CRAIN'S Chicago Business: Quigley bill would notify cops of attempted illegal gun buys

This article was published on November 29, 2017. A link to the article can be found here.

By Greg Hinz

You might think that police automatically are notified when a convicted felon or domestic abuser—or someone who is not legally permitted to purchase a gun—tries to do so but is stopped.

You'd be wrong. Sometimes law enforcement hears about it, sometimes not. But that would change if a Chicago Democrat and a Pennsylvania Republican get their way.

Under legislation being sponsored by local U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and colleague Patrick Meehan, the federal government would set up a system in which authorities would be told when someone trying to purchase a firearm flunks their background check, which outlaws purchases by felons, domestic abusers and the mentally ill.

Since 1998, at least 72 percent of those flagged by the National Instant Criminal Background Check fell into those categories, but such "lie and try" offenses rarely are prosecuted, the two said. Changing the law would make such offenses more prominent, and at least warn authorities to keep an eye on someone because of potential criminal activity.

"We can create an additional layer of protection to ensure weapons stay out of the hands of the wrong people," said Quigley in a statement, describing the bill as "a common-sense step to mitigate the gun violence epidemic."

A similar bill sponsored by the two failed to gain even a hearing in the last Congress, which shelved all gun control bills. But this time, the two seem more optimistic. They've lined up eight bipartisan sponsors, received an endorsement from the Fraternal Order of Police and are trying to add the bill as an amendment to other legislation that seems to be moving faster.

For what it's worth, according to Quigley's office, the National Rifle Association appears open to the bill, with its spokesman saying the group "has always supported prosecuting dangerous people who illegally attempt to purchase a firearm."

Hope so. We'll see.