July 29, 2025 • 6 mins
Legislation led by State Senators Laura Ellman and Bill Cunningham to address gun violence in Illinois have been signed into law. Learn more about those new laws, plus the dedication of the Secretary of State's flagship building in honor of former Secretary of State Jesse White, in this edition of the News Brief.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to this edition of the News Brief, part of
the Sound of the State podcast series from the Illinois
Senate Democratic.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Caucus, keeping you up to date with what's happening in
Springfield and around the state. I'm colbe Huff. Unsecured weapons
in homes have caused devastating, it avoidable tragedies in recent years,
particularly involving children and teenagers. State Senator Laura Elman passed
a critical public safety law to strengthen gun storage standards
in Illinois, ensuring firearms are kept out of the hands
of children, vulnerable populations, and criminals. Studies show that unsecured firearms,
(00:54):
along with lost or stolen guns, are major contributors to suicides,
unintentional shootings, mass shootings, and escalating crime. Nearly fifty four
percent of gun owners do not securely lock all of
their firearms, and in three fourths of school shootings, the
shooter obtained the firearm from a parent or relative. Alarmingly,
eighty two percent of adolescent firearms suicides involve a gun
(01:14):
that belonged to a family member. Expanding existing law, Senator
Elman's new law requires gun owners to secure their firearms
if any minor, regardless of age, is present in the home,
ensuring that if a gun owner knows a child may
access their firearm, it must be securely stored and a
locked container. In addition to addressing gun storage, the legislation
highlights the broader issue of lost in stolen firearms and
(01:35):
estimated three hundred and eighty thousand firearms are stolen each
year from legal gun owners in the US, many of
which are funneled into illegal markets and used in crimes.
Lost firearms are three times more likely to be used
in a crime, while stolen guns are nine times more
likely to be involved in criminal activity. Thanks to Senator
Elman's leadership, Illinois is taking a significant step toward curbing
these outcomes. States that have adopted secure firearm storage laws
(01:58):
have seen up to a seventy eight percent DP increase
in unintentional shootings by children. Similarly, states with lost and
stolen firearm reporting requirements have experienced a forty six percent
reduction in illegal gun trafficking. State Senator Bill Cunningham's measure
to give law enforcement stronger tools to track down the
criminals bringing illegal guns into Illinois neighborhoods has been signed
into law. Under current law, firearm tracing is limited to
(03:10):
specific scenarios. Senator Cunningham's measure broadens that scope by requiring
firearm tracing in all cases where a gun is recovered
at the scene of a crime, is used unlawfully, or
is believed to be associated with a crime. The new
law also asks every law enforcement agency in Illinois to
participate in the Federal E Trace program, providing investigations with faster,
more complete data on gun origins, trafficking patterns, and crime links.
(03:33):
This will ensure consistent reporting and firearm tracing across all counties,
helping to close investigative loopholes and make communities safer. Illinois
Attorney General Quame roberl ads advocating for common sense gun
safety measures has been one of my top priorities throughout
my career. I initiated House Built thirteen seventy three as
part of that work. Because law enforcement agencies participation in
(03:53):
the ATFS E Trace platform is needed to identify gun
traffickers and suspects and patterns behind violent crimes. This law
will help strengthen my office's partnership with the ATF as
we regularly work together to address gun trafficking and other
gun crime cases. We cannot truly prevent gun violence unless
we make sure all Illinois law enforcement use every resource
available to trace crime guns. House Built thirteen seventy three
(04:15):
was signed into law this week and took effect immediately.
In a historic and heartfelt tribute to the Illinois Secretary
of State's flagship building has been officially named in honor
of Jesse White, the longest serving and most respected Secretary
of State in Illinois and American history. The dedication ceremony
and ribbon cutting took place recently in Chicago, marking the
culmination of legislation spearheaded by State Senator Willie Preston. Senator
(04:38):
Preston set in part, it was my honor to carry
this legislation through the Senate to ensure the legacy of
Secretary Jesse White is forever etched in the fabric of Illinois.
