Support state law regulating gun dealers

Abraham Lincoln famously said, "the ballot is stronger than the bullet." After the Parkland shooting last week, members of the League of Women Voters Arlington Heights-Mt. Prospect-Buffalo Grove-Wheeling-Prospect Heights-Elk Grove Village and other grass-roots organizations rallied behind The Illinois Gun Violence Prevention Coalition, of which the league is a member, to organize and encourage citizens to call, write and email Gov. Rauner and members of the General Assembly, urging their support of SB1657, legislation mandating licensing of gun dealers in Illinois. A vote on the bill is expected Wednesday.

The LWV supports protection of the health and safety of citizens through limiting the accessibility and regulating the ownership of handguns and semi-automatic weapons, as well as supporting regulation of firearms for consumer safety. Therefore, the league strongly supports better oversight of gun dealers.

Although gun dealers are required by federal law to carry a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Congress has restricted the number of licensing audits each year and cut funding that goes toward verifying compliance. The result is that just 5 percent of gun dealers are inspected annually. This is a shameful legacy that undermines the safety of our neighborhoods.

We can and must do more to protect our citizens.

The LWV believes democracy starts with the vote. Democracy does not end with the vote. The league implores all citizens to contact their representatives in support of SB1657.

The Land of Lincoln should be the leader on this issue. If our federal government is not willing to take a stand, we ask our local elected leaders and representatives to be fearless on the issue.

Heidi Graham, Mary Beth Canty

Arlington Heights-Mt. Prospect-Buffalo Grove-Wheeling-Prospect Heights-Elk Grove Village