Name: Mar 10, 2023 Committee of the Whole Meeting - 03-10-2023
Duration: 2 h 2 min 40 s
Description: Be smart as a program developed by every town for gun safety, support fund to bring together parents and all adults concerned about kids, guns and safety.

[0:13] Thank you. Good morning, everybody. I'd like to call our committee of the whole meeting to order on Friday, March 10 at 8 30 AM. Vice chair, coming him, could you lead us in the pledge of allegiance this morning, please?

[0:44] Thank you.

[0:45] Thank you very much.

[0:48] May I have a roll call please.

[0:54] Member Altemberg.

[0:57] She might be online.

[0:59] I don't see.

[1:01] Member Altemberg yet.

[1:03] I know she's coming.

[1:04] Member Comples.

[1:06] He's absent with prior notice.

[1:08] Member Castan.

[1:10] Yeah.

[1:12] Member Clark.

[1:14] Here.

[1:16] Vice chair Cuddyham.

[1:18] Member Danforth.

[1:20] President.

[1:20] member Frank your share heart here member shewitt member hunter and I apologize

[1:31] member shewitt is absent with prior notice thank you member hunter

[1:37] absent with prior notice member can this get here member Kyle

[1:44] President.

[1:45] Member May, absolute prior notice, Member Park, Member Peterson,

[1:54] Member Roberts here, Member

[1:57] Slick, Member Velitzick here, Member Watson, we

[2:11] have nine members present here.

[2:14] Okay, we have nine members present and so we do not have a quorum present so we will not

[2:22] able to approve the minutes when I say present for the public what I mean is people who are physically

[2:28] here in Milwaukee and there are a couple of people who had hoped to attend this morning but

[2:32] because of the weather let us know they'd be attending virtually. Do we have any public comment

[2:37] for items not on the agenda please? No, man. Thank you and no agenda to the agenda.

[2:42] My only charity marks is to say that this is the fourth committee of the whole that we are hosting

[2:49] about gun violence and I know that we're going to have more because this is such an important topic

[2:55] that impacts everybody regardless of where you live. We've heard from Mayor's Nancy Rodering

[3:03] and Mayor Rockingham of Highland Park in Norse, Chicago. We heard from Chris Patterson from the Office

[3:09] of Fire on Violence Prevention. Thank you to member Kinesnick for helping connecting us with him.

[3:15] And we also heard from states attorney Ryan Hart and Sarah Kinesnick about our gun violence prevention initiative.

[3:21] We heard from Shane Selig, he is a volunteer with the City of Highland Park Certified Emergency Response Team.

[3:27] He talked to us about the mass murder in Highland Park and how that has affected him and his community.

[3:36] We heard from Lake County Health Department Executive Director Mark Fister about gun violence

[3:42] as a public health issue, and he also gave us some important data.

[3:48] Sam Johnson, with the he's the Director of Behavioral Health of the Lake County Health

[3:51] Department, talked about their suicide prevention programs, Sergeant Jake Novak and Deputy

[3:58] Sheriff Sergeant Matt Harmon with the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Special Investigation

[4:01] group shared their groups, focus of drug trafficking, money laundering, and criminal organizations,

[4:09] and how those go hand in hand with gun violence and the importance of taking firearms off the

[4:14] street. We heard from James Edwards, he's the director of juvenile probation and detention

[4:19] services, talking about juvenile redeploy program, which seeks to decrease youth incarceration.

[4:26] We also heard from Dr. Michael Carter, our regional superintendent of schools who applied for

[4:31] received a grant of a million dollars from the Office of Justice Programs and Regional Safe

[4:36] School in Lake County in his efforts to combat gun violence and doing interventions and

[4:43] counseling at an early age. I really want to thank three members of the board today, members

[4:49] Mar-Altonberg, Paul Frank, and Sarah Canesnik for their work on this month's committee of the

[4:56] You might recall if you would listen to our last meeting, we closed it with saying,

[5:01] hey, what are those things? Now that we understand, but gun violence is prevalent across

[5:06] Lake County across the United States, that we are extraordinary because we are the one country

[5:12] in the world that suffers this level of gun violence for our residents. So we talked about what

[5:21] we can do and what we will do to try to make a difference.

[5:25] And one of those things that we talked about

[5:26] was the importance of safe storage and keeping guns

[5:29] out of the wrong hands and keeping people

[5:32] and particularly children safe in homes.

[5:36] So with that, I want to begin with a couple of special guests.

[5:43] I'm going to ask Sarah, can he's nick to introduce them.

[5:47] They were very grateful for them to come and speak.

[5:52] It's Kristen and Mike's song,

[5:53] from the Ethan Miller-Song Foundation,

[5:56] who experienced a tragedy and are working hard

[6:01] to make sure it doesn't happen to other families.

[6:04] Member Kenney's Nick.

[6:06] Thank you,

[6:10] Chair.

[6:10] Or your leadership on the issue of gun violence,

[6:13] prevention and your dedication to this issue

[6:16] and your dedication to educating the public

[6:18] about what we can do about this terrible epidemic of violence.

[6:24] It is my great honor to introduce Kristen and Mike Song.

[6:28] They lost their son Ethan, who was 15-year-old at the time on January 31, 2018,

[6:36] because of an unsecured firearm.

[6:39] It was my great honor throughout 2021 and 2022 to work together with Kristen and Mark,

[6:45] along with a lot of other survivor advocates

[6:48] and advocates for gun violence prevention

[6:50] to get support for Ethan's law

[6:53] in the U.S. House of Representatives.

[6:55] I was deeply inspired by and continue

[6:58] to be deeply inspired by their dedication

[7:01] to helping us learn to live with the hard fact

[7:06] that there are many, many more guns in America

[7:09] than there are people.

[7:11] We all want to see an end to this scourge.

[7:13] It doesn't matter what side of the issue a person's point of view is, whether they are

[7:20] concerned primarily about supporting gun rights or concerned primarily about reducing gun violence.

[7:29] We can all agree that we must find a way to live with the 400 plus million guns that we have in America.

[7:36] And that starts with meaningful safe storage laws.

[7:40] Kristen and Mike have been incredibly successful at something that's one of the biggest challenges of our time

[7:49] which is getting meaningful gun safety legislation passed at the state level and they have come very close to doing it at the federal level

[7:56] and I know for sure none of us will give up until we have these meaningful policies in place.

[8:04] So, I'm going to ask Kristen Song to begin, Kristen became a gun safety activist after

[8:10] Ethan was killed with an unsecured gun in his best friend's home.

[8:14] The father had stored three handguns and ammunition in a shoe box.

[8:19] After learning that the negligent gun owner would not be charged, but instead his 14-year-old

[8:24] son would be charged with manslaughter.

[8:27] Kristen was determined to strengthen Connecticut's child access prevention law to put

[8:32] the responsibility on gun owners instead of children.

[8:37] Kristen's unifying approach and Connecticut was instrumental in bringing together both parties

[8:42] to put aside their affiliation, leave their egos at the door, and work together to keep

[8:47] kids safe.

[8:49] Ethan's law, which requires all guns to be secured, if a child or unauthorized person

[8:54] can gain access, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and Connecticut.

[9:00] Kristen expanded her mission to keep kids safe nationally, Ethan's law was passed in the House of Representatives in June of 2022 as part of the safer communities act.

[9:12] And to everyone listening members of the board members of the public and everyone in Illinois, I would like you to keep one thing in mind as you listen to Kristen and might testify.

[9:22] A few weeks ago Senator Laura Elman introduced Senate Bill 1521 in the Illinois General Assembly, that is Ethan's law.

[9:33] Kristen?

[9:34] Thank you so much, Sarah.

[9:36] Thank you for having me today.

[9:39] Obviously, this is a very emotional testimony for myself.

[9:45] I just want to kind of give you a glimpse into the world of a broken mother.

[9:51] I wrote this piece about four weeks after Ethan was killed.

[9:55] And it kind of gives you an idea of what it's like to live with.

[10:00] Having a child killed where they done that should have been stored.

[10:07] I saw a woman last year.

[10:08] her eyes sparkled her posture as we last. Her movements deliver it, deliver it, and full of energy.

[10:15] She smiled laughed and loved to tell anyone who would listen, seize the day. She lived

[10:20] her life that way. She begged for her third child, her husband did not understand it. She was not

[10:25] done bringing life into this world. He arrived on a beautiful winter's day. They called him Ethan.

[10:31] Her family was complete. She felt that peace. She used to tell people her heart group

[10:36] Three sizes that day, the pleasures in her life were her family and her greatest joys for children.

[10:43] She used to sit back, watch them in smile.

[10:46] Life is good. Her heart was full of gratitude because she knew she was blessed.

[10:50] She was a confident mother and took her job seriously.

[10:54] She worked hard, making sure her three children fell in love and cherished.

[10:58] Her most treasured moment when her family was all together at dinner time,

[11:02] on vacation or on long car rides.

[11:04] She loved the noise, but she also loved when the house was quiet,

[11:08] and her children were safely tucked into their beds.

[11:11] She did her job.

[11:13] Her children went to teenagers,

[11:15] and she felt more in love with them.

[11:17] Even when she received phone calls,

[11:18] Mom, I'm okay, but I told the car,

[11:21] our mom, don't freak out,

[11:22] I broke my nose in three places,

[11:24] or when a school called to inquire

[11:26] for third child was planning on handing in any homework ever.

[11:29] She understood these trials

[11:31] and writes a passage, they wish to mount ball in good learning lessons, her children were becoming

[11:36] aweshoots of her and she marbled that their personalities, dreams, kindness, and yes,

[11:40] propiness. She told them over and over, there's nothing this family can't get through together.

[11:47] I saw a woman on January 31, 2018, she and her son have such a fun and relaxing morning together.

[11:53] You see her beautiful boy just got his braces off, and he was so happy. She took a picture of him

[11:59] with his new smile and sent it to her husband.

[12:02] They headed off to breakfast to celebrate

[12:04] and her beautiful boy told her all about his hopes

[12:07] and dreams and his plans for the future.

[12:09] He wanted to go to Rice University,

[12:11] joined the army, and have seven children.

[12:14] He wanted his house to be filled with music and laughter

[12:16] like his home now.

[12:19] They returned home and her beautiful boy walked

[12:21] with best friends' house

[12:22] and our later the woman saw two police officers

[12:25] walking across her home.

[12:27] Her heart sank.

[12:28] The ambulance screamed by her street carrying her beautiful boy on the car right to the hospital. The woman in her husband promised each other that they could handle anything

[12:37] The line loss of limb

[12:39] Parapolegic having to care for their son for the rest of his life.

[12:47] They ran into the hospital and the staff parted like the Red Sea

[12:52] They knew

[12:53] The woman ran towards the Bayes where a beautiful boy lay but she was stopped and got into a tiny room

[13:01] The ER doctors would down the wall, put his head in his hands and whisper, and your son is gone.

[13:07] She crawled into a fetal position, her husband called their other son and daughter.

[13:11] She will never forget the guttole stops that escaped from their man's.

[13:15] She wasn't brave enough to make this phone calls.

[13:19] How could she say it out loud?

[13:21] How could she say Ethan is dead?

[13:24] The woman needed to see a beautiful boy to tell him he is so loved and cherished.

[13:28] The case is for you to talk a minute and won't let's talk.

[13:32] She begs to see him, which he's warned, he's unrecognizable, even turn eyes.

[13:38] You see, he was shot in the head.

[13:40] While her family walks out of the hospital, they're beautiful boys, being we open to the war.

[13:45] I see a woman, her eyes are dull, her posture slumped, her movements as if by rope.

[13:51] She's in a stupor, getting through the day, but none of her heart might embody.

[13:55] Her smile has started to tear her certain energies gone. She wonders how she will get through the day.

[14:01] The physical pain is so intense, it's hard for her to breathe.

[14:04] The things I used to bring her pleasure and great joy are chased away to the fullest parts of her mind.

[14:09] They are terrifying reminders of what you used to be.

[14:12] She no longer thinks publications, summer evenings under the stars, or Christmas mornings.

[14:17] All these pleasures have been sacrificed just to survive.

[14:20] Life is now a roller coaster of emotions, ranging from panic attacks, anxiety over what will happen to her other children, and disbelief that her life is now shattered into a million pieces.

[14:31] She doesn't sleep much, and when she does, even visits her at night, calling to her.

