Citing a Chicago Tribune story that showed how a single handgun stolen in Wisconsin was tied to more than two Chicago dozen shootings, two Illinois Democrats on Capitol Hill introduced legislation Thursday that would require firearm dealers to implement more stringent security measures at their stores when they’re closed.

       The measure will likely face staunch opposition from Senate Republicans who are friendly to the country’s gun lobby and typically seek to derail any gun-control effort by Congress.

       The proposal from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of north suburban Deerfield comes after the Tribune published a two-part series about how authorities linked the stolen gun and a handful of others to at least 35 shootings here, including three homicides, after they were taken in a gun shop burglary in northern Wisconsin on New Year’s Day 2016.

       Of at least nine guns stolen from the Superior, Wisconsin, gun shop, four were later confiscated by Chicago police, who then used a ballistics-imaging program to link one of the guns — a 9 mm Glock 17 handgun — to 27 shootings from February 2016 to July 2017.

       The showcase at Superior Shooters Supply in Superior, Wisconsin, where a Glock 17 9 mm handgun was stolen on New Year's Day 2016. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

       The Tribune pored over hundreds of documents to understand the trail of that weapon and how its use affected shooting victims and their families. The gun and the others stolen were taken from the shop after a burglar entered the store after hours and smashed a glass case.

       The proposal from Durbin and Schneider, dubbed the SECURE (Safety Enhancements for Communities Using Reasonable and Effective) Firearms Storage Act, would put in place conditions on federal firearms license dealers, or FFLs, including:

       Mandate that when stores are closed, all guns in their inventory must be fastened to an anchored steel rod or stored in a locked safe or gun cabinet. Require that shops keep all paper records of firearms transactions in a secure location so the records can be preserved in case they’re needed for tracing guns linked by law enforcement to crimes. Allow the U.S. attorney general to impose regulations with more security requirements, including for alarm and camera systems, as well as direction on securing electronic records. Impose penalties on any gun dealer that does not follow the new rules on security measures, including a license suspension or revocation for multiple infractions. Add a new section to the FFL application for prospective licensees to describe how they will comply with the security requirements and direct the attorney general to make sure their plans are reasonable before approving an application.

       In the two-part series, the Tribune also reported how the number of stolen guns from federally licensed firearm dealers jumped by about 5% from 2018 to 2020, according to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and cited by the advocacy organization Everytown for Gun Safety. In Wisconsin, there were 217 guns stolen from firearm dealers in 2020 compared with 97 in 2018, the figures show.

       From January through June 2020, there were 284 burglaries nationwide at licensed dealers in which some 3,700 firearms were stolen, according to statistics from the ATF, which enforces regulations on legal gun sales.

       “There are many reasons for gun violence in Chicago and other places but one of the obvious ones is we are awash in guns. We have guns coming at us from every direction, and sadly many gun dealers are not accepting their responsibility to safely store the weapons,” Durbin told the Tribune on Thursday. “It is a real problem and it’s not too much to ask these federally licensed firearms dealers who are making a pretty penny selling these firearms to store their firearms safely so that they cannot be stolen by burglars who just smash and run.”

       Passage of the legislation will be contingent on support from Senate Republicans, who have shown resistance to go along with measures related to gun control. For instance, Congress earlier this year was unsuccessful in passing legislation that would strengthen background checks on gun sales and transfers after it came to a halt in the Senate.

       When Illinois passed a controversial measure a few years ago making it illegal for retailers to sell guns without being certified by the state — even though they’ve already acquired a federal license — the law required shop owners to install surveillance equipment, maintain an electronic inventory, establish anti-theft measures and require employees to undergo annual training.

       Todd Vandermyde, executive director of FFL Illinois, raised concern that the new federal proposal could prove very costly for smaller, local businesses that sell guns to be in compliance.

       “I’m well aware that Sen. Durbin and Congressman Schneider would love nothing more than to eliminate the vast majority of FFLs in the state, as well as across the country,” said Vandermyde. “They just continually try to make it harder and harder to have the ability for the average person to go buy and obtain a firearm.”

       Schneider on Thursday acknowledged that similar gun shop security-enhancement legislation has been discussed in Congress before but without any action.

       “It shouldn’t be that hard. These are people who are stealing guns. And making it a little more difficult for those people to steal those guns to get them on the street and commit the crimes ... should be something that should bring everyone in Congress — House, Senate, Republican, Democrat — together,” Schneider told the Tribune. “This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It shouldn’t be a red state, blue state or a rural-urban divide.”

       Rob Wilcox, the federal legal director for Everytown for Gun Safety, said such legislation is needed to strengthen the current “patchwork of laws” from state and local authorities that try to mandate safeguards for gun sellers.

       ”Too many gun sellers are failing to take common sense precautions,” Wilcox said. “The truth is, the federal agency responsible for regulating the gun industry should have the power to make sure there are commonsense precautions to prevent theft.”

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