His decades of service, unwavering integrity, and transformative leadership of
shaped not only the Secretary of State's office, but public
service in this state and across the nation. The newly
named Jesse White Secretary of State Building stands as a
(04:59):
beacon of dedication, reform, and community impact, all hallmarks of
Secretary White's extraordinary career. First elected in nineteen ninety eight,
Jesse White served six terms and is widely credited with
modernizing the office, eliminating corruption, and championing youth mentorship programs
like the Jesse White Tumbling Team. Senator Preston continues. This
building now bears the name of a man who redefined
(05:20):
what public service should look like. It serves as a
permanent reminder to future generations of what it means to
lead with purpose, humility, and love for the people.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
For more on these stories and others, visit Illinois Senate
Democrats dot com, where you can also sign up to
receive our weekly Majority Report email newsletter. Our Sound of
the State podcast, featuring news updates and in depth conversations
with members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus on a
variety of subjects, is available wherever you get your audio,
including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iheartapp, Pandora, Spreaker, the Odyssey app,
(05:58):
and more. To find our podcasts, search Illinois Senate Democratic
Caucus on your platform of choice. From the Springfield Office
of the Senate President, Don Harmon, I'm Colby huff
Welcome to this edition of the News Brief, part of
the Sound of the State podcast series from the Illinois
Senate Democratic.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Caucus, keeping you up to date with what's happening in
Springfield and around the state. I'm colbe Huff. Unsecured weapons
in homes have caused devastating, it avoidable tragedies in recent years,
particularly involving children and teenagers. State Senator Laura Elman passed
a critical public safety law to strengthen gun storage standards
in Illinois, ensuring firearms are kept out of the hands
of children, vulnerable populations, and criminals. Studies show that unsecured firearms,
(00:54):
along with lost or stolen guns, are major contributors to suicides,
unintentional shootings, mass shootings, and escalating crime. Nearly fifty four
percent of gun owners do not securely lock all of
their firearms, and in three fourths of school shootings, the
shooter obtained the firearm from a parent or relative. Alarmingly,
eighty two percent of adolescent firearms suicides involve a gun
(01:14):
that belonged to a family member. Expanding existing law, Senator
Elman's new law requires gun owners to secure their firearms
if any minor, regardless of age, is present in the home,
ensuring that if a gun owner knows a child may
access their firearm, it must be securely stored and a
locked container. In addition to addressing gun storage, the legislation
highlights the broader issue of lost in stolen firearms and
(01:35):
estimated three hundred and eighty thousand firearms are stolen each
year from legal gun owners in the US, many of
which are funneled into illegal markets and used in crimes.
Lost firearms are three times more likely to be used
in a crime, while stolen guns are nine times more
likely to be involved in criminal activity. Thanks to Senator
Elman's leadership, Illinois is taking a significant step toward curbing
these outcomes. States that have adopted secure firearm storage laws
(01:58):
have seen up to a seventy eight percent DP increase
in unintentional shootings by children. Similarly, states with lost and
stolen firearm reporting requirements have experienced a forty six percent
reduction in illegal gun trafficking. State Senator Bill Cunningham's measure
to give law enforcement stronger tools to track down the
criminals bringing illegal guns into Illinois neighborhoods has been signed
into law. Under current law, firearm tracing is limited to
(03:10):
specific scenarios. Senator Cunningham's measure broadens that scope by requiring
firearm tracing in all cases where a gun is recovered
at the scene of a crime, is used unlawfully, or
is believed to be associated with a crime. The new
law also asks every law enforcement agency in Illinois to
participate in the Federal E Trace program, providing investigations with faster,
more complete data on gun origins, trafficking patterns, and crime links.
(03:33):
This will ensure consistent reporting and firearm tracing across all counties,
helping to close investigative loopholes and make communities safer. Illinois
Attorney General Quame roberl ads advocating for common sense gun
safety measures has been one of my top priorities throughout
my career. I initiated House Built thirteen seventy three as
part of that work. Because law enforcement agencies participation in
(03:53):
the ATFS E Trace platform is needed to identify gun
traffickers and suspects and patterns behind violent crimes. This law
will help strengthen my office's partnership with the ATF as
we regularly work together to address gun trafficking and other
gun crime cases. We cannot truly prevent gun violence unless
we make sure all Illinois law enforcement use every resource
available to trace crime guns. House Built thirteen seventy three
(04:15):
was signed into law this week and took effect immediately.
In a historic and heartfelt tribute to the Illinois Secretary
of State's flagship building has been officially named in honor
of Jesse White, the longest serving and most respected Secretary
of State in Illinois and American history. The dedication ceremony
and ribbon cutting took place recently in Chicago, marking the
culmination of legislation spearheaded by State Senator Willie Preston. Senator
(04:38):
Preston set in part, it was my honor to carry
this legislation through the Senate to ensure the legacy of
Secretary Jesse White is forever etched in the fabric of Illinois.
His decades of service, unwavering integrity, and transformative leadership of
shaped not only the Secretary of State's office, but public
service in this state and across the nation. The newly
named Jesse White Secretary of State Building stands as a
(04:59):
beacon of dedication, reform, and community impact, all hallmarks of
Secretary White's extraordinary career. First elected in nineteen ninety eight,
Jesse White served six terms and is widely credited with
modernizing the office, eliminating corruption, and championing youth mentorship programs
like the Jesse White Tumbling Team. Senator Preston continues. This
building now bears the name of a man who redefined
(05:20):
what public service should look like. It serves as a
permanent reminder to future generations of what it means to
lead with purpose, humility, and love for the people.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
For more on these stories and others, visit Illinois Senate
Democrats dot com, where you can also sign up to
receive our weekly Majority Report email newsletter. Our Sound of
the State podcast, featuring news updates and in depth conversations
with members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus on a
variety of subjects, is available wherever you get your audio,
including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iheartapp, Pandora, Spreaker, the Odyssey app,
(05:58):
and more. To find our podcasts, search Illinois Senate Democratic
Caucus on your platform of choice. From the Springfield Office
of the Senate President, Don Harmon, I'm Colby huff
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