[14:38] She practically runs around and looks at the cage, and he'll try to get to her pitiful boy.

[14:42] But his foot's through her finger to slowly fades away.

[14:46] A noise waves term and she realizes she is sobbing and whaling.

[14:50] Why God?

[14:51] Please tell me why. My beautiful boy.

[14:54] She would have happily traded places with him in the instant.

[14:56] She's caught between two worlds, the wonderful boys and now.

[15:00] And the one who living families in. She stretches her arms, but can no longer hold her. Three children all at once.

[15:07] She gets up to any other day. She has failed as a mother. She sits with her coffee in the kitchen,

[15:12] contemplate suicide. Ah, that sounds lovely. No more pain. Her other son grabs her hand and says,

[15:18] I will not survive if I lose another member of this family. How did he know? Was it so obvious?

[15:24] She now knows she has no other choice but to live. The woman who was once vibrant, happy, optimistic,

[15:29] of warm, loving, finds a necessary to the draw and to herself to protect her emotional stability.

[15:35] It is affected more than just her and is affected by price possessions for husband and her children.

[15:40] Not only is she dealing with her heartache, she's also trying to help them deal with theirs.

[15:46] Obviously, this woman is me and the beautiful voice, my 15-year-old son, Ethan,

[15:50] he was shot in the head in his best friend's house with an unskilled gun.

[15:54] The gun on her father did store three unskilled guns with ammunition and issue box

[15:59] And Ethan's friend had been showing his friends these guns for about six months.

[16:04] The gun on her suffered serial consequences.

[16:07] In fact, one of the case you two weeks later.

[16:12] My husband and I were handed down a life sentence and Ethan was handed down a death sentence.

[16:16] My son was safe in my home, but he was not safe in his friend's home.

[16:21] They called these deaths accidental, but my son's death was not an accident.

[16:24] You see, the word accident implies there was nothing the donor could have done to save you

[16:28] them, but we are no better. The gun on our could have simply locked up his guns.

[16:34] Ethan's law will have the grace impact on reducing deaths in children's zero to 19.

[16:38] On intentional deaths, these suicides and 76% of all school shooters use an unsecured gun

[16:44] to terrorize and hunt and kill our children. Can you imagine if those guns were locked up?

[16:49] I think about it every second of the day. Thank you so much for your time.

[16:55] Well, thank you very much for being strong and courageous enough to share your story

[17:02] and to try to make a difference in other people's lives.

[17:06] And thank you for the work that you're doing to pass this important legislation.

[17:11] It is absolutely heartbreaking.

[17:15] I mean, to see if there's anybody here in the rumor online that wants to say anything.

[17:22] I so appreciate you and Mike both being here. Sarah, member Kinesnick, did you want to say a few words?

[17:32] Mike, if I'm not mistaken, I think you had some remarks you'd like to share.

[17:37] Yes, thank you very much and obviously this is a very difficult conversation to have.

[17:44] But I always start these conversations, by saying my friends who own guns just lock them up.

[17:50] They say this is a no-brainer. They say this is absolutely what the NRA recommends.

[17:55] My friends who own guns who are extremely conservative, I've got friends on both sides of the aisle.

[18:02] And those friends always tell me this is one law that it should be bipartisan and it was a kinetic.

[18:07] There's a really beautiful moment.

[18:09] So out of all this tragedy, we saw one of the only extremely bipartisan gun bills pass in the country.

[18:17] So what it really comes down to is a group of people who are very classified and hardened in their idea that it's too much.

[18:25] It's too much to ask them to lock up a gun.

[18:28] And they'll say, look, if someone comes in my house, I need to have that gun just lying there on the kitchen table or on my nightstand.

[18:33] You know, this is too much for them to do.

[18:39] Put the gun in the gun, say.

[18:41] close it, someone's at your heart,

[18:46] open it, he saves open as you can see at the speed of

[18:49] smartphone, this is what the barrier, this is why we can't save all the kids' lives, this

[18:54] is why my son had to die, that's too much, and I think that's ridiculous, the men and women

[19:01] that I know who have kids, they love their children, they know they go to other people's

[19:07] And that is a really important point to make.

[19:12] My friends who own guns support Ethan's law,

[19:15] because they know it's what a responsible gun under does.

[19:18] It's the people who don't care about the kids.

[19:22] Enough to do that.

[19:24] But I really question if that's infringement or just common sense.

[19:28] And unfortunately, although the vast majority of gun owners have read that Ethan's law is common sense,

[19:34] There are still many parents who prove that common sense is not common practice.

[19:41] And that's why we need a law instead of a rule or something like that or a platitude on a website.

[19:47] And that's what the NRA says is a bridge too far.

[19:51] Even though these are their own guidelines, basically.

[19:54] Kids around lock buns down.

[19:57] I mean, I think that is just absolutely the truth.

[20:00] Even if you were raised, even if you had a guns when you were twelve, whatever your situation is, we have now learned that kids and guns is a bad combination.

[20:10] And if you're really in that much of a threat and you're in that bad of a neighborhood, you can keep the gun on your person, you can have it in a holster.

[20:17] But if you leave your gun on your nightstand and walk away with three little kids in your house, I think that's matters.

[20:23] So thank you for considering this issue. I hope you do take action and I think you'll be making the world a safer place for everyone.

[20:30] I always like to say, save storage, save lives, and those lives left, right, black, brown, white.

[20:40] Those lives are basically everyone's lives, everyone's kids.

[20:44] So I think this is a great way to make your community safer, and I really commend you for considering this issue now.

[20:50] Thank you very much, and I really appreciate you showing the public and us how simple it is.

[20:57] I assume that's one of these biometric devices, right?

[21:01] You just push the button with your finger and there you go.

[21:06] So, I think that's really important for people to see.

[21:10] We read about it, right?

[21:12] I myself had not seen a video on that, but I think that's really important.

[21:16] And I personally could not agree more with you that just locking your guns can absolutely

[21:26] safe lives. So thank you very much.

[21:31] I'm not seeing anybody here. Sorry, I have a member, member of the let's

[21:35] say, Bob, I'm a member, Kinesnick, and then member Cat.

[21:43] They appreciate it, and I think they're important stories to share.

[21:47] Incredibly sorry for your loss. I am wondering if anyone can tell me what

[21:54] the status of bills like Ethan's law are in other states, how many states of

[21:58] similar laws and I'm assuming Illinois is it has the support in Illinois but if anyone can speak to that

[22:05] I'd appreciate that as well. And I'll turn to either Mike, Mike or Kristen.

[22:14] Chris, you want to answer that or would you like to be

[22:16] answered that? Approximately a year and a half ago or two years ago I did an analysis of all 50 states in the country and

[22:24] that about 15 of them have reasonably effective

[22:28] something in place for this, and it varies quite a bit by state.

[22:33] The gold standard is Massachusetts, which is very strong.

[22:36] Connecticut is now very strong in New York, California.

[22:40] But there are also other states like Texas.

[22:43] And I call this the T-factor.

[22:45] Texas has a safe gun storage law in place.

[22:48] It's not as effective as we'd like it to be.

[22:52] I'm sure Sarah would agree with that being an expert on this, but maybe 30, 35 have very limited

[22:59] or no safe gun storage, a lost in place. But what is incredibly encouraging is that since people

[23:05] like Sarah and yourselves are considering this around the country, there are now five states in direct

[23:10] play for this to happen. Illinois, of course being one of them as well as Michigan, Minnesota,

[23:16] Maryland, and also New Mexico where we actually traveled out to sort of, you know,

[23:21] to do press conferences out there, very heroic people.

[23:24] One of the Senate state senators out there had death threats

[23:27] because she was trying to encourage parents

[23:30] to lock up their guns.

[23:32] But it looks like it has a very strong chance of passing.

[23:35] So across the country, there's a hot hot

[23:38] of states that have done something really great.

[23:41] And there's five or six that are considering it,

[23:44] Kristen testified in Maine, and they did pass

[23:47] a law very similar to Ethan's law in Maine.

[23:49] So we're seeing this being the least partisan, least polarizing,

[23:54] most effective way to reduce school shootings, teens suicide.

[23:59] My goodness, what parent wouldn't leap in front of a bullet for their kid,

[24:03] let alone just do something as simple as lock up their guns,

[24:06] these accidental and unintentional really deaths are just tragic

[24:10] for your old shooting their brother, you know, you've seen that.

[24:13] And it's waking people up to the idea that

[24:15] of all the gun laws that you could consider,

[24:17] This is probably the one that actually helps gun owners retain possession of their guns.

[24:24] It's harder to steal anything that's locked up. It's not impossible, but it's harder.

[24:30] And so we're seeing common sense start to win over at least in some of the states throughout the country.

[24:36] Thank you.

[24:37] And I just want to add, I have a map that I'm working on on songstrong.org or slash map.

[24:43] And that is where I'm trying to put together the map of all 50 states.

[24:48] As you can imagine, it's not an easy feat to track 50 states.

[24:51] So it might not, the information might not be perfect,

[24:53] but it's a very good way to get a glance across the country

[24:56] at songstrong.org for slash map.

[25:00] Thank you for repeating that website.

[25:02] And so I assume as things stand now that activists like you both

[25:08] have determined maybe a stupid do assume

[25:11] that it's easier at this point, unfortunately, to go state by state than with some sort of federal law.

[25:19] Yeah, you know, once the Democrats lost the House, we just pivoted right away to the states,

[25:25] because we were undetirred.

[25:28] We don't care if we have to go state by state to create a national standard for storing your guns.

[25:36] But we have not given up on the federal level either right now.

[25:40] Ethan's law on the House is 190 co-sponsors and in the Senate we have about 30

[25:45] co-sponsors and so we're just going to continue to put pressure.

[25:50] Sadly, every day there is an example or actually eight examples of children

[25:56] getting their hands a month to cure guns and dying.

[26:00] So it's not going away.

[26:02] it's getting worse and you know like Mike and I both said the secret service to this study and they

[26:07] found out that 76 to 80% of all school shooters use their guns from home and these are unsac sure

[26:14] guns and so these are children who are prices who have access to very deadly weapons and to

[26:21] go in and hunt and kill our children or innocent children and so if those guns were just secure

[26:29] the temperature of this entire country would come down a lot and we would drastically be able to save so many children.

[26:38] Thank you so much and thank you for the work that you've done.

[26:42] This entire country should be incredibly grateful and I hope at some point in the near future we'll be looking back and

[26:48] and talking about how absolutely absurd we were that we didn't have these laws in the first place.

[26:55] Thank you.

[26:56] member Kenney's Nick, five member Kaspen.

[26:59] I would like to see my turn to member Kaspen.

[27:02] Okay. Go ahead, member Kaspen.

[27:05] Thank you very much, Chair.

[27:07] I just wanted thank you for being here and for sharing

[27:10] the story of your beautiful child and for sharing

[27:14] him with us.

[27:17] So that we might learn from it.

[27:20] And we might create legislation that will

[27:26] help prevent this in the future. I would suggest that I know we have some laws in our legislative agenda

[27:37] and I think a general statement, if we haven't added this specifically, I would like to propose

[27:45] that we do that. Thank you both very, very much for being here. Thank you.

[27:52] Okay, remember Frank, pardon me actually.

[27:55] It's member Altonberg, father, and member Frank.

[27:59] Okay, thank you so much for being here today.

[28:03] You have such courage, we had a lost my sister at 17 years old.

[28:10] And I know how your heart breaks and it's unimaginable, but I cannot thank you enough for

[28:20] all the really important, I can't stress that enough,

[28:24] important work you're doing, and in Ethan's name,

[28:28] you're making immense positive change across the country,

[28:34] and out of a tragedy, a lot of lives are going to be saved.

[28:39] And you need to remember that every minute of every day that you are

[28:45] doing such good work, such important work, and there are so many

[28:50] people across the country who are applauding you, and your courage, and your conviction.

[28:57] And, you know, we just think you're, you're amazing people, and I know it's hard to get

[29:02] out of bed every day and work on this issue, but it is, in my eyes, one of the most important

[29:09] things we could be doing today. You're saving a lot of kids. Thank you so, so much.

[29:19] Thank you. Thank you. I have a member Frank, Bob, I've ice your cutting him.

[29:24] Thank you, Chair. Thank you so much for being here today and sharing your story.

