Dupage Policy Journal

State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) does not agree that the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) should “conduct a study on methods to prevent and reduce firearm violence in Illinois,” as stated in House Bill 192 filed by State Rep. Sonya Harper.

“Why are you putting this research in connection with firearm violence with one of the health departments and not the Illinois state police?” she asked.

The bill creates the Firearm Violence Prevention and Reduction Study Act which “Provides that the Department of Public Health must file a yearly report of the study's findings with the General Assembly.”

“We are trying to move towards the sentiment that we want to study violence as a public health concern and being that we want to study violence as from a public health concern, we feel that that's best suited for the Department of public health,” Harper explained to Mazzochi.

Mazzochi expressed her concern that this bill could derail IDPH’s focus on the prevention of addressing and implementing efforts on disease prevention specifically on COVID-19.

“In the time of COVID, the Illinois Department of Public Health I think really should be keeping mission-centric on the spread of disease and not necessarily you know, jumping into gun issues because that it’s going to detract from its mission.”