“Crime is increasing because of a severe lack of enforcement and weak penalties that do not act as an effective deterrent,” Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) said. | Courtesy Photo
“Crime is increasing because of a severe lack of enforcement and weak penalties that do not act as an effective deterrent,” Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) said. | Courtesy Photo
Anyone selling or giving guns to someone else needs to be a bit more careful if a bill co-sponsored by Illinois Sen. Don DeWittle becomes law.
The bill — co-sponsored by Chapin Rose, Jil Tracy, Jason Plummer, Terri Bryant, Win Stoller, and Neil Anderson — would amend the Unified Code of Corrections, and provides that a person who sells or gives any firearm to any person who has been convicted of a felony under the laws of Illinois or any other jurisdiction is therefore guilty of a Class X felony. If convicted, that person would be sentenced to 10 to 30 years in prison. It provides that a period of probation, a term of periodic imprisonment, or conditional discharge can't be imposed, affecting bail.
DeWitte, a Republication with a reputation of being tough on crime, has a history of favoring harsh penalties for those who sell guns to those who are prohibited from owning guns, according to his site.
“Crime is increasing because of a severe lack of enforcement and weak penalties that do not act as an effective deterrent,” DeWitte said when addressing his concern about a spike in crime in the state. “The spike in crime is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It affects every resident of this state.”
DeWitte has been critical of the Democratic party for what he sees as caring about the rights of criminals more than protecting the protect.
“We’re here with solid proposals to help get illegal guns out of our neighborhoods and keep violent criminals off the streets,” he said during a recent press conference, “and have a major impact on reducing the root causes of crimes.
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