[29:34] I can't find words that are really more appreciative and more accurate than what member

[29:42] to say thank you and to recognize your contributions to saving other people's lives. So I'm going to just say that I'm fully supportive of everything that Member Altonberg just said.

[29:54] But to the question of our legislative agenda, Chair, I just wanted to mention in...

[30:00] And July and August, we had a long debate about adding several gun safety provisions to our

[30:08] legislative agenda advocating for a ban of assault weapons at the state and federal level, advocating

[30:14] for safe storage laws at the state and federal level and advocating for enhanced training for

[30:20] gun owners at the state and federal level. We spent 99 percent of our time in energy talking

[30:26] about assault weapons because of what happened in our community.

[30:30] But I'm really appreciative, Chair,

[30:33] if you give us this time today to talk about safe storage,

[30:36] as the songs have said, and as most of us feel in our gut,

[30:42] this feels like something that should be already

[30:46] have been law for decades.

[30:48] And I recently had a conversation with a leader in this effort.

[30:54] Someone who I admire greatly, who's very knowledgeable and very active, and said to me that's great that you guys are talking about safe storage, but don't we already have that here in Illinois, and we don't.

[31:08] And it's just like this assumption that this would be the law here, and even nationally, it makes no sense that this is not a requirement for going oners to safely secure firearms in homes for children.

[31:23] or others are present, especially now when our national data shows that firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens.

[31:34] It's so important that we're having this conversation today. I can't thank the songs enough again for being here and sharing their story and that.

[31:41] Thank you, Chair. Thank you. Vice your kind of hand. Thank you, Chair. I just want to say thank you for sharing your story about your son.

[31:51] I know how I feel that I lost one, two years ago, my baby, and I know you're feeling.

[32:00] When you were speaking, tears come to my eyes, because a mother hair, five of the great

[32:07] five of the love of childhood, different from any mother, a mother, cared that child, and

[32:14] that your child left here. It was a terrible tragedy. I grew up in the south of

[32:22] my guns. My parents was a harness. They had all kind of guns, but they kept them locked up

[32:28] in the cage. They didn't have them out while we could get them because it was so many of us in the

[32:34] homes. And they were like them up. What are like on them? And we couldn't get time. I was just

[32:45] a monogle while a little child was playing with a gun and made a mistake and shot his brother.

[32:55] So, uh, safe it is if you're going to have guns in your home, they need to be safe to like you say,

[33:02] they need to be safe it. Like dad said, you know, hey, don't put them while they can get them.

[33:09] Because they're going to get them, uh, they think it's not an element. They be loaded.

[33:15] And if they pull the trigger that said, so you have all of my sympathy, but don't let him, don't let this forget.

[33:24] Don't let it lay down and forget it.

[33:27] Keep going what you're done, live for your child, live, live with him.

[33:33] Whatever, tell the world, let him know.

[33:38] You still live in because I'm still done, working for you.

[33:41] So, keep up what you're doing, keep it up and keep it up and keep it up.

[33:48] Thank you.

[33:49] And I'm sorry for your loss.

[33:51] Oh, yeah.

[33:52] I know how you feel.

[33:53] I know how you feel.

[33:56] So, both of you.

[33:57] So, thank you.

[33:59] Thank you, Vice Chair.

[34:00] I've member Kyle, followed by member Wasik and Robert.

[34:06] Member Kenny Zink, just let me know when you do want to jump in.

[34:09] and you're being very gracious.

[34:10] So thanks for letting some folks go before you go ahead.

[34:13] Thank you, Madam Chairman.

[34:16] I think that what we do not look at

[34:22] is that the fact that toy manufacturers

[34:30] have a huge role in children developing a fondness for guns.

[34:40] When we were little, we played with the water guns, and then when we got a little older,

[34:51] it was the cap guns that made the pop sound, and then ultimately there became the dark

[35:03] guns,

[35:07] and these toys cause children to develop a fondness of guns.

[35:17] And what we need to do is really try to somehow hold toy manufacturers to hold them

[35:35] to the fact that this is how children develop a fondness for guns,

[35:46] and they have everything

[35:47] from water guns, then after the cap guns, then it's the laser guns, then it's the

[36:03] a real gun in person. When they see a real gun, this is the ultimate for children because

[36:20] they came through so many different levels of having guns as toys. Now a real gun

[36:29] is the ultimate toy for them because their entire life was developed by a fondness of toys

[36:44] which started at the toy manufacturing level.

[36:48] And I believe that we should somehow try to develop even if it's legislation for toy

[37:04] manufacturers to try to reduce their manufacturing of guns at the toy level, which

[37:15] Actually, is what literally causes the likeness and the fondness and the intrigue of guns to kids and children, young adults at the real gun level.

[37:34] That's what we need to do.

[37:36] Thank you, member Kyle.

[37:38] Thank you.

[37:38] I believe I said, member Wasick Todd, I'm member Roberts.

[37:42] Thank you, Chair.

[37:42] And thank you so much for joining us today.

[37:45] We truly cannot fathom your grief, but we are inspired by your courage, and we will be motivated by the thought of Ethan and trying to put his name on safety legislation.

[37:58] Gun Safety was part of our legislative agenda last year, and we're going to follow through with our friends and our state capitals Springfield, and that's our commitment to you.

[38:09] And while we are grieving with you collectively, we will turn this into action and thanks once again and we will push this forward.

[38:23] Thank you, Member Lastic. Member Roberts.

[38:25] Thank you.

[38:27] Is that here quietly?

[38:28] Because I didn't think I could even talk through your story.

[38:32] Thank you for sharing that with us.

[38:34] I have an empties in my stomach from your story and I can't even imagine how you get up every day

[38:42] But thank you for sharing this and it seems like a no-brainer doesn't it just get a box

[38:50] Walk up your gun and we will support you in every way we can and I just want to say thank you again

[38:59] And thank you Sarah for bringing

[39:05] Yes, Kristen and Mike, my friends, I want to just thank you along with everyone else and I'd

[39:13] like to ask everyone that's been listening for the last 40 minutes or so to think back

[39:21] to how you felt when Kristen was telling her story and I'd like to ask that you keep in

[39:27] Kristen has told this story tens of thousands of times in the offices of elected officials

[39:35] all across this country and in DC. I know because for hundreds of those times, I was sitting

[39:43] with her and every time she tells the story I cry.

[39:50] It doesn't matter who you are, just a regular citizen

[39:54] an elected official, a community leader, a pointed or elected law enforcement officer,

[40:01] and a gun owner, a responsible gun owner. It doesn't matter who you are. You have a role to

[40:08] play. There's something you can do to help build in America where Kristen doesn't have to tell

[40:15] her story anymore.

[40:19] I'm incredibly proud to be a part of this elected body. Thank you for

[40:25] trying attention to Kristen and Mike's story and the issue of unsecured firearms.

[40:30] Kristen, Mike, I love you and thank you.

[40:33] Thank you so much and thank you all for your time.

[40:36] Thank you so much for being here and I think as Member Frank had said, it's very difficult to

[40:43] to put in towards everything that we were feeling but, you know, I think, and Member

[40:49] Altonberg, Member Wass, Member Roberts, Member Ballistic, all of us, and Member Kyle and

[40:53] face your kind of ham. Just, um, all of us feel very, very strongly about this. Um, we know

[41:01] the data shows that unsecured firearms lead to the death, but particularly of children. So I

[41:09] agree with you. It should be a no-brainer. And because of our broadly written legislative agenda,

[41:16] we can slip and support of Ethan's law here in, uh, in the state of Illinois. So thank you so much

[41:23] for everything you're doing.

[41:24] Next, we're going to hear from member Kamees.

[41:26] Next, she has some slides from the Beesmart organization,

[41:31] and it really speaks to the importance of safe storage.

[41:36] Thank you, and Sarah's going to come up to the podium.

[42:01] Thank you, Melinda.

[42:04] Thank you for this opportunity to share some information

[42:06] about safe storage and best practices for storing your firearms.

[42:10] Before I begin, I want to credit an outstanding community educator, a volunteer community educator from Lake County.

[42:19] Her name is April, a boyk of it, and this is her work. It is my great honor to be able to share it with you.

[42:28] Be smart as a program developed by every town for gun safety, support fund to bring together parents and all adults concerned about kids, guns and safety.

[42:42] Figure it out where to advance the slide. Got it. Okay.

[43:20] Sorry. We just need a minute for some technical difficulties here

[44:05] Would you like us to move forward and have Marko first and then we'll come back with Sarah

[44:11] We're bringing in reinforcements

[44:17] I'm sorry

[44:19] That's what I'm saying but it appears that his are coming up that coming up, but we're not able to see the peace of our ones. Yeah, but it's not coming up

[45:09] Thank

[45:19] you. Thank you. Thank you.

[45:25] You know what I did notice that? Thank you so much. I jotted that down for the end. You're totally right. Thank you, member Frank. We do have a quorum. So we could do the consent agenda item 8.1 to approve the committee the whole minutes from February 4th 2023.

[45:41] motion by member Frank, second by member Wasick, all those in favor, any opposed motion

[45:50] passes. Thank you. Thanks, members. Okay. Thank you, member Kinesi.

[45:57] So thank you for your patience and thank you to our administrative team for jumping in

[46:02] and saving the day again. They do that a lot.

[46:05] So I'm going to continue with the presentation.

[46:09] We just, we felt it was really important.

[46:12] Those, remember, Altonburg, member Frank and I to share some really practical information.

[46:17] We know that there are gun owners listening, which is wonderful, and we know that the vast majority

[46:22] of gun owners are concerned about safe storage and want to see everyone store their gun

[46:29] safely.

[46:29] So I appreciate the opportunity to be able to share some practical information about safe storage.

[46:34] We all, again, just since we got interrupted, this is the work of April, a boycavich, a really outstanding community educator from Libertyville.

[46:46] We all want kids to be happy and healthy.

[46:49] We each have the right to make responsible decisions about how to protect our homes, families and communities, including whether or not to have a gun in our home.

[46:58] However, if we can prevent even one child gun death or injury, it's our responsibility to do so.

[47:05] Firearms are now the number one leading cause of death for children in the United States.

[47:12] 1800 children die every year from gunshot wounds, an average of five children every day.

[47:22] Secure storage helps prevent school shootings as Christians so movingly shared with us earlier in the hour.

[47:30] 76% of school shooters used guns taken from their home.

[47:34] Imagine how many school shootings could have been prevented if we had gun safety laws in place all across the country.

[47:44] These are just some of the local incidents that took place involving kids, brain schools,

[47:50] bringing guns to school or camp in 2022, please join me in remembering the victims and people impacted

[48:01] by these events and really take a moment and think about how this is a problem right here in our

[48:08] community, everywhere in Lake County. The consequences of uninsecured firearms are unintentional

[48:15] gun deaths, a two-year-old boy last summer in Juliette got hold of a loaded, unlocked gun,

[48:22] and a bedroom of his home, and unintentionally shot himself in the face. He was hospitalized for

[48:29] weeks in critical condition. His mother says she left the room for one minute to get something,

[48:34] and that's how fast these tragedies can happen. In Bensonville last summer, a 14-year-old boy

[48:41] unintentionally shot and killed his 13-year-old friend with a handgun while at another

[48:45] friend's house. I don't know if that sounds familiar, but I think we heard a very similar

[48:50] story just about 30 minutes ago. The boy who lived in the home decided to show his friends his

[48:56] father's guns that were kept unsecured and loaded in a bag under a bed. If you think about it

[49:04] for a moment, really, there are almost no differences between the story of this 14-year-old boy

[49:10] events inville and the story of Ethan Song.

[49:14] The 14 year old was found guilty in juvenile court

[49:17] of involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct

[49:20] and reckless discharge of a firearm.

[49:23] It is time that we put responsibility

[49:25] where it belongs on the firearm owner

[49:28] and not on the child to access the unsecured firearm.

[49:33] Other consequences of unsecured guns,

[49:36] our school shootings as we're all painfully aware

[49:39] and suicide deaths.

[49:41] In January 2019 and 11 year old,

[49:43] and Lyons died by firearm suicide in his home.

[49:47] Three months later, in April of 2019,

[49:49] a 13 year old seventh-grade student

[49:51] at a Lyons middle school brought a gun to school

[49:54] in his backpack, went to the bathroom during English class

[49:57] and fatally shot himself in the head.

[50:00] It's believed the child obtained the gun

[50:02] from the home of a family member.

