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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 51

 
2     WHEREAS, Illegal interstate firearms trafficking and the
3 gun violence that results from it have become growing problems
4 in all portions of the State of Illinois, other areas of the
5 Midwest, and throughout the nation; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Children and students are too often the victims of
7 gun crimes, in their homes and on our streets, before, after,
8 and during school hours; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Since the current school year started in September
10 2008, thirty-six Chicago Public School students have been shot
11 and killed; and
 
12     WHEREAS, In Gun Violence: The Real Costs, a book written by
13 Philip J. Cook and Jens Ludwig, the data collected by the
14 authors show the cost of security in Chicago public high
15 schools to be $41 million a year, and the costs of security in
16 suburban and downstate Illinois schools are similarly rising
17 rapidly; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Since the federal ban on assault weapons was
19 lifted in 2004, the Chicago Police Department has seized 1,547
20 such weapons; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, According to a five-year study conducted by the
2 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 43% of
3 all guns seized within five police districts in the City of
4 Chicago originated in Mississippi; and
 
5     WHEREAS, There is an enormous number of illegal guns in
6 Chicago, other areas of Illinois, and throughout the Midwest,
7 and 80% of murder victims in Chicago are killed by guns;
8 therefore, be it
 
9     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
11 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Interstate
12 Gun Trafficking Task Force within the Illinois State Police, to
13 consist of the following: (1) the Director of State Police or
14 his designee; (2) the Illinois Attorney General or her
15 designee; (3) the Cook County States Attorney or her designee;
16 (4) the Sheriff of Cook County or his designee; (5) the
17 Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department or his
18 designee; (6) two appointees of the Governor who are
19 representatives of suburban or downstate law enforcement
20 officials; (7) the Executive Director of the Illinois
21 Association of Chiefs of Police or his or her designee; (8) the
22 Executive Director of the Illinois Sheriffs' Association or his
23 or her designee; (9) a member of the Illinois State's
24 Attorney's Association; (10) a member of the Illinois House

 

 

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1 chosen by the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives;
2 (11) a member of the Illinois House chosen by the Minority
3 Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives; (12) a member
4 of the Illinois Senate chosen by the President of the Illinois
5 Senate; (13) a member of the Illinois Senate chosen by the
6 Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate; and (14) the DuPage
7 County State's Attorney or his designee; and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That all appointments shall be made no later than
9 45 days following adoption of this resolution; and be it
10 further
 
11     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall study measures that
12 help reduce illegal interstate gun trafficking in Illinois and
13 the harmful effects of such activity; and be it further
 
14     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall choose its chair and
15 other officers and meet at the call of the chair; and be it
16 further
 
17     RESOLVED, That the members of the Task Force shall serve
18 without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their
19 reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for
20 that purpose; and be it further
 
21     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall report its findings and

 

 

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1 recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly on or
2 before December 31, 2010; and be it further
 
3     RESOLVED, That legislatures of other states in the Midwest
4 are encouraged to create interstate gun trafficking task forces
5 in their respective states, which task forces may cooperate
6 with the Task Force created by this resolution and with each
7 other; and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to
9 the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, the
10 President of the Illinois Senate, the Minority Leader of the
11 Illinois House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the
12 Illinois Senate, the Governor of the State of Illinois, and the
13 Director of the Illinois State Police.