Illinois State House defeats the Ammo Code Bill! Yeaaaaaaa!!!

[Hazcat]

House committee defeats effort to trace gun ammunition

By MIKE RIOPELL - H&R Springfield Bureau Writer   


SPRINGFIELD - Legislation intended to help solve gun-violence crimes that opponents said could have shut down a major ammunition plant in Alton was defeated Wednesday.

It was among a handful of gun-related legislation acted on by lawmakers in a House committee.

One plan, proposed by state Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, would have required ammunition in Illinois to carry a laser-inscribed code on both the casing and bullet.

Davis said the matching codes could help identify killers at crime scenes.

But opponents said that the process of etching the codes would cost the ammunition industry millions and all but force the Winchester Ammunition plant in Alton to close. They also argued that using high-powered lasers near the explosive materials found in bullets could be dangerous.

Davis said he just wanted preliminary approval of a House panel so he could work out issues with the legislation later, but the committee rejected the plan by a 5-4 vote. The legislation is House Bill 4259.

While the bullet-coding plan failed, other gun-related legislation was approved Wednesday.

One would allow the state to revoke a parent's Firearm Owner's Identification card if his child is caught with guns or ammunition more than twice, provided the child suffers from a mental illness.

The idea stems from a case in which a clinically depressed 14-year-old shot his friend in the chest with one of his parent's guns. The incident came after the child also was caught taking ammunition to school and once slept with a gun under his pillow.

Lawmakers in a House panel approved the legislation, House Bill 5191, by an 8-5 vote. It now goes to the full House.

The same panel also approved a plan that would require private citizens to provide trigger locks or a similar security device when selling a gun.

Now, gun retailers have to provide trigger locks when selling guns, but private sellers don't.

The legislation, House Bill 5227, was approved by an 8-4 vote. It, too, moves to the full House.

Mike Riopell can be reached at mike.riopell@lee.net or 789-0865.

http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2008/03/13/news/state/1030797.txt