[50:06] About 4.6 million children live in a home

[50:08] with a loaded unlocked gun.

[50:11] About 54% of gun owners report,

[50:13] they do not keep all their guns locked.

[50:17] Be smart, is the program.

[50:19] It's really a very helpful acronym

[50:21] that helps people kind of keep straight in their heads,

[50:25] make it easy to remember how to be responsible with firearms.

[50:28] One, secure all guns in your home and vehicle.

[50:32] Model, responsible behavior.

[50:34] Ask whether or not unsecured guns are in other homes

[50:37] that you visit, recognize the role of guns in suicide,

[50:42] and finally tell your peers to be smart.

[50:46] So the S, again, stands for Secure Your Guns

[50:49] and Homes and Vehicles, 13 million households

[50:52] with children contain at least one gun.

[50:55] One study found that the majority of children

[50:57] in gun-owning households knew where the gun was stored.

[51:01] Store guns locked up and inaccessible to kids,

[51:05] preferably in a biometric safe

[51:06] like the one that Mike's song demonstrated for us today.

[51:11] Heighting a gun is not securing a gun.

[51:14] Let me repeat that.

[51:15] Heighting a gun is not securing a gun.

[51:19] Trust me, it doesn't matter how old your child is.

[51:22] He or she will find your hidden gun.

[51:25] You must secure it.

[51:29] I'd like to take a moment and tell you

[51:31] about Illinois's current child access prevention law.

[51:34] It is our law in Illinois generally makes it illegal for a person to store or leave their firearm unlocked and accessible to a minor under the age of 14 if the person knows or has reason to believe that the minor is likely to gain access to the firearm and the minor causes death or great bodily harm with that firearm.

[51:54] So it sounds at first glance to be fairly similar to Ethan's law, which I don't think we've described Ethan's law yet today.

[52:01] So I will just do that very quickly.

[52:04] Ethan's law will require that anyone who owns a firearm

[52:08] in a home where there are children under the age of 18

[52:12] that firearm owner must secure the gun.

[52:15] If he or she does not do that and the child gains access to the gun

[52:19] and someone is hurt, the gun owner will face a class two felony.

[52:25] So that's very different than our current child access prevention law,

[52:29] which does not apply if the firearm is secured by a device other than the firearm safety

[52:34] designed to render the firearm temporarily inoperable. It does not apply if it's placed in a

[52:39] securely locked box or container, does not apply if it's placed in some other location that a

[52:44] reasonable person would believe to be secured from a minor under the age of 14, not 18. And it does

[52:50] not apply if the minor is a void card holder. And as we are painfully aware, because of the

[52:58] experience in Highland Park, a person does not have to be over the age of 18 to obtain a

[53:05] void card in Illinois. So although we are very happy to have a child access prevention law in Illinois,

[53:12] it really does not go far enough and there's much more that we could do. I'm just sharing here

[53:19] quickly some different options for gun safes.

[53:24] I would like to draw your attention a lot of

[53:26] people talked to me about gun sails and they say things like, well, a lot of people aren't able

[53:30] to afford a gun safe.

[53:33] I, that's certainly understandable. However, since this slide was created, we've seen, for

[53:38] many models, we've seen the price come down. I have seen them in recent weeks for sale on Amazon

[53:43] for as little as $30. These are biometric saves.

[53:48] So, there's a lot of, there's a lot of good options. I would like to also point out a lot of

[53:54] folks often think of gun locks as cable locks.

[53:57] They are of course, cable locks are of course better than nothing,

[54:00] but anybody with a cable clip can get to an unsecured fire

[54:06] to get to a secured fire with a cable lock.

[54:09] If someone's biometric saves are the far, far preferable option.

[54:15] Also, more examples of gun cases and trigger locks

[54:19] you can compare and contrast here.

[54:21] The M in B smart stands for Model Responsible Behavior.

[54:24] It is always an adults responsibility to prevent unauthorized access to guns,

[54:29] not a curious child's responsibility to avoid guns.

[54:33] Unfortunately, that's the reality as Ethan Song's story shows,

[54:37] as the story of the young person in Lions shows.

[54:41] I'm sorry, I think it was Bensonville.

[54:44] This is the standard in America today.

[54:46] It's the child. We're putting the responsibility on the child to avoid a lethal weapon.

[54:52] The responsibility needs to be put where it belongs, which is on the gun owner.

[54:56] We also, the Beesmart Program also recommends that you make it a part of normal safety

[55:00] conversations that you have with your children to talk about what to do if they encounter an

[55:05] unsecured gun. Keep the language simple. Say something like, if you see a gun, don't touch it,

[55:11] and the adult right away.

[55:14] The A stands for ask about unsecured guns and other homes.

[55:18] Make it a part of your general safety conversation

[55:20] when sending your child to any home.

[55:22] Do not be afraid to ask whether or not your neighbor,

[55:27] if you're sending your child there for a play day,

[55:30] do not be afraid to ask whether or not they have guns in the home

[55:33] and if they do, whether or not they are secured safely.

[55:38] If you're uncomfortable having that conversation in person,

[55:41] consider emailing or texting it. 4.6 million U.S. children live in a household with at least one loaded, unlocked gun. That must change.

[55:53] Here are some examples of how to ask. Don't ask. Do you have a gun that can come off as a bit of accusatory instead ask?

[56:00] If you have a gun in the home, could you please tell me how it is stored? You can also blame it on someone else.

[56:07] say your pediatrician asked you to start checking before you send your child to someone's house,

[56:14] whether or not they're guns there and whether or not they secured. I'm not going to read

[56:18] the interest of time and won't read through them all, these slides will be available, but I really

[56:24] like to encourage everyone listening to look through the slides, take them seriously, and if you are

[56:30] new or someone you know is a gun owner who could benefit from this information please share it.

[56:37] So I'm just going to finish up with a few more sobering statistics, a survey of high school students found that 20% had seriously considered attempting suicide within the last year.

[56:48] And one studies showed that 41% of adolescents in gun-honing households report having easy access to the gun in their home.

[56:55] households that locked both ammunition and firearms had a 78% lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries among children and teenagers.

[57:09] They're a great deal of resources available if you feel like there's someone in your life who is considering suicide or might be at risk of it.

[57:19] Please see this slide for more information and share it and finally the last thing to remember the letter T and B smart stands for tell everyone you know to be smart

[57:31] And I'd really like to point out to all the gun owners who are listening and reading this slide

[57:38] If you're a gun owner talk to your gun owning friends about how important it is to keep your gun locked up

[57:45] Your voice is the strongest because you have credibility by the sheer fact that you are also a fellow gun owner.

[57:54] Gun owners could be doing so much to help change the culture around guns and help people understand how important it is to keep them locked up in a way from people who should not have them.

[58:05] Some practical tips, you consider at least three people that you want to share this message with right now and simply share it with them.

[58:14] either share the slide presentation or simply Google be smart.

[58:19] It's the information is extremely easy to find.

[58:22] Share be smart within your community at your churches at your community events, work with community

[58:29] organizations to see if you can help spread the word and text smart to 6443 to learn more.

[58:38] I would like to share the contact information for April, a break of it, if you would like to learn more.

[58:44] And of course, we are here to help please reach out.

[58:49] Thank you so much for the opportunity to share this slide presentation.

[58:53] And if you are a gun owner, please lock up your guns.

[58:56] Whether or not you are a gun owner, please tell your friends and family to do the same.

[59:00] Thank you.

[59:01] Thank you very much.

[59:02] member can use it. Yes, member, frame five, member, parah.

[59:06] Yeah, thank you, Chair. I just want to thank, member.

[59:08] Excuse me, for the public education piece. I mean, I think that's something that we hadn't really talked much about, and this is.

[59:16] The slides are terrific. The volunteer that you shared these from she did a terrific job with those.

[59:22] One of the things that I find so gratifying and beneficial on a personal level about service on this board is the expertise.

[59:32] and different perspectives that all of our colleagues have from their experiences in life.

[59:38] And member can use Nick is a truly an expert in terms of advocacy and public education on these issues.

[59:44] We're really appreciative of your participation in your leadership today.

[59:50] Thank you, it's a great deal.

[59:52] Member Park.

[59:52] I have a little bit of a question.

[59:55] Member can you really appreciate your expertise on this and so I had a question.

[59:59] See you next time.

[1:00:00] And I know you attended our town hall the other day about this, but are there any thoughts about coupling some type of ethans law with tax credits, so people who purchase a storage device don't really have to pay for it, where either the state, county or someone would cover the cost. So there is no cost issue with safe storage, right? It is free, essentially to those.

[1:00:27] Is that counterproductive or how order does it?

[1:00:30] I think it's extremely productive and one of the more creative initiatives we've seen in the movement in recent years.

[1:00:35] And I know there is at least one state who has already made that change to their statute.

[1:00:40] I think it's Georgia, but member Park, I think you mentioned that you might be able to see it.

[1:00:46] I think Virginia has a hundred, like whatever, every member vote I think for a tax credit from the state for anyone that purchased

[1:00:56] a gun storage, you know, box or whatever. I don't know if it was biometric, but some type of

[1:01:03] reimbursement, I think that that would remove part of the argument that it costs nothing to do.

[1:01:11] Well, I think you're absolutely right, and any sort of economic incentives that we can put in place

[1:01:16] in legislatures across the country and also in Congress that would lead people to use and own guns

[1:01:24] responsibly is worth pursuing and we should be doing a whole lot more of it and the natural

[1:01:30] question for anybody listening to member parks remarks just now is why are we already doing that

[1:01:37] and I can tell you why and just by way of establishing my credibility I've been doing this work full

[1:01:44] time for the last seven years and the reason that we have not seen a lot of economic incentives in

[1:01:49] to cut down on, or in order to reduce gun violence is because not gun owners the vast majority.

[1:02:00] I would willing to be bet 99 percent of all gun owners in this country care just as much about all

[1:02:08] of us care just as much as we do about responsible firearms storage and usage. It is the gun lobby.

[1:02:16] The gun lobby and the gun industry wants gun violence to be high, because nothing sells guns

[1:02:25] more effectively than fear and racism.

[1:02:29] The lobby wants gun violence to be high everywhere, but especially in communities that are underserved,

[1:02:37] most often black and brown communities, because when it's high in those communities, they sell more guns.

[1:02:43] So when you look at it that way, the gun industry does not want economic incentives in place to get people to lock up their guns.

[1:02:51] The gun industry fights every opportunity it takes every opportunity it has to require gun dealers to lock up their guns when after working hours.

[1:03:02] There's a reason for that because they want those guns to be stolen.

[1:03:06] Because when guns are stolen from the inventory and gun ranges and gun dealers, they end up on the streets of Wakigen, North Chicago, Zion, Austin, Engelwood, and neighborhoods that are underserved all across this country.

[1:03:22] So, those of us that the vast majority of us who are not a part of the gun industry and the gun lobby,

[1:03:30] we should be pushing for every economic incentive like the one you describe member park that we can think of, right?

[1:03:37] There's so much more we can do and we must start with everyone's pocketbook.

[1:03:41] And I would just say, if I can just add one more comment, I mean, if we can't get this done at the state level for many potential reasons,

[1:03:51] I mean, could we look in the county itself as a public health emergency where we provide through the public health department or something,

[1:03:58] a stipend for people to do something.

[1:04:01] And I don't ask that we answer that right now, but something just for us to consider in the future.

[1:04:07] I'm so glad you raised that because one of the things that I've learned on this working on this issue for so long is that real change happens at the local level in filters up to the state and federal levels.

[1:04:20] This county, this particular elected body has shown itself to be an outstanding leader on this issue.

[1:04:26] And I think if it's possible for us to move forward on something like that, I think we would be delighted over the long term to see how that led to positive change everywhere.

[1:04:37] Thank you.

[1:04:38] And if I may want to things that we learn through Naco is King County, Washington does have a program in their county, in which they worked with area gun stores to provide a discount for gun storage.

[1:04:56] you know gun storage devices. So I thought that that was really helpful. But in speaking to

[1:05:04] what member can he's not just talked about

[1:05:06] Senators Durbin and Representative Schneider introduced legislation to reduce gun violence

[1:05:12] from stolen firearms and the legislation sounds equally simple.

[1:05:17] Hey gun stores, you need to lock up your guns when your store is closed.

[1:05:24] So, just like when we walk past a jewelry store, the jewels are removed and put in a safe.

