East Central Reporter

State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) said he hopes for a bipartisan effort on gun control after State Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-Chicago) was carjacked at gunpoint in late December.

Lightford’s husband shot at carjackers after they separated the couple, leading Lightford to praise his right to concealed carry.

“This incident is a clear illustration of why we have concealed carry laws in the first place. There is no question the fact that Sen. Lightford’s husband had a legally concealed firearm saved their lives, “ Halbrook told the East Central Reporter. “Every honest person deserves the same rights to protect themselves the way Lightford and her husband were protected.”

Halbrook called on both parties to unite.   

"My prayers are with Sen. Lightford and her family. What happened to her is wrong and we need to work together as Democrats and Republicans to address the rise in violent crime on our streets,” he said.

He expects Lightford to rethink her opposition to concealed carry laws.

“I would hope she would rethink some of her views on lawful gun ownership,” Halbrook said.

Lightford voted against the Illinois Concealed Carry Law in 2013 when it went up for a vote. 

Subsequently, she has not supported a move away from the program in the wake of certifications and recertifications for gun owners sometimes taking over a year to process.

Halbrook said the problem has been noted among his constituents.

“My office gets calls all of the time about these delays. At a minimum we need to be looking at ways to expedite this process because the crime wave certainly has created a sense of urgency that previously did not exist,” he said.

Critics have argued Lightford should be in favor of removing the need for a concealed carry license given her near-death experience.

One even said not to do so would be “reprehensible.”

Cook County and Chicago have been awash in violent crime. In 2021 Chicago recorded 834 murders, the most since 1996, and 299 more than in 2019.

Lax prosecution standards have been blamed for the rampant criminality.  

“Certainly, the criminals are carrying firearms without permits. The problem with violent crime is not honest gun owners. More laws are not going to solve this problem. Instead of creating new laws – we need to enforce the laws we have and keep criminals off the streets,” Halbrook said.  “We need to review the laws we have and craft policies that are workable and enforceable and above all we need to get to the root cause of violent behavior. The incident in Waukesha proves that violent crime is not just about guns. In that case, a car was deliberately used as a deadly weapon. If we want to stop the rise of violent crime – we need to look at what is causing people to commit violent acts. Targeting gun ownership is not a solution.”