East Central Reporter

As House Bill 4144 progresses through the Illinois legislature, State Representative Adam Niemerg expressed his concerns over the bill's potential impact on due process. "I will continue to fight for your Constitutional rights every step of the way!" he said in a Facebook post dated January 8.

"Another unconstitutional gun bill makes it to the Illinois House," said Adam M Niemerg, State Representative for 102nd District (R), according to Facebook. "I will continue to fight for your Constitutional rights every step of the way!"

In his post, Niemerg shared a video of his speech on the House floor. He said, "We have a bill here, folks, that a petitioner can go to court, circumvent the state’s attorney and law enforcement, file for that order of protection, the judge shall issue that order of protection; law enforcement issues that order and serves that with a search warrant, kicks in somebody’s door, seizes their firearms, and they have no due process rights at all." He added that while individuals could petition the courts to get their Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) cards back later, it would still take about 18 months. Niemerg criticized what he described as the radical left in Illinois for being out of touch with both working people and reality.

Screenshot of State Representative Adam Niemerg's Jan. 8 Facebook post | State Representative Adam Niemerg's Facebook page

House Bill 4144, referred to as "Karina’s Law," mandates the removal of firearms from individuals accused of domestic abuse once a victim is granted a temporary order of protection and the accused abuser’s FOID card is revoked. The legislation prohibits those accused of domestic violence from possessing firearms or firearm parts and outlines procedures for petitioning courts to return them. Senator Celina Villanueva filed an amendment related to firearms on January 6, 2026. The bill passed the Senate on the same day and moved to the House where it passed both chambers by January 8. It is set to become effective 90 days after being signed into law.

The bill is named in memory of Karina Gonzalez, who was allegedly shot by her husband in July 2023 despite having an order of protection. According to CBS News on January 8, the Illinois House approved the legislation with an 80-33 vote following its passage in the state Senate by a vote of 43-10. The bill now awaits Governor JB Pritzker's signature.

Niemerg was first elected in 2020 and describes himself as a "fiscal conservative focused on reducing taxes and fighting for limited government and pension reform," according to his official biography. He works as a senior claims adjuster with Country Financial and holds a bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University.