Current federal law bars people convicted of a felony from having a firearm. (satellitov/Pixabay)
October 25, 2018By Lynne Peeples/Broadcast version by Mary Schuermann
Reporting for the FairWarning-Illinois News Connection Collaboration
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Research suggests that a person who abuses animals also has a high likelihood of hurting other people.
And that insight has begun fueling a push at the state and federal levels to slap a no-gun penalty on anyone convicted of animal cruelty.
Current federal law already bars people convicted of a felony from having a firearm, but many animal cruelty crimes – even those that involve torture and mutilation – are prosecuted as misdemeanors.
Jerry Elsner, executive director of the Illinois State Crime Commission, says that's why his agency wants to ban gun possession by convicted animal abusers.
"I'm a Republican and I'm a very, very strong supporter of the Second Amendment,” he states. “But I'm not a supporter of the Second Amendment for people that are violent against women or children or people that pull the wings off a parakeet."
The Illinois State Rifle Association and the National Rifle Association fought state and federal bans requiring the surrender of firearms in domestic violence cases.
Neither organization responded to requests for comment on calls to bar gun possession in animal cruelty convictions.
At the national level, a bill (HR 6278)[1] introduced in Congress this year would prohibit people with a misdemeanor conviction for animal cruelty from owning a gun.
U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts introduced the federal legislation. She says animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people than non-abusers.
And Clark notes that federal officials are taking notice, as several agencies recently declared animal abuse a