[1:05:31] And so, they're asking for legislation for support on legislation that the same thing

[1:05:36] would happen with a gun store.

[1:05:38] And it's surprising that so far, I don't believe they have any support from the other side.

[1:05:45] So, maybe that has changed, I'm sorry, maybe that's changed since I had last heard about

[1:05:49] it in February, but I thought that was pretty shocking.

[1:05:51] member.

[1:05:52] Can you say that?

[1:05:52] May I respond?

[1:05:54] Thank you so much for bringing that up.

[1:05:55] It has been more than a year and a half since Congressman Schneider introduced that bill.

[1:06:00] He did introduce it in the previous Congress.

[1:06:03] He's now reintroduced it for which I am very grateful and Senator Durbin is the sponsor in

[1:06:07] the House.

[1:06:08] However, I'm not at all surprised that there's not any support for that bill.

[1:06:12] The reason is because starting a year and a half ago, immediately upon Congressman Schneider's

[1:06:19] introduction of that bill, all the forces within the gun lobby immediately swung into action

[1:06:24] to discourage any other members of Congress from signing on. That's why the voice of activists

[1:06:32] but also elected bodies like this one matter. What I know to be true, and this is from my personal

[1:06:40] experience, it's the local level where leadership happens. The state and the federal government

[1:06:49] they don't lead, we lead, if we choose to.

[1:06:55] Thank you.

[1:06:56] Any other questions from member.

[1:06:57] Thank you, member Wasek.

[1:06:59] Also, thank you for your heroic work on this.

[1:07:02] We're heartened and we want to work with you.

[1:07:05] If I can make some suggestions in the form of hypotheticals,

[1:07:09] how can we form a team to provide say discounts for people to buy these

[1:07:16] gun saves and gun locks through dealers in Lake County is such an effort already

[1:07:22] underfoot or do we need to kind of jump start it? I don't think there is such an

[1:07:28] effort underfoot but I'd like to tell you about a conversation that I had with

[1:07:32] the leader of Lake County partners yesterday. It was quite eye-opening. I was not

[1:07:39] aware that Abby has a facility in Norse Chicago that has recently, in recent weeks and months,

[1:07:49] suffered many gunshot attacks, not quite sure how to phrase it, but they've, on several

[1:07:55] occasions, in the last few months had employees' cars, who they've been gunshots in their

[1:08:03] They've had the facility in North Chicago, has been shot at many times in the last few months.

[1:08:10] And the leader that I spoke with from Lake County Partners said the Abbey leadership is actually extremely

[1:08:15] concerned about this and looking for solutions things that they can do about it.

[1:08:21] I want to commend Abbey.

[1:08:23] My understanding is that they're very supportive of the North Chicago community.

[1:08:26] I also learned yesterday that they recently paid for an early childhood development center

[1:08:33] to be built in Norse Chicago. And since we're talking about economic incentives, I think

[1:08:38] there's a great deal of potential for those of us in service, rather elected or appointed to work

[1:08:47] for the county by working together with Lake County partners, with private employers, with businesses.

[1:08:53] is there's all kinds of potential, right,

[1:08:57] in order to find creative solutions.

[1:09:00] But I do think, one, because of member parks point,

[1:09:05] having an economic incentive really creates,

[1:09:10] it opens the door for private entities to join us in this work.

[1:09:16] So there's a great deal we could be doing,

[1:09:18] and I would love to see this body lead on that.

[1:09:21] If I may have a follow-up chair, so I know you talked to everybody here in conversation with all all the major stakeholders

[1:09:30] Is there any way we could engage say the sheriff's department the health department states attorney the corner in doing a group program to promote this?

[1:09:39] I mean we are promoting like use of solar panels through the environment committee.

[1:09:43] I know that correct me if I'm wrong Mark Milax, someone is widely available for opioid overdoses.

[1:09:50] Why not gun locks? Why not gun saves?

[1:09:54] So it's more of a hypothetical, but I'm suggesting it and asking you at the same time.

[1:09:59] Well, whenever I hear a hypothetical, I interpret that as a challenge to get it done.

[1:10:05] So I stand here ready to work with anyone, executive director Fester, who happens to be in the room.

[1:10:11] And any other leader in Lake County or community activists who would like to bring that idea to fruition.

[1:10:19] Yeah, and I'm also looking at the text for SB 1521, which is the all-life version of Ethan's law.

[1:10:25] It's been referred to executive committee downstate, Manchester, Florida, this, to me.

[1:10:32] So I think we can slip in favor of that chair and our legislative team will probably be on board with that

[1:10:37] push that through if we can, but locally I agree with you, I think there's a lot we could do to work with gun dealers and gun owners and our public safety officials and also the health department to promote this.

[1:10:55] There's no reason. I mean if you can have a safety measures on toasters and you can have self-driving Teslas that will overt you from an accident.

[1:11:04] and I had a friend who was in this recently,

[1:11:06] we could certainly do this.

[1:11:08] Thank you.

[1:11:09] Yes, it's not like we don't know how to collaborate.

[1:11:11] We've proved over and over again in Lake County

[1:11:13] that we can collaborate to solve complex problems.

[1:11:18] Excellent example is the cooperation between L. Coi,

[1:11:22] the Lake County opioid initiative

[1:11:23] and other leaders in the community

[1:11:27] and elected and otherwise.

[1:11:29] So it's not like we don't know how to do this.

[1:11:32] We have a precedent.

[1:11:33] let's get it done. Thank you. Thank you. And one of the things that so in looking at the King

[1:11:39] County's lock it up program, they have posters, they have brochures, information on the types

[1:11:45] of locks and where to buy them. So this is something that we could do if this body chooses to,

[1:11:53] we could make this, you know, a real effort, just like you say, remember WASIC with other things

[1:11:59] that we care deeply about.

[1:12:00] We care deeply about this issue,

[1:12:03] and we can make a difference.

[1:12:04] And I did see that Governor Pritzker signed into law,

[1:12:09] House Bill 47, 29 last year,

[1:12:12] it requires a Department of Public Health

[1:12:14] to develop an implement a two-year public awareness campaign,

[1:12:16] focused on safe gun storage,

[1:12:19] including sharing information about safe gun,

[1:12:22] including share, so a public awareness campaign, excuse me.

[1:12:26] So the resources are there.

[1:12:28] I would highly recommend that this is something that we consider, and I look forward to

[1:12:35] I think that there's a lot of interest in just looking around this room, and really appreciate

[1:12:41] if we could move forward on that, and I really want to echo member Parrack and Frank and others

[1:12:49] who who thank member Kenny Zink for her expertise and dedication to solving this gun violence problem

[1:12:57] really are so grateful that you're serving on this board and educating all of us and helping us educate others about this

[1:13:05] problem and about what we can do. So thank you and thank you for sharing these slides. These these smart slides.

[1:13:11] Thank you. Those comments mean more to me than you know, but I would just like to remind everyone I am not a survivor of gun violence

[1:13:17] and survivor advocates are the ones that lead on this issue. They must always lead and we cannot make any progress without having them at the forefront of this work.

[1:13:28] So I appreciate the comments, but nothing I've achieved would have been possible without survivors of gun violence, like Kristen and Mike in millions of other people across the country.

[1:13:41] Thank you.

[1:13:41] Thank you so much.

[1:13:43] Next we have our Lake County Health Department Executive Director Mark Fister to, oh, I'm sorry pardon me.

[1:13:49] Member of Elizabeth, I'm so sorry.

[1:13:52] Yeah.

[1:13:58] And to this conversation was going through emails this morning, and we did just recently receive the report.

[1:14:04] The 2022 report from Coroner Bannick's office, and I thought it might be just interesting for this conversation to point out that in 2022 there were 39

[1:14:18] homicides, shootings, where the victim was age 0 to 19 in Lake County alone.

[1:14:27] And of suicides, 43% were with the firearm, and nine of those were age 11 to 25.

[1:14:35] So there are over 3,000 counties in the country, and so just in Lake County alone, we had 9 children die from suicide,

[1:14:45] and 39 age 0 to 19 died in a homicide, or shot in a homicide.

[1:14:54] Thank you. That is pertinent.

[1:14:57] Thank you. Mark Fister is going to...

[1:15:00] I'm going to talk a little bit about hospitalizations and suicide issues relating to gun violence.

[1:16:03] I'm Alex.

[1:16:07] Thank you, Alex. And thanks, Jolanda. I know it's stressful when you're trying to fix something like that. You got it?

[1:16:13] All right. Thank you, everybody. Mark Fister, executive director. It's a like on the health department.

[1:16:17] So I think the comments that we've talked about today are really, I think one word really comes out or two words.

[1:16:24] common sense. I don't think anybody disagrees that having secured firearms is important.

[1:16:31] And I think there's also been comments about accidental fatalities which we heard

[1:16:36] unfortunately from the parents that we heard from today. We also heard from

[1:16:39] member Kinesnick just momentarily talking about, you know, the suicides that are being conducted

[1:16:46] by firearms. But I'm going to bring up one more other thing today is that when we talk about

[1:16:51] need for secure storage as we get into the violence or into aggression. So if there's a

[1:16:57] weapon or a firearm available, somebody is upset, they may go get that weapon or grab that weapon

[1:17:02] if it's not secured and then use it. And so that gets into hospitalizations. And so today,

[1:17:08] I just want to start with a talking about hospitalizations and where we get that data from.

[1:18:24] Yeah, that's a lot, so you're sharing screen.

[1:18:27] I think you should leave a little.

[1:18:32] Great, thank you.

[1:18:33] Thank you for doing that.

[1:18:35] Let's see if I can move that up.

[1:18:36] There we go.

[1:18:38] All right, so

[1:18:45] I just want to talk about where

[1:18:46] the data comes from, so I think I'll never

[1:18:48] can easily make sure some data with regard

[1:18:51] to accidental injuries.

[1:18:53] When we talk about hospitalizations,

[1:18:55] we're talking about potentially what

[1:18:56] the intent was how that firearm was utilized.

[1:19:00] And so I'm not going to go through this entire slide,

[1:19:02] but I want you to know that most of the data is coming from emergency departments, and

[1:19:06] that information is being fed into some database or into some system, and there's

[1:19:12] differing levels of how accurate that information is.

[1:19:15] If somebody goes into the emergency department, and it's going through billing, really what

[1:19:20] they're billing is for the chief complaint of why that person came in.

[1:19:24] So sometimes, the information isn't there.

[1:19:27] So, actually, what happens is that a hospitalization is actually labeled as accidental,

[1:19:33] whereas it may have been an assault. And so, I just want to demonstrate in this slide.

[1:19:37] So, if you look at, so we just saw the neads on the previous slide,

[1:19:41] is that when we look at ED treated firearm injuries by intent and data source,

[1:19:46] is that you can see that about 50% of those are listed as accidental,

[1:19:52] whereas 41% are listed as an assault.

[1:19:55] But when we start looking at other information that goes along with that E.D. visits, is that

[1:20:04] and they dive deeper into that information, what we do find is that a lot of hospitalizations

[1:20:09] are a result of assault rather than accidental.

[1:20:13] And so what is unknown and the undetermined, if there's undetermined intent when that person

[1:20:19] comes in is that it will be labeled as unintentional or accidental.

[1:20:25] And so that's something I just want to point out when you go through the Lake County

[1:20:29] data here is just as reminder back in November or September of 2022 we talked about

[1:20:35] fatalities.

[1:20:36] And what we learned from our Lake County data back then is that the majority of the firearm

[1:20:43] fatalities are due to suicide.

[1:20:45] And as you remember, who is committing suicide in Lake County tend to be white middle-aged men at that have access to firearms and again maybe unsecured firearms that they were accessing.

[1:20:58] But when we came to violence in the streets or where we were having individuals out using firearms is that the mortality was due to gun violence in the streets was due to

[1:21:15] individuals that were young men that were dying from, unfortunately, firearms violence out in the streets.

[1:21:24] And so when we look at firearm hospitalizations, is that I'm going to go through 2018, 2019 and 2020.

[1:21:30] We had 131 hospitalizations that were linked to a firearm use.

[1:21:35] You can see on the left side that the majority of those hospitalizations here were men if we look at sex.

[1:21:43] Also, if we look over here, so a little different than suicide is that hospitalizations that you see that the race is black or African-American is the highest number of individuals that are being hospitalized for firearms, and then the majority are non-Hispanic.

