Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on Friday called on his state’s governor to ban gun ownership for “suspected terrorists.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner, R-Ill., has not yet taken any action, but pressure is mounting on many of the nation’s governors to follow Connecticut’s lead. Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy signed a first-in-the-nation executive order Thursday aimed at prohibiting those on government watch lists from buying guns.
“I won’t rest until we bring some sanity back to our federal gun laws, but Gov. Rauner is in a position to take swift action to protect lives in our state. I hope he will,” Durbin said Friday.
Malloy’s action is potentially broader than the action President Obama is pushing nationally, which is to prohibit those on “no-fly lists” from purchasing guns.
Malloy’s action is also contingent on federal authorities turning over those lists to Connecticut. As of now, Malloy’s order has no effect. Neither would Illinois’ if Gov. Rauner elects to go that route, unless given access to federal lists.
“Prompt action should also be taken in Illinois to prevent known or suspected terrorists from using a FOID (Firearm Owner’s Identification) card to buy guns. I urge you to do all within your power to close the ‘terror gap’ on the state level in Illinois,” Durbin wrote to Rauner Friday.
