As sharp, polarized arguments around gun regulations continue around the country in the wake of recent mass shootings in Tennessee and Kentucky, politicians in Lake County have found some agreement on at least one frontier of the gun discussion — safe storage.
All 19 Lake County Board members, including its five Republicans, voted Tuesday in favor of adding support for a safe gun storage law — known as Ethan’s Law — requiring that people store or keep any firearm in their residence under their control if a person reasonably knows a minor could access it without permission, or if someone in the household is ineligible to possess a firearm under federal, state or local law.
Illinois’ current safe gun storage law applies only in households with a child under the age of 14.
“Our children are dying of gun violence at a steadily climbing rate, and it’s time for us to act,” District 18 member Sara Knizhink, D-Vernon Hills, said ahead of the vote.
The resolution’s passage means the Lake County Board will adopt support for Senate Bill 1521 as part of its 2023 legislative advocacy agenda, through which the board attempts to influence state lawmakers in Springfield. The resolution received enough support to advance through the board’s Legislative Committee last week.
State Sen. Laura Ellman, D-Naperville, introduced Illinois’ version of Ethan’s Law, named for Connecticut 15-year-old Ethan Song who was accidentally killed with an unsecured gun, in February.
Ann Maine, R-Lincolnshire, said she was “not totally surprised” to see the resolution’s unanimous approval.
After a gunman opened fire at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade last summer, killing seven and injuring dozens, board members on both sides of the aisle engaged in more dialogue about any actions it could take to mitigate gun violence.
“We have members who are gun owners and they’re like, ‘Hey, we support these things, too,'” Maine said. “Everybody wants safe communities. I think looking for common ground is something that’s really helpful.”
Lake County Board Chair and District 13 member Sandy Hart, D-Lake Bluff, said she was pleased to see the measure pass unanimously. But, she continued, “It’s taken too long, and there have been lots of deaths and injuries” in the years it has taken to build support for safe storage laws.
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On other, more divisive proposals like the assault weapons ban Illinois enacted earlier this year, the usual political divides have largely remained.
“My question is, how many more people have to die?” Hart asked. “What is the number that is the tipping point?”
District 17 member Michael Danforth, R-Fox River Grove, said, “I think everybody thinks that gun storage is important.”
Danforth said he is not sure if the legislation will pass through the Illinois General Assembly as it stands, “but we’ll just wait and see.”
“At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s particularly well-written,” he said. “I’ve read what I think the legislation is going to wind up being, but they’ll tweak it or whatnot and (make) changes. I think some of the criminal aspects of it could potentially be bothersome.
“From a constitutional point of view, if someone were to be charged (under this law), it may be found to be unconstitutional,” Danforth said. “But I think we should all promote safe storage of any dangerous items.”
Autism Awareness Month
More than half of the board members on Tuesday wore blue to show their support for April’s Autism Awareness Month.
Fourteen-year-old Waukegan student Sir Ian LeRoy, who has autism, told the board that people with autism “want to be loved and treated kind,” and was greeted by warm applause after his public comment.
“I like to draw, play on my tablet and be silly,” he said. “One of the things I love to do the most is make everybody happy. I do this by saying, ‘Everybody clap your hands.'”
His mother, Diana Baerga, said,”(People with autism) are children. They don’t see degrees. They don’t see color. They don’t see titles. They don’t see bank accounts, credit scores. They just know love and caring, and they feel that. And I thank you for welcoming my son.”
The board also approved an intergovernmental agreement with Pace, the suburban division of the Regional Transit Authority, extending the operations of the countywide Ride Lake County transportation service.