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Illinois passes Karina's Bill, barring domestic abusers from owning firearms

By Nic Flosi
Published  January 7, 2025 9:05pm CST
Illinois Politics
FOX 32 Chicago

The Brief

    • Illinois has passed Karina’s Bill, a law requiring firearms to be confiscated from individuals subject to domestic violence protection orders.
    • The law is named after Karina Gonzalez and her daughter, who were fatally shot despite an active order of protection.
    • Advocates and officials hailed the measure as a step forward in curbing gun-related domestic violence.

What We Know

The Illinois House passed Karina’s Bill on Tuesday, introducing stricter measures to protect survivors of domestic violence from gun violence.

The new law mandates that firearms be surrendered or confiscated within 14 days of a domestic violence order of protection being granted. Judges will also have the authority to issue search warrants for weapons during the enforcement of such orders.

The Backstory

The legislation is named after Karina Gonzalez and her 15-year-old daughter Daniela, who were allegedly shot and killed by Gonzalez’s husband in the summer of 2023 despite her obtaining an order of protection against him.

What They’re Saying

The bill's chief co-sponsor, Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (D-Bridgeview) called the legislation "a critical step towards protecting survivors of domestic violence and making our communities safer."

"Together, we will continue to push to end gun violence and ensure that everyone in Illinois can live free from fear in their own home," Rashid said.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton described the law as a "pivotal victory."

"Karina's Bill will require firearms to be removed from an alleged abuser when a victim is granted an emergency order of protection. Karina and Daniela had dreams and aspirations beyond the violence in their home – their lives mattered, and they should be alive today," Stratton said.

Why You Should Care

Gun-related domestic violence deaths have nearly doubled in Illinois over the past four years, according to data.

What's Next

Karina's Bill now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk, where he's expected to sign it.

The Source: The information in this article was provided by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, the Gun Violence Archive, the Chicago Police Department and the Illinois State Police.

Illinois PoliticsCrime and Public SafetyChicagoNews