South Cook News

Orland Park Mayor and Republican Congressional candidate Keith Pekau criticized new gun control measures introduced by the Biden administration.

The Illinois Legislature recently approved a bill that would ban the sale or transfer of firearm parts and kits missing serial numbers, CBS News reported. The aim of the legislation is to eradicate ghost guns — firearms assembled from a kit, sometimes made by 3D printers, that do not have serial numbers. In the last six years, ghost guns have been connected to 325 fatal shootings nationwide. The bill is awaiting Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's signature. Ten states, including California, New York, and New Jersey, already have laws in place banning ghost guns.

President Joe Biden is working to crack down on ghost guns at the federal level, The Associated Press reported. The new rule would require federal firearms dealers to put serial numbers on any ghost guns they come across. It would also change the definition of "firearm" to include individual firearm parts, so those parts would now require licenses and serial numbers, and firearms dealers would need to run background checks before selling individual parts.

"Biden just announced new gun control measures," Pekau said in a Facebook post. "Instead of increasing gun control year after year, we have to enforce existing statutes and address the real problem behind violence in our country: criminals who are allowed to remain on the streets."

Illinois state Sen. Jacqueline Collins and state Rep. Kam Buckner sponsored Illinois' bill, the Chicago Sun Times reported. The legislation advanced without a single GOP vote. Chicago police officers recovered more than 12,000 guns in 2021, 458 of which were ghost guns.

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx has dismissed all charges against almost 30% of felony defendants, Chicago City Wire reported. These defendants have included people charged with shootings, murders, sex crimes and drug offenses.