Peoria Standard

Ryan Spain, House Rep. of Illinois House of Representatives, Illinois General Assembly said on Oct 17th during a Joint Committee on Administrative Rules subject matter hearing that there will be "a lot of discussions that will continue to take place" regarding emergency rules on the sale and distribution of assault weapons in Illinois. 

Spain mentioned that the committee has had extensive discussions on the topic and has received numerous questions from members of the committee. Instead of going through each question seeking answers from the Illinois State Police, Spain stated that they have reached an agreement with the state police representatives to respond to the questions and hold additional hearings about the permanent rulemaking associated with the topic.

Spain also mentioned that the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) will be meeting again in November in Springfield and then again in Chicago in December, indicating that there will be further discussions and clarification on the topic.

In terms of background, the emergency rule on assault weapons was filed by the Illinois State Police last month with the Illinois Secretary of State. This rule is part of the implementation of the Protect Illinois Communities Act, which was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker in January. The law aims to regulate the sale and distribution of assault weapons in the state. Those who possess assault weapons or the attachments that they owned before the law went into effect are required to submit an endorsement affidavit through the Firearm Owner's Identification Card account before January 1.

Ryan Spain, who has represented the 73rd District since 2017, has been actively involved in the discussions on the emergency rules. He has a background in public service, having previously served on the Peoria City Council and currently working as the Vice President of Economic Development at OSF Healthcare System.

With ongoing discussions and hearings planned, it is expected that further clarification will be provided on the rules surrounding the sale and distribution of assault weapons in Illinois.