South Central Reporter

First-term Illinois state Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) has been named to a House task force charged with looking for ways to curb the state’s rising gun violence problem.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to serve on this task force because I believe it is important for us to find a solution to the problem of gun violence in cities like Chicago without infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens,” Wilhour said in a press release. “We can solve this problem without resorting to exorbitant government overreaches that violate the Second Amendment rights guaranteed by our constitution.”

Comprised of 12 Democrats and 12 Republicans, the bipartisan task force has a mandate that includes studying the issue and ultimately presenting a comprehensive bill for consideration to the full legislative body. With Chicago Democrat La Shawn Ford installed as committee chair, Wilhour added he is hoping all the members are serious about working to arrive at a series of reasonable solutions and are not just there seeking to draw attention to themselves.

“Too often we see legislators use incidents of gun violence to advance radical legislation that won’t solve gun violence but will take away rights from law-abiding citizens,” Wilhour said. “It is my hope this task force produces serious solutions that both preserves our Second Amendment rights while at the same time actually addressing the mental health concerns that we see so often is a factor in these shootings. This task force also needs to take steps toward providing protections for people in gun-free zones where a lot of these incidents seem to take place.”

Wilhour has long been a vocal supporter of Second Amendment rights, recently taking to the House floor to speak out against a bill that would require fingerprinting for FOID cards and increase fees for card holders.