Working for Illinois Caucus

State Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, released a statement saying he was “encouraged” by a new law signed last week that aims to keep guns out of the wrong hands by mandating new state licensing for gun shops.

“For years, our state has required licenses for businesses that sell alcohol, car dealerships and other operations,” Connor said. “It makes sense that gun dealers also should follow common-sense safety standards.”

Connor said he sponsored and supported the bipartisan Senate Bill 337, also known as the Combating Illegal Gun Trafficking Act, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Thursday.

Under the new law, state police are empowered to certify gun dealers to better track sales. The law also mandates criminal background checks for gun shop employees, creates an annual training requirement for employees to understand background checks, requires video surveillance at locations that sell guns and grants greater authority for law enforcement.