What is the Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence?
Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (ICPGV), a project of Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV), is a research-based public education campaign to promote meaningful gun policy reform in Illinois. Working with a statewide advisory group  representing law enforcement, the medical and public health communities, faith-based organizations, local and state policymakers, victims and advocacy groups, ICPGV informs and educates the public on the facts about gun violence and prevention policies.

Is gun violence in Illinois a serious problem?
Gun violence is a significant problem in Illinois. From 1999 to 2006 guns have killed 8,018 Illinois residents. In 2006, 1,036 people died from firearm-related injuries in Illinois, 17 more deaths than in 2005. In 2006, 369 children and young people ages 0-25 were killed by guns in Illinois. From 1999 to 2006, 3,369 children and young people ages 0-25 were killed by guns in Illinois. In 2006, guns were used in 372 suicides in Illinois.¹

Each and every week young people in Illinois are slain on the streets. From January to November of 2009, 213 children and young people age 25 and younger were murdered in Chicago, the vast majority by guns.² In the past two years alone, more than 500 Chicago Public School students have been shot.³

Who supports gun violence prevention policies in Illinois?
Support for gun violence prevention policies comes from a wide range of individuals, organizations, and communities across Illinois, including child health advocates, domestic violence advocates, legislators, law enforcement officials, physicians, the faith-based community, and citizens.

What are the current gun laws in Illinois?
For more information on current gun laws in Illinois, please visit:

• www.lcav.org/library/reports_analyses/RegGuns.entire.report.pdf
• www.stategunlaws.org
• www.lcav.org/states/illinois.asp

How does the Heller case ⁴, which struck down the District of Columbia’s law banning most handgun possession, affect the proposed gun violence prevention policies in Illinois?
The Heller case should have no impact on the policies proposed in Illinois to reduce gun violence. First, none of the proposed policies in Illinois are directly at issue in the case. The Heller case decided only that the District of Columbia’s handgun ban and trigger lock law were constitutional under the Second Amendment. Legislation proposed in Illinois (e.g. to require background checks on all handgun transfers, to license gun dealers, and to require gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms) all involve much more modest regulations than a ban on handguns.  In addition, it has long been established that the Second Amendment limits only the power of Congress, and that state laws are not subject to challenge under the Second Amendment⁵ The Heller decision did not change this long-standing rule.⁶

For more information on the Heller case, the 2nd Amendment, and how they relate to ICPGV’s policy agenda, click here.

What is the issue in McDonald v. Chicago?⁷
McDonald v. Chicago is a pending United States Supreme Court case which raises the issue of whether the Second Amendment restricts the actions of state and local governments, or only limits the federal government. The Court is reviewing a Seventh Circuit decision that affirmed the dismissal of Second Amendment challenges to handgun bans in Chicago and Oak Park based on prior Supreme Court cases holding that the Amendment applies only to the federal government. On March 2, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in McDonald.⁸

How might McDonald v. Chicago affect the proposed gun violence prevention policies in Illinois?
If the Supreme Court holds that the Amendment does restrict state and local action, a substantial increase in the volume of Second Amendment litigation already clogging the nation’s courts is anticipated, despite the fact that most, if not all, state and local firearms laws do not prevent a law-abiding citizen from possessing a firearm in the home for self-defense, and thus, would satisfy the holding in Heller.  Should the Second Amendment be held to apply against the states, the gun lobby will continue to employ the threat of litigation to obstruct state and local efforts to enact common sense gun violence prevention measures, stifling in particular the adoption any innovative measures to combat gun violence.

Where can I learn more about McDonald v. Chicago?
For more information, analysis, and resources on McDonald provided by Legal Community Against Violence, click here.

How can I help ICPGV?

Please email info@icpgv.org or call 773.209.1002 for more information on how you can help Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (ICPGV).