Bill Text: IL SR0223 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges the President of the United States, the Attorney General of the United States, the Mayor of Chicago, the Chicago Police Superintendent, the Cook County Sheriff, and the Cook County State's Attorney to work together so that all firearms offenses that are eligible for federal prosecution be referred to the federal government for prosecution under existing federal law.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Failed) 2015-01-13 - Session Sine Die [SR0223 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2013-SR0223-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, In 2012 the City of Chicago experienced over 500 | ||||||
3 | homicides, 87% of which were gun related; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Recent news articles have highlighted that many of | ||||||
5 | those prosecuted for firearms offenses in the City of Chicago | ||||||
6 | and Cook County are receiving minimal or inconsistent | ||||||
7 | punishment under Illinois law; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Under federal law a convicted felon in possession | ||||||
9 | of a firearm or ammunition is eligible for a sentence of up to | ||||||
10 | 10 years in federal prison; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Federal weapons prosecutions peaked at 11,015 in | ||||||
12 | 2004 under President George W. Bush; last year the number had | ||||||
13 | dwindled to 7,774 prosecutions; and
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14 | WHEREAS, The Northern District of Illinois, which includes | ||||||
15 | the City of Chicago, has one of the lowest federal district | ||||||
16 | court prosecutions of gun-related violence despite a major | ||||||
17 | surge in violent crime using a weapon; and
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18 | WHEREAS, Despite the alarming number of gun-related | ||||||
19 | murders in the City of Chicago last year, the number of federal | ||||||
20 | prosecutions of gun crimes in U.S. District Court in Chicago |
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1 | actually dropped from 129 in 1999 to 73 in 2011 and to just 40 | ||||||
2 | last year; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Increasing the number of federal prosecutions for | ||||||
4 | firearms offenses will help keep violent and repeat offenders | ||||||
5 | off the street longer; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Increasing the number of federal prosecutions for | ||||||
7 | firearms offenses will free up local criminal justice resources | ||||||
8 | for other criminal prosecutions; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Increasing the number of federal prosecutions for | ||||||
10 | firearms offenses is an effective way to fight violence in the | ||||||
11 | community; therefore, be it
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12 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL | ||||||
13 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that a comprehensive State | ||||||
14 | and federal approach is necessary to curb firearms violence and | ||||||
15 | ensure that our communities are safe from increasing gang | ||||||
16 | violence; and be it further
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17 | RESOLVED, That we urge the President of the United States, | ||||||
18 | the Attorney General of the United States, the Mayor of | ||||||
19 | Chicago, the Chicago Police Superintendent, the Cook County | ||||||
20 | Sheriff, and the Cook County State's Attorney to work together | ||||||
21 | so that all firearms offenses that are eligible for federal |
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1 | prosecution be referred to the federal government for | ||||||
2 | prosecution under existing federal law.
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