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Bill protecting Illinois gun owners against intruders introduced

According to a local state representative, any handgun owner facing charges in connection to shooting a perpetrator in self-defense should not have to worry about losing the right to own a firearm.

Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, introduced a bill last week in the Illinois House that would protect an individual‚s private ownership of firearms, even if that person is charged with a violation while firing the weapon in self-defense.

Bradley‚s decision to introduce the House bill stems from a recent case involving a Wilmette man who shot a man in self-defense who had broken into his home twice in less than 24 hours. The intruding man was shot in the shoulder and the calf before driving away in the homeowner‚s vehicle.

The homeowner was arrested and charged with violating a city ordinance that banned handguns.

Bradley said he believes the city ordinance is unfair and takes away too many personal freedoms involving handgun ownership.

"I think it was a classic case of the state and elected officials not using common sense when the situation came up," Bradley said. "Certainly, you ought to have the right to protect yourself and your children and your property.

"The guy had been to his house twice within 24 hours. I mean, good grief."

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, said although he has not yet seen the bill, he generally supports any legislation that protects an individual‚s right to bear arms.

Bost said the Wilmette city ordinance is unfair because it supersedes Illinois law, which does not place a ban on private ownership of handguns. He said he would probably support Bradley‚s bill because it provides for home-rule preemption.

"Basically, what it would do is say you can‚t take home rules in communities and make a law on handguns that is bigger than the state law," Bost said. "We‚ve been trying to do that for years. We‚ve never been able to get enough votes into it.

"There are very few bills like this I don‚t support, and I usually end up carrying them myself. I‚m glad to hear [Bradley] has done it."

Bradley, who said he is a member of the National Rifle Association, said he felt compelled to introduce this legislation because it upholds the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: the right to bear arms.

"I think that the Second Amendment is as important as the other amendments to the Constitution," Bradley said. " It gives us the right to bear arms, and this is a clear example of where someone‚s right to bear arms was deprived from them, and we‚re trying to correct that."

Although he is in favor of the idea behind the bill, Bost said he is not certain if state representatives to the north would be as supportive.

Because the bill would override a city ordinance, it would have to be approved by a super majority of the House, which is 71 votes.

"We can sometimes get over 60 on some votes, but very seldom do we ever get over 70," Bost said. "The sad thing is we won‚t get enough northern votes on it. There are so many people from Chicago who actually believe that it‚s the guns themselves that are the culprit."