, either, but are used for it anyway. Misuse of an item is not the responsibility of the manufacturer nor seller of an item; who sells guns ( in america) advertising how good they are for alley holdups, street drive-bys, revenge, or home invasion?
How about indicting/suing government officials who fail in their sworn duty to protect their citizens from criminals. Particularly officials like Pritzker and the Chicago mayor.
Police departments should pay into the fund also. They are responsible for countless lawsuits and shootings.
Then lawmakers should have to pay for crime.
That’s the dumbest bravo sierra I’ve heard all year
What’s next??? Will they start making car makers start paying for car accidents??? Ridiculous!!!
This is the tax dodging Jay Bob Pritzker is attempting to extort money from law abiding commerce.
This is Ozempic chomping slob whose family championed abortions and all the pharmaceutical pills that damage our water tables but yet Pritzker will NOT allow tax free tips to the working class.
Maybe the propaganda hate mills of Hollywood and the top law enforcement agent (Governors) of each state should be held liable for the catch and release policies they allow.
Shouldn’t the shooters be paying for their crimes?
Confiscate the shooters assets. Most of these shootings are gang related, they have assets, usually cash, cars and jewelry. If the assets don’t cover it, a little labor at minimum wage for however long it takes to pay for the damages . Prison sentence should be measured in time it takes to pay off the debt to society and the victims.
Easy fix. Common sense and doesn’t violate anyone’s rights.
well quit selling to illinoise and see how that plays out with LE’s or start charging the state 1mil for each gun bought by the state and cities.