West Cook News

State Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) appears to be bucking Republican Party platform politics when it comes to gun control. 

On Dec. 12, Durkin spoke at the House Judiciary Criminal Committee hearing on HB5855, which would ban assault weapons in Illinois.

The hearing was comprised entirely of witnesses speaking in favor of the gun control legislation. They included family of people killed by gun violence, and emergency room doctors.

Durkin brought up the July 4th Highland Park shooting where seven were left dead  and at least 48 others injured.

 Durkin said he was at the hearing as a member of the House of Representatives, as well as "a person who, like anybody else, who remembers the 4th of July. And we have to do everything we can to make sure nothing like that happens again, but we can't unless we hear from the people who are there."

The former House Minority Leader said that he intends "to work in a very professional manner as this goes along.” 

“I'm not a member of the Judiciary Committee, but in my position, I'm ex-officio of every committee in the House of Representatives,” Durkin said. “This is a very important issue for myself, coming from my background as prosecutor, but also as a parent and a person who lives in the suburbs of Chicago. I take these issues as serious as anything. I'm glad people are here today. And let me just say that when we're in Springfield, legislation moves at the speed of sound, and it's very difficult to put a face with a name. It's also extremely important that we understand that there's a human factor and that there's a human experience that goes along with every piece of legislation that we are going to undertake big and small. So I considered today's testimony, and the other ones is an opportunity for me to understand that human face, that human factor, and to listen is our ... greatest responsibility, but also the best thing we can do right now is to listen, learn more and at the right time, ask questions. So I'm here today." 

According to Vote Smart, the National Rifle Association gave Durkin a 17% when it comes to opposing gun control measures, a big decline from 57% in 2012.

In a recent editorial in the Chicago Tribune, Celeste Fisher, Durkin’s wife, discussed the couple’s support for gun control measures.

“As a former Cook County prosecutor and father, Jim just wants to keep everyone safe. That has consistently earned Jim a low grade from the National Rifle Association — a grade that could not make me love him more,” Fisher wrote. “This Republican soldiered on like a one-man army and voted for the 2018 assault weapons ban, and he worked hard to close gun show loopholes, understanding the Second Amendment is a complex issue. It is not for the simple-minded.”

Durkin recently stepped down as House Minority Leader after a brutal 2022 General Election in which the GOP failed to pick up traction in unseating Democratic supermajorities in the General Assembly. 

Durkin was blamed for the performance by Republicans in which incumbent Republicans Reps. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) and Keith Wheeler (R-Oswego) both lost their seats. The GOP House leadership took criticism early this year for backing several candidates in June primary campaigns against conservative reformers, depleting Republican campaign reserves before the general elections. 

Durkin supported Republican primary candidates of his choice with hundreds thousands of dollars in campaign funding while criticizing others for backing more conservative choices. 

The failure of the Richard Irvin gubernatorial campaign, for which Durkin was involved, led many to question the leadership of House Republicans, the Peoria Standard reported.