[1:22:01] So in 2018, we had 131 hospitalizations, again, thinking about the data point that I just made,

[1:22:08] is that some of these may not be listed as the Chief Complaint. In 2019, we actually saw a

[1:22:14] reduction to 68, but what is the same is that we had males. Also, again, the majority were

[1:22:21] Black or African American hospitalizations, and, again, non-Hispanic were the individuals that

[1:22:27] not being hospitalized. Then 89 in 2020. And so again, same pattern that we're seeing when

[1:22:37] this is true for fatalities too, male, males tend to be the ones that are dying from

[1:22:42] firearms, or being hospitalized from firearms. And again, the lack of African American,

[1:22:48] higher number than white. And same thing goes for Hispanic, fewer Hispanics.

[1:22:56] So we look at a map across Lake County, and this is just a point out, two different things.

[1:23:04] This is by these are rates per 100,000.

[1:23:07] So when you look at it by zip code, so this is 60,000, zero, two.

[1:23:12] You know, down here, Highland Park, that, and this is incidence of non-fatal firearm hospitalizations per 100,000 per zip code in 2020.

[1:23:21] 20 and white and you can see that this is where the area that white individuals are being

[1:23:31] hospitalized for firearms.

[1:23:32] I did put this graph over here just for all of you to know is that where do most of these

[1:23:37] firearm emissions go and this is by per 10,000 just because the numbers are smaller is that

[1:23:43] the majority of individuals in Lake County are going to advocate conduct medical center as

[1:23:50] as well as the minority to Northwestern system.

[1:23:55] Why is that?

[1:23:56] Is because condel is our main trauma hospital.

[1:23:59] So when you have firearms,

[1:24:01] and I think all of you have talked about this a lot,

[1:24:03] when there's a firearm injury or a firearm to be fatality,

[1:24:08] is that the injuries are very serious

[1:24:10] and so you need a higher level trauma hospital

[1:24:13] to provide that care.

[1:24:15] But then when we switch over, another map

[1:24:18] just looking at the Black or African American 2020 per 100,000, what is interesting, you see a

[1:24:26] different geographical pattern than what we see for homicides. So as we talked about last September,

[1:24:32] 2022, that your main corridor for homicides were happening around the North Chicago up to Zion area.

[1:24:39] But when it comes to hospitalizations for non-fatal firearms, you can see for African Americans Black,

[1:24:45] is that it's a much wider geographic area and so this is interesting compared to like we talked about

[1:24:54] white suicides. We're also had a greater geographical region and then also when we look at non-fatal

[1:25:03] firearms admissions, per 10,000 is again, advocate condel is the main site that people will go get

[1:25:11] hospitalized at or at Northwestern.

[1:25:14] And so from a data point of view, that could be a value for us in the county board is that

[1:25:20] how do we better capture data at the two main hospitals where our residents are going for

[1:25:27] hospitalization?

[1:25:29] How do we get more information?

[1:25:31] Because I think that's something that all of you ask me is, you know, and we all do because,

[1:25:35] you know, these are patterns that we see, but then what's the granularity on that data

[1:25:40] So, again, what age, what age were these individuals that were coming to the hospital?

[1:25:45] So, as member Kinesi and I just talked about, is that, or I should say,

[1:25:49] remember, Felicit just said that some of these individuals that were involved with firearms

[1:25:53] were between that zero to 19 areas.

[1:25:56] So, what are interventions?

[1:25:58] So, the reason why we're using this data is what interventions will work?

[1:26:02] And I think as Chair Hardice said, and we've talked about with King County, is that the beauty

[1:26:07] of you as a county board is that you have power that I don't have.

[1:26:11] You have the power to appropriate dollars and I don't.

[1:26:14] So if this is something this board wants to do and you appropriate dollars for this purpose,

[1:26:20] we'll be happy to help at the health department and so I'm going to turn it over to a better

[1:26:25] looking guy next to talk about some of the other interventions.

[1:26:28] But I think this is where, you know, when it comes to safe, secure, you know, safe, safe,

[1:26:36] secureing of firearms is that we need to think about this as a public health system.

[1:26:44] And so in the King County situation is that there's not only, you know, health department involved

[1:26:49] with that, not only is there gun dealers involved with that, but there's law enforcement

[1:26:54] involved with that. I mean, so should hospitals be involved with that. So when people are coming in

[1:26:59] there, if there was an accidental shooting, should they have the gunlock, should they have other

[1:27:04] things, should there be a voucher system so that that family, you know, can get something to secure

[1:27:09] their, their firearm. So Godspeed will be happy to be part of that coalition to move forward and

[1:27:17] do something very well as a public health system. And so I will turn this over to my big colleague

[1:27:26] Mr. Covelli, thank you.

[1:27:28] Thank you and before we turn it over to Chris Covelli, I just wanted to ask you, so you are familiar with what they do in King County.

[1:27:36] I'm just, can you just make sure that you keep us up to date when the Illinois Department of Public Health is starting to roll out these educational programs?

[1:27:44] And I think I'll ask member Kinesnick, you know, you're so familiar with the Gun Violence Prevention Initiative.

[1:27:52] Is that something that that group could help with?

[1:28:01] I have the final say on that, but that is what we are building out, our short term priority, of course, is getting the violence and eruptors on the street.

[1:28:10] I'm very happy to report since the issue has been raised.

[1:28:13] The program manager for Lake County peacemakers went on the job last week, which is an outstanding

[1:28:21] development, but the long-term goal is to build out a network of support that will facilitate this very type of collaboration.

[1:28:31] And, and share heart. So I do have an update on that. Actually,

[1:28:36] Dr. Martell from Winne Bay, what county health department and myself have actually been involved with the development of the

[1:28:42] different pieces, unfortunately, that we worked very hard on them, about six months ago.

[1:28:49] And then we were going through that and looking at, and informing them as to what those

[1:28:53] graphics meant to us as public health people, but they also were doing some focus groups

[1:28:59] on those images. Unfortunately, it got stalled. And so I don't know when I can report to you.

[1:29:06] Apparently they're working on it, but there are things coming forward that I have reviewed,

[1:29:10] Which ones are going to come out? I don't know, but there are, you know, these were images of different messages, you know, for example, you know, an individual with their hand behind their back, you know, with a background of a playground. You know, these are types of images, we're trying to invoke, but the intent really was to assure that people were thinking about firearms and making sure that they were secure, or, you know, what, what thoughts do we have about firearm prevention.

[1:29:38] But unfortunately, it is not moving as fast as we would like, but I do know that it is moving because I have been involved with it.

[1:29:46] Thank you, and I'm so pleased that they asked you to be involved in that and that you were there.

[1:29:51] Maybe after this, we can chitchat and you can tell me who I might call to get that moving again.

[1:29:57] Yes, so definitely I do.

[1:29:59] Illinois Department of Publicity.

[1:30:00] Health is working out, but I do know that Governor's office was also involved with that.

[1:30:04] Great. Thank you. I think I saw a hand. Number Wasik, five-member, Baltimore.

[1:30:07] Very quick data analysis question Mark, I know you love these.

[1:30:11] So I pull some numbers from the corner's department. This is from Steve Newton.

[1:30:16] And this is data going through last year, just last year.

[1:30:21] And as you said earlier, the vast majority of gun-related suicides were male.

[1:30:27] There were 63 of them, and more than half of them were older men, age 51 to 70.

[1:30:35] So any insight is the why that is?

[1:30:38] Yeah, I mean, you know, you've heard the term midlife crisis.

[1:30:41] Unfortunately, you know, this is where individuals may be going through life.

[1:30:46] Maybe they're partner.

[1:30:48] Maybe they're having issues with their family.

[1:30:50] And but this all goes back to just you know mental health and then make you know people don't get the care that they need

[1:30:58] Maybe they went bankrupt. These are different types of things that you know may

[1:31:02] Cause somebody to want to take their life and you know, but I think what we do know about firearm

[1:31:08] For sure is that if you use a firearm to commit suicide that unfortunately you're almost always successful

[1:31:15] And that's another issue. Thank you. Thank you.

[1:31:18] member Altabird followed by member Kinesnick.

[1:31:22] So I just had a thought, Mark, and Chair,

[1:31:28] that I'm wondering if this is also something

[1:31:31] we could work on with Lake County partners

[1:31:35] and disseminate posters and other marketing type

[1:31:39] of information for safe storage of different companies

[1:31:41] around Lake County, just getting that message

[1:31:44] out that they support safe storage.

[1:31:46] We're all trying to get that message out

[1:31:48] maybe there's different ways we haven't looked at before of putting me on marketing this idea

[1:31:53] around the county and we should use all our different county partners to help us.

[1:31:58] Definitely. Thank you.

[1:32:01] Number Kinesic.

[1:32:04] So I'd like to take exact director, Fisters or Marks into in response to a member,

[1:32:10] Wasks question and develop it just one step further and it's also related to the

[1:32:18] So, in addition to the fact that that particular demographic group, the one that member

[1:32:24] washic asked about, to believe, white men between the eight middle-aged and older, they tend

[1:32:30] to suffer the kind of mental health issues that Mark Fist, excuse me, second director

[1:32:36] Fistor, just to describe, I'd like to share something that I've learned in my work

[1:32:42] in the last few years, which is, it's important to think about why those people in that demographic

[1:32:48] group are not getting the message about how important it is to secure firearms safely and

[1:32:54] what increased risk they're at for death by suicide if they if there's a firearm within

[1:33:00] their reach. I'd like to share a quick story by explanation about five or six years ago I was

[1:33:06] working as an advocate for the passage of a gun safety bill in Illinois and the American Foundation

[1:33:11] for suicide prevention which is a very well-respected organization obviously focused on preventing

[1:33:17] suicide, they invited me to participate in a conference in the Chicago area. I accepted,

[1:33:23] I was going to have a table, and a few weeks after I accepted, they contacted me and told

[1:33:28] me that I was uninvited, and then I couldn't come. And when I did a little digging to try to

[1:33:34] found out, find out why I found out that the funder of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

[1:33:39] is the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which actually spent many, many millions more dollars

[1:33:45] in the NRA over the years at defeating gun safety legislation at the local state and federal levels.

[1:33:52] And it's important to stop and realize the gun industry and the gun lobby, they do not want

[1:33:57] that particular demographic group to understand what great risk they face. And why is that

[1:34:05] because they're their target demographic?

[1:34:09] So I, you know, in following up to what member

[1:34:13] Waltonberg said, the gun lobby and the gun industry are actively working to prevent the spread

[1:34:19] of the message, remember, Altonberg is asking for.

[1:34:23] I can't think of any higher purpose for elected officials than to try to step in to get

[1:34:29] the job done when somebody else is actively trying to prevent us from doing so.

[1:34:35] And I think again, too, just how do we publicize this, we've talked about this for years.

[1:34:41] If this is part of the mental health stigma, I mean this is telling people that they shouldn't

[1:34:45] talk about mental health, they should not get care for the mental health.

[1:34:49] So I will say three numbers, nine, eight, eight, you know, that's the number one thing we

[1:34:54] should be publicizing is nine, eight, eight for crisis care.

[1:34:58] Thank you.

[1:34:59] Thank you very much.

[1:35:02] And I really appreciate all this great discussion today.

[1:35:05] Next we're going to hear from Lake County Sheriff Deputy Chief Chris Covelli.

[1:35:10] Thank you so much for being here.

[1:35:12] Thank you very much Chair Vice Chair.

[1:35:13] Members, Alex, can you load my PowerPoint room?

[1:35:16] I'm kidding.

[1:35:17] I didn't.

[1:35:19] I didn't.

[1:35:20] Good.

[1:35:21] Thank you.

[1:35:23] From the law enforcement perspective,

[1:35:25] and I know Sheriff Idleberg embraces this completely.

[1:35:28] All the points brought up today.

[1:35:30] I mean, our spot on when it comes to gun safety.

[1:35:32] It's common sense.

[1:35:34] And a responsible gun owner for all intensive purposes.

[1:35:38] It's kind of crazy to think that we need to have a significant law in place to hold them accountable to keep their guns safe, but it's needed.

[1:35:48] It is needed.

[1:35:50] And, remember, the work you've done is really, really amazing.

[1:35:54] And we're lucky to have you as a part of this board and being such a great advocate.

[1:35:59] And hearing from Chris and Mike, I mean, it's unbelievably tragic what they went through.

