“In Illinois, a handful of shops have sold hundreds of “crime guns” — guns that later turn up at crime scenes. Just two suburban gun shops sold 1,673 of the guns used in crimes in Chicago from 2013 through 2016, according to a city of Chicago report released last year. Requiring certification would give the state a tool to keep those guns away from criminals. Do we really want guns to keep flying off the shelves into the hands of criminals?
“With the possibility of their certification being revoked, those shops would be motivated to train employees to prevent easy burglaries and sales to “straw purchasers” who buy guns for others who can’t legally own one. One way to do that is to use video surveillance to track who is actually buying the guns.
“In vetoing an earlier version of the certification bill, Rauner said it would increase red tape without making anyone safer. He said the same thing Monday, even though the bill was rewritten to eliminate the red tape he objected to.
“Red tape isn’t the horror in Illinois, it’s the red blood on the streets. Here’s hoping Rauner figures that out.” – Chicago Sun-Times editorial, Governor, please don’t veto Illinois’ best bet to limit gun violence [via suntimes.com]