[1:36:03] we're lucky that they're advocating how they are instead of remaining silent on the issue.

[1:36:10] And just a couple of things.

[1:36:12] I think many good points were highlighted today from all of the speakers that we're up here.

[1:36:16] Great takeaways.

[1:36:19] One of the things with the law, you mentioned during your presentation, it is a law that we

[1:36:23] have on the books and it's incredibly weak.

[1:36:26] One of the things that it calls for is if a individual allows somebody under the age of

[1:36:33] 14 to take possession of a firearm, and they cause great bodily harm or death to another person.

[1:36:38] It's a classy misdemeanor for the gun owner.

[1:36:40] That's it.

[1:36:41] I mean, that is nothing.

[1:36:42] If they do it again, it's a classy misdemeanor.

[1:36:45] It stays a misdemeanor.

[1:36:48] So, the law we've discussed, it has much more teeth than it's a great thing.

[1:36:55] It seems that it would be a very, very good thing to just compel gun owners.

[1:36:58] So keep them safe, which is an old brainer, every gun owner should do that as it is.

[1:37:04] As we all know, children are curious, and we heard it today.

[1:37:08] They don't have mal-intent many times when they're searching around a home or they have

[1:37:12] their friends over and oftentimes kids get together and they go through rooms and places

[1:37:17] in houses they shouldn't.

[1:37:18] And the last thing we want them is finding a gun that's insecure in a shoe box because

[1:37:23] that is when tragedy happens.

[1:37:25] And we do see it right here in Lake County.

[1:37:27] We see it on a monthly, if not a weekly basis throughout the county, whether it be a child that has come into possession of a firearm and accidentally discharged it, accidentally shot themselves, accidentally shot somebody else or an adult.

[1:37:42] And it's interesting because we've gotten away from calling car accidents, we call them crashes, because they're not accidents. There's there's always prevention and place and there's always ways they could be avoided. Always the same thing goes with safe gun ownership.

[1:37:56] Any gun owner needs to keep their gun safe, plain and simple.

[1:38:00] And when we go out and we talk about this, the things we discussed are, what was brought

[1:38:04] up here?

[1:38:05] If they're at home, keep them in a safe.

[1:38:08] We saw Mike demonstrate the biometric safe, which opened in a fraction of a second, if it's

[1:38:13] needed for protection or the feeling that a firearm is needed for protection in the home.

[1:38:18] Nobody's trying to take that away.

[1:38:19] Use a biometric safe, it can open in a fraction of a second.

[1:38:24] With our laws with CCL, we really don't like to see firearms storing cars, but sometimes

[1:38:29] a CCL holder has to put their firearm in a car, puts their firearm in a car because

[1:38:34] they can't bring it into the space that they're going into because it's prohibited.

[1:38:39] If that's the case, what we like to see is some type of locked box, locked safe inside

[1:38:44] of the vehicle that's mounted to the car.

[1:38:47] So it can't just be easily taken, easily ripped away, and a gun isn't just left unattended.

[1:38:53] We take dozens of burglaries to auto as every year where firearms are stolen.

[1:38:59] And those firearms generally end up in the hands of violent individuals that intentionally

[1:39:06] shoot other people. That's where we recover a lot of firearms and most of the time they're stolen.

[1:39:10] They're stolen in a burglary from a home or they're stolen in a burglary from a car.

[1:39:14] So we can't emphasize that enough.

[1:39:16] In home, keep it as secure as possible.

[1:39:19] So if, unfortunately, the home is burglarized,

[1:39:21] which obviously we don't want to see,

[1:39:23] people can't come away with the firearms and use them

[1:39:27] in acts of violence.

[1:39:28] And it was brought up about a firearm distributor,

[1:39:33] wholesaler, seller, and those places being burglarized.

[1:39:38] We had one burglarized here in Lake County,

[1:39:40] probably seven, eight years ago,

[1:39:41] and Sheriff's Office jurisdiction,

[1:39:45] we're still getting phone calls of guns

[1:39:46] that are turning up in homicides from Chicago

[1:39:50] to all over, so they're still out there.

[1:39:52] And they have a very long lasting impact.

[1:39:56] Again, another important component to this

[1:39:58] is talking to kids about how dangerous firearms are.

[1:40:02] They're not toys.

[1:40:05] They will kill.

[1:40:06] I've had those conversations with my kids

[1:40:08] that they are not to ever, ever,

[1:40:11] if they go to a friend's house and a friend's family member has a firearm and there's access

[1:40:16] to it, which we ask those questions.

[1:40:19] Are your firearms kept safe?

[1:40:21] And are they secure?

[1:40:22] Are they locked?

[1:40:23] We want to know that because we don't want a tragedy happening with any child and no parent

[1:40:29] wants that happening with their own.

[1:40:31] But having those frank conversations with them about the dangers of it, that this can take

[1:40:35] somebody's life and it is not a toy and it is not to be played with.

[1:40:40] And we talk about the instances they're used in suicides and threats at schools or school shootings.

[1:40:49] And unfortunately threats at schools, they happen.

[1:40:53] And I would say on a monthly basis here in Lake County.

[1:40:57] And what I can tell you, the Sheriff's Office does in response to a threat of violence at a school.

[1:41:03] We take them unbelievably seriously where we send a team out to the family's home and we try to work with that family

[1:41:11] to search the home and ensure that there are no weapons that the child has come into possession on their own.

[1:41:17] But also ensuring if that family has weapons can we move them out of the house or are they 100% secure where the child doesn't have access to them.

[1:41:25] So this is a really real issue and it affects and impacts every single community across the country and we are not exempt from it here in Lake County

[1:41:32] and we see it all too frequently.

[1:41:34] And I think it's important, too, to just discuss some of the red flag laws,

[1:41:38] I know it's a turning right hard as done that, several times in the past.

[1:41:44] But those are a really strong catalyst for law enforcement to be able and go

[1:41:49] and safekeeping, take firearms out of a home,

[1:41:52] was somebody that has threatened violence or could be a potential harm for themselves.

[1:41:56] And it's really important, the community, not feel worried

[1:42:02] about coming to court and expressing their concern that they have with somebody.

[1:42:07] Let the judge an independent person evaluate the facts and if they too determine this person,

[1:42:12] yeah, you know what? For the safe good of our community and for their well-being,

[1:42:18] I'm going to issue this order and then law enforcement has an order to go in and take those

[1:42:22] guns as safekeeping until we can figure things out. It's not trying to go out and disarm

[1:42:27] members of the public. It's to keep our communities safe. I think things get blown way out of

[1:42:31] proportion when they're discussed whether being the media or through social media, you know,

[1:42:37] especially on social media. Red flag laws are designed here in Illinois to keep people safe and

[1:42:42] the community really needs to know they're available and that they can be used. Law enforcement,

[1:42:46] of course, has clear and present danger which can be used to revoke a foid card. That does something,

[1:42:53] but it doesn't alleviate the entire problem. That's where the red flag laws come into place.

[1:42:57] So with that, I think that everything was covered very thoroughly this morning, but if there are any questions

[1:43:04] I can answer from the law enforcement perspective, I'm more than happy to.

[1:43:07] Thank you, member Frank, I've been member Wasick.

[1:43:11] Deputy Chief Cavale, thank you for being here today.

[1:43:13] Thanks for the comments.

[1:43:15] Thanks as always for your leadership.

[1:43:17] A few years ago, I had to opportunity to go with an officer for municipal force on a ride along.

[1:43:23] And one of the calls that I remember was a person felt threatened by someone they were living with.

[1:43:33] And the officers entered the home and removed firearm like you just talked about.

[1:43:38] Can you maybe speak to the safety precautions and the concerns that the deputies have to take?

[1:43:44] Because we don't have a real safe storage law in the state when they are serving a warrant,

[1:43:51] entering private property for an investigation or other purposes or like you said and vehicles like how how does it make their jobs

[1:44:01] More dangerous on a regular basis

[1:44:03] I would say that the number one worry of a police officer in any situation is the potential to be shot and killed

[1:44:09] Police officers. They want to go home to their families. This is everybody does at the end of of work or their day

[1:44:17] Yeah, sir. It's a risk and it's

[1:44:20] When you've got an evil actor with a firearm,

[1:44:25] the potential for disaster, we saw it here in Lake County this year.

[1:44:30] And it's a real thing.

[1:44:35] And we've seen it across the country,

[1:44:37] over and over and over and over again.

[1:44:39] But I think it's really hit home in Lake County for everybody

[1:44:42] after living the Highland Park tragedy several months ago.

[1:44:47] So with that, when we go in on these firearms refrain orders, they're extremely high-risk,

[1:44:53] because you potentially have an individual that is unstable. We don't know they're true in

[1:45:01] It's obviously probably not a great intent because the firearms restraining order has been issued. And we know they have firearms. So we try to work out a plan where we can safely as possible, retrieve those firearms. We try to do it in a way where try to plan where maybe the person isn't at their house when we go and we enforce the firearms restraining order. But if we have to go when they're there, we certainly take tactical precautions to do everything we can to keep our staff safe.

[1:45:29] and the person safe who were going to serve the order on and get them the assistance and the help that they need.

[1:45:34] I hope that answers your question. Thank you.

[1:45:36] I have a member of Wasek, Father.

[1:45:38] Thank you, Chair.

[1:45:40] And Deputy Chief, thank you so much for coming and talking to us and your work every day.

[1:45:44] It's phenomenal.

[1:45:47] And I've talked this year of vital burden about this and I know how I feel about gun safety.

[1:45:51] these proponent. But if you would design a programs that would incorporate different agencies

[1:45:57] and us and, you know, your department in designing a gun safety program, how would you do

[1:46:04] it? What would it look like?

[1:46:10] That's a, that's an interesting question. I mean, collaboration is everything and I think

[1:46:15] we need stakeholders from all sectors that would be impacted to be a part of it and to have

[1:46:21] their buy in from from the county board to advocacy groups that are in the community to

[1:46:28] elected leaders in some of these other communities to first envision what we're trying to accomplish

[1:46:34] and how we're going to accomplish that but we we love partnering to solve problems. I mean and make

[1:46:43] Lake Lake County and everywhere else is safe as as possible for us to all live working in

[1:46:51] flight, you know, and so I think coming together is the number one primary goal. We have to

[1:46:58] collaborate. We have to have stakeholders from everywhere and design a program that would work

[1:47:03] and be functional and realistic. Well, thank you for that. Let's see how we can work together. I really

[1:47:08] appreciate. Thank you. Member Kinesnick, five-band member, all-to-work. I want to thank you, Deputy Chief

[1:47:16] Cavalee, for talking about how important it is to discuss firearm safety with children. I

[1:47:22] 100% agree with you. In fact, it's a court tenant of the Beesmart program, but I'd like to share

[1:47:28] something else with everyone listening that I've learned in the last seven years of my work.

[1:47:34] I know this to be true because I was one of the parents who talked a great deal to my children about the importance of firearms safety and what to do if they encounter a firearm.

[1:47:43] And I know that that gave me a false sense of security.

[1:47:47] It's not that it's not important. It is. I don't mean to contradict you in any way.

[1:47:52] But I'd like to remind everyone I spent most of 2021 and 2022 sitting in meetings with legislators in Washington with Kristen.

[1:48:02] I heard her tell the story she shared here today, one thing that she often said in those

[1:48:07] meetings that she did not mention today is that she talked with her son, Ethan, hundreds

[1:48:14] of times throughout his life about what to do if he encountered an unsecured firearm.

[1:48:21] What happened was he and his friend, when the accident happened, they had already been posting

[1:48:28] on social media pictures of themselves with the firearm that killed him, they had already posted

[1:48:37] many times pictures on social media and they were getting a lot of positive responses from

[1:48:42] their friends. And I don't want to discourage anyone for spreading the word about how important

[1:48:49] it is to talk to your children about safe storage. But I want everyone to realize that that's

[1:48:54] enough. And I used to think it was enough, right, until I met Kristen and heard her story. Ethan

[1:49:01] was a straight-a student, just like my son. Ethan was diligent. He was on top of things. He was

[1:49:12] a model child. And I would describe my own son the same way. And I did exactly what she did.

[1:49:19] And when I look at her and I hear her story, I just think there but for the grace of God,

[1:49:26] So please continue spreading the word, but please also help us spread the word that we also need meaningful safe storage policies in place.

[1:49:34] Thank you.

[1:49:35] That's it.

[1:49:36] If I can just add terrific perspective and you couldn't disagree with you at all on that.

[1:49:41] And you are the subject matter expert.

[1:49:42] There is no doubt about it.

[1:49:44] And that's just one of many pieces of the puzzle.

[1:49:47] And you're spot on.

[1:49:50] Thank you.

[1:49:51] Member Altimer.

[1:49:53] So, we had a conversation about what, you know, what are the best ways for, to do safe storage?

[1:50:00] Would you say the biometric safe is better than cable gun locks and our cable gun locks effective?

[1:50:08] I know some of the police departments in the area at times pass them out.

[1:50:13] So, what are your thoughts on them?

[1:50:14] Yep, so this is a cable gunlock and as member Keniznik said it's probably it's better than nothing and it is it's better than nothing. It truly is this is the bare minimum

[1:50:27] Responsible gun owner to keep their weapon safe should use. It's very simple to use. It's got a key that comes with it and at locks. So obviously

[1:50:35] Key kept somewhere other than in the key lock when it's securing a firearm biometric is more I would say for an

[1:50:44] individual that's using a firearm for safe, they feel they need it to keep themselves safe

[1:50:50] for their home safe and they need quick access to it. It's generally used to store

[1:50:55] a firearm for quick accessibility. There are biometric safe, which has several guns,

[1:51:05] a large safe that's mounted to a specific place in a home that can store firearms is the most

[1:51:12] your way. Keeping ammunition in a separate location from where the firearms are stored in a locked

[1:51:18] separate location. So you've got firearms in one location locked ammunition in another location

[1:51:23] they're locked. That's the best practice.

[1:51:28] These are better than nothing and these are five dollars,

[1:51:31] five bucks it costs. In a lot of gun dealers will give these for free when somebody purchases

[1:51:37] of the firearm or it comes from the manufacturer, police department, a lot of police departments

[1:51:41] have these that they will give for free. The sheriff's office does have a supply of them

[1:51:46] and I know a lot of municipalities do as well. But again, this can be overcome very easy with the

[1:51:52] bull cutter. There's no doubt about that. This is better than nothing though. Is there anything

[1:51:56] else between the cable gun lock and the biometrics or other ways of securing? There's multiple

[1:52:04] of different safe, but a safe that's bolted to an area in a residence or wherever these firearms

[1:52:11] are going to be stored is best practice and really having almost like a dual authentication

[1:52:18] biometric and a key. I mean, that keeps it even safer. Just just think of what we do to

[1:52:23] keep ourselves safe on the internet. I mean, we certainly should be able to do the same thing

[1:52:27] to keep our firearms out of the hands of our children and those that shouldn't have them.

[1:52:32] Okay, thank you.

[1:52:33] Thank you.

[1:52:34] Member Kimisnik.

[1:52:37] In the last few years, I've often been at Fire and Safety Events, Public Community Events,

[1:52:42] and often there are law enforcement agencies, usually from the local municipality who are participating.

[1:52:48] And they often have many cable gun locks just to give away for free.

[1:52:54] Does the Lake County Sheriff's Office follow that?

[1:52:57] We do.

[1:52:57] Yes, we do in many municipalities.

[1:52:59] Okay, then Chief Deputy,

[1:53:03] Kavelle, I would like to ask you a favor.

[1:53:05] Will you please go look at those cable locks

[1:53:09] that the Sheriff's Office gives away?

[1:53:11] And please look and see who is providing those cable locks.

[1:53:14] If it is the National Shooting Sports Foundation,

[1:53:17] then I would like to know,

[1:53:18] because what people don't understand

[1:53:22] is that that's really a bit of a trojan horse

[1:53:25] on the part of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

[1:53:27] They earn credibility just like they did with the American Foundation for suicide prevention through founding it through funding it

[1:53:33] They earn credibility by partnering with law enforcement agencies to give away these cable locks

[1:53:39] Please notice they're not giving away saves. They're giving away cable locks because they know that they the cable locks can be much more easily

[1:53:49] Broken defeated and the thing to always keep in mind is the National Shooting Sports Foundation is the gun lobby

[1:53:55] and they want gun violence to be high because that allows them to sell more guns.

[1:53:59] So if you could please let me know whether or not the National Shooting Sports Foundation

[1:54:03] is providing you with those free gun locks. I would appreciate it.

[1:54:06] I will, you know, today.

[1:54:07] Thank you. You're welcome.

[1:54:09] Member Felizic.

[1:54:11] Thank you. And I appreciate this conversation very much.

[1:54:14] It's just fascinating. And I'm to your point,

[1:54:19] I'm Member Kanishnik, which is a wonderful one as I'm hearing this. And I did not know a lot

[1:54:25] this information, I'm thinking, well, this just sounds like a false sense of security and

[1:54:29] a chosen horse, like you say. So I'd be curious to know too, and whether or not maybe,

[1:54:36] because I appreciate so much of what you've said, Deputy Chief, and so I wonder if the

[1:54:42] the Sheriff's Office would consider, as you think more about this part of Gun Safety,

[1:54:50] Strengthening that part of your policies to the extent that there is a policy, you know, if you're giving away gun locks, perhaps it's accompanied with more information or education that this is, this is to get you started, but this is not going to be enough.

[1:55:06] Here's what you need to do to really secure your gun.

[1:55:11] I think that that is a great idea and certainly we have people that reach out with questions

[1:55:16] throughout the years and they are directed to a detective.

[1:55:19] I'm not saying every day, but from time to time members of the community that are wondering

[1:55:23] about gun safety and keeping their firearm secure.

[1:55:27] And we certainly provide them with as much information as we can, but would not hesitate

[1:55:31] to have a one sheet or a fact sheet to go along with handing out something that is the bare

[1:55:37] minimum.

[1:55:40] member of the, I'm part of my member, I can use it.

[1:55:43] Pretty sure this will be my last question, Steve.

[1:55:47] I've made some pretty bold claims about the national shooting

[1:55:50] sports foundation and I am someone who takes very seriously

[1:55:54] that you should be responsible as responsible as you can

[1:55:58] possibly be when making public comments and statements.

[1:56:01] So I'd just like to share something to back up,

[1:56:04] provide evidence for the statements I've been making about the

[1:56:06] National Student Sports Foundation in particular in the gun lobby in general.

[1:56:12] I, in my previous role, with Newton Action Alliance, served in that role from 2020 to 2022.

[1:56:18] In addition to Ethan's law, one of the issues that I worked on, for most of that time, was getting support for President Biden's original nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol to back on firearms.

[1:56:29] That was a man named David Chipman, a 25-year veteran of the ATF, responded to some of the highest

[1:56:37] profile tragedies in the last 20 years in America, terrorist attacks, and more.

[1:56:43] And he was a senior advisor at Giffords for the last seven years before he was nominated

[1:56:49] to leave the ATF.

[1:56:53] He was serious and he had a step-by-step plan for reducing the flow of the legally trafficked

[1:56:59] firearms in the underserved communities across this country.

[1:57:03] And it was, I was one of the people working hard to get all of the votes needed in the

[1:57:07] Senate for his confirmation.

[1:57:09] We fell short by one vote, Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine, voted against his

[1:57:16] nomination, and it is a fact that the National Shooting Sports Foundation contributed $20 million

[1:57:23] in order to defeat his nomination.

[1:57:27] So I just wanted to share that by a way of evidence.

[1:57:31] What I am saying here today is not hyperbole.

[1:57:35] And that is why I take so seriously the question of whether or not my local sheriff's office

[1:57:41] is partnering with the NSSF. Whether you realize it or not, law enforcement officers across

[1:57:46] the country, the gun violence prevention movement is growing, getting stronger, severe,

[1:57:53] more well educated by the day by the hour I would say in this country. And when law enforcement

[1:57:58] or any other organization, including the federal department of veterans affairs, when they

[1:58:07] partner with the NSSF, you lose credibility.

[1:58:10] So thank you for getting back to me with that information.

[1:58:12] Thank you all for indulging me.

[1:58:14] I know I have taken up most of the air in this room today

[1:58:17] and I appreciate it.

[1:58:19] Just to close it out, if I may, just so crystal clear,

[1:58:23] we are 100% on board and gun violence prevention

[1:58:27] and gun safety.

[1:58:28] 100%.

[1:58:29] I mean, there's no wiggle room.

[1:58:30] I mean, it's been a lie, I know.

[1:58:33] Yeah.

[1:58:34] Thank you.

[1:58:34] Thank you so much, Deputy Chief, for being here.

[1:58:37] And remember, Denise, I'm glad that you are speaking about this.

[1:58:42] And I am thrilled that you are on this board.

[1:58:45] And when you say we're getting more educated,

[1:58:48] or the advocates are getting more educated by the hour,

[1:58:51] that's due to you and your work.

[1:58:54] And you're helping all of us.

[1:58:56] And just wanted to say, I personally am very grateful.

[1:58:59] I know others are, as well.

[1:59:00] And we thank you, Craig.

[1:59:02] Well, and I really appreciate our board members

[1:59:05] who took the time to be here.

[1:59:07] We've got a reminder, Jennifer Clark and Chris Acasvin are online and in the room is our

[1:59:14] Altenberg Vice Chair, Cunningham, member Kyle, member Frank, member Park, member Wassick,

[1:59:21] member Volitzik, member Kenysnick, and member Robert.

[1:59:25] So it's a shame that our other board members were unable or did not choose to be here today because

[1:59:32] this is an important and extremely important topic

[1:59:35] that touches everybody's lives.

[1:59:38] I did just want to kind of close

[1:59:39] and what I heard, please, let me know

[1:59:42] if there's something that I missed here.

[1:59:44] But I think what we heard or maybe have consensus

[1:59:47] on moving forward is we are all in on public education.

[1:59:52] We are Mark and I are going to talk afterwards.

[1:59:55] I want to find out more about from IDPH, where we are in,

[2:00:00] And the work that they are doing and how we can get some things that are specific to Illinois.

[2:00:07] But I also see we can reach out to King County and adjust the brochure that they have, learn more about the work that they're doing.

[2:00:15] So, and say we're all in in a public education.

[2:00:18] I think we are all set. We can slip in support if we have not done so already because of our legislative agenda and how broadly it is written.

[2:00:26] We have no quams in slipping and support of Senate Bill was a 1521, 1521, so we can do that today.

[2:00:37] And then we need to think about two member wasics point two.

[2:00:41] How can we collaborate? How can we make a difference?

[2:00:45] How can we support the work of the gun violence prevention initiative?

[2:00:48] How do we support the work that Dr. Carter is doing with the schools as board members, as residents,

[2:00:57] as family members, right?

[2:00:59] And then I would also just throw out there,

[2:01:01] you know, also thinking about the language you use,

[2:01:03] I was really struck by Deputy Chief saying,

[2:01:04] you know, we don't call him car accidents anymore,

[2:01:06] they're car crashes because things could have been done.

[2:01:10] And I think about the word or the phrase, mass shooting.

[2:01:14] You know, mass shooting doesn't speak to what happens, right?

[2:01:17] These are mass murders with, you know, massive casualties.

[2:01:23] You know, thinking about the words that we use

[2:01:25] really matters. So, again, I want to say thank you to everybody for being here, especially thanks

[2:01:31] to member Kenny Zink for your passion and dedication. Thanks so much to member Altonburg and

[2:01:36] member Frank for doing your hard work and getting this together. Really appreciated anything else.

[2:01:43] And we want to say in this topic before we close, thank you, member Roberts.

[2:01:48] Thank you. There was so much I learned today. I had no idea. And I just want to thank you and

[2:01:56] thank you for being on this board. And I think we were leaders in this county and Deputy Chief

[2:02:04] I quoted him as partners to solve problems. That is who we are. So let's work together and

[2:02:12] get this done. Thanks. Thank you. I have nothing further

[2:02:18] to have a county administrators report. No man. Okay? Any members remarks on anything

[2:02:22] not on the agenda today? All right. Well, thank you so much. Our next meeting is scheduled

[2:02:27] for April 7th, 2023. If you're interested in participating in our continued

[2:02:32] committee, the whole meetings about gun violence, please do let me know and we will discuss

[2:02:37] what April will bring. Okay, thanks so much. We are adjourned.

Mar 10, 2023 Committee of the Whole Meeting - 03-10-2023

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