Regarding the op-ed “Devices that turn firearms into machine guns are threatening Chicagoans and our police” (Sept. 19): In calling for more regulation of devices that turn semi-automatic weapons into fully automated machine guns, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling and Special Agent Christopher Amon of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sadly mislead readers about the impact of Illinois’ SAFE-T Act on those found with a weapon converted to be fully automatic.
To be clear — possession of a machine gun is and always has been a detention-eligible offense under the Pretrial Fairness Act, which is part of the SAFE-T Act. Because, in Illinois, possession of a machine gun is a non-probationable felony, meaning it carries a mandatory sentence, and because people accused of possessing a machine gun will generally be charged with “aggravated unlawful use of a weapon,” which is separately detention-eligible, virtually all defendants with gun possession cases remain eligible to be detained even after the end of the cash bail system in Illinois.
The officials argue that “the absence of pretrial incarceration for mere possession emboldens criminals.” But there are countless examples of people being detained on gun possession charges over the past year. Gun possession cases make up a plurality (if not a majority) of all people currently being ordered detained on any given day in Cook County Circuit Court’s Pretrial Division.
Moreover, the Illinois Appellate Court has issued no fewer than three opinions affirming the pretrial detention of people arrested by the Chicago Police Department and charged with possession of a machine gun. The published court decisions each describe someone who was arrested by CPD, charged with possession of a machine gun and denied release and who appealed that detention decision and received appellate court review affirming the detention. In one case, the allegation was that he possessed a gun with an “automatic switch attachment” of exactly the kind focused on in the op-ed.
Even if the ATF official did not know about these cases, Snelling certainly should be aware.
Debating these devices and their availability is a valuable exercise — but that debate should not include false information.
— Benjamin Ruddell, director of criminal justice reform, American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois
Behavior during traffic stops
Richard Boykin’s op-ed (“Tyreek Hill police encounter is a teachable moment,” Sept. 16) is well stated and reasonable for those who experience interactions with law enforcement. Unfortunately, the most critical advice appears well into the opinion piece.
This is essential reading for all of the driving/riding public: “Stay calm, respectful and follow the officers’ instructions. Also, do not exit your vehicle unless the officer directs you to do so. Roll your window down and keep your hands on the steering wheel in plain sight.” Everything else is common sense. Make no sudden moves and do not argue. There will be time for that later if warranted.
This advice should be mandatory training for all new drivers. Teachable moments!
— Kevin Falvey, Mokena, Illinois
Illinoisans deserve clean cars
In the editorial “If we stop making electric vehicles a political football, the market for them will grow faster”
(Sept. 16), the Tribune Editorial Board accurately highlights the growing market for electric vehicles (EVs) and the inevitable transition to cleaner transportation.
EV sales continue to grow in the U.S., but the editorial board must recognize that this market growth would not happen without strong policy, combined with federal and state investments and consumer incentives. Illinois cannot achieve its stated EV goals without programs that help get more Illinoisans behind the wheel of cleaner cars.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) is encouraging EV adoption by providing consumer rebates for EV purchases as well as $35 million for fast-charging from the Driving a Cleaner Illinois program. Illinois has received more than $2 billion in federal manufacturing investments for EVs, batteries, and component parts and nearly $150 million in NEVI funding for public charging.
Not only are effective investments and policies bringing more jobs and infrastructure to the state, but they’re also helping EVs reach cost parity with gas vehicles more quickly. “Complicated” federal tax rebates for EVs, as the editorial describes them, have saved Americans more than $1.5 billion since January, and the average upfront for EVs dropped by $14,300 last year. Just this month, the Treasury Department announced new tax credits for up to 30% of the cost of charging infrastructure for individuals and businesses.
On the policy front, the Illinois Pollution Control Board is considering adoption of the Advanced Clean Cars II standard (ACCII) that would offer more consumer choice, cleaner air and economic opportunity. ACCII sets increasing EV sales targets to ensure Illinois is getting the economic benefits of EV manufacturing and clean air benefits of more EVs on the road.
Increasing the supply of EVs in the state improves the lifetime savings of EV ownership by up to $22,000 when compared with a gas car and has the potential to save more than $5 billion in public health costs resulting from tailpipe emissions in Illinois. Without adopting ACCII, we will be exporting clean air benefits to other states, leaving Illinoisans with fewer car buying options and overburdened communities breathing dirty air.
Illinois deserves the benefits of clean cars, and consumers should have options here. The Pollution Control Board now has the opportunity to catch up with the other states that have already adopted ACCII and deliver lifesaving benefits to everyone.
— Muhammed Patel, senior transportation advocate, Natural Resources Defense Council
Rebuttal to EV naysayers
I am so tired. So tired of hearing complaints from those who peddle the ridiculous theory that they will surely run out of battery power should they purchase an EV. First, there are more than 50,000 superchargers nationwide built by Tesla and more being constructed.
These superchargers are also now available to other EVs through adapters. And there are thousands of other third-party charging stations that accept adapters for EV charging.
The upshot is this: Driving an electric vehicle is a matter of responsibility.
Smart planning and forecasting battery capacity will keep an EV running anywhere in country. Mapping out locations of chargers regardless of whether you live in a big city or a rural area will keep an EV running all the time. Driving an electric vehicle is part of the solution, not the problem, when it comes to air quality, climate change and the incessant addiction to gas-guzzling vehicles.
Get on board, and get educated.
— Richard Cohen, Vernon Hills
EVs are not profitable
The editorial on getting politics out of electric vehicles neglects one important point: EV sales are unprofitable for U.S. automakers. In 2023, Ford’s EV sales division reported a $4.7 billion loss. GM lost $2.5 billion on its EVs last year. Neither company would be in the EV space if not pushed there by government subsidies.
These subsidies will have to continue indefinitely because the federal government isn’t giving up on the vision of an electric future, and profitability is a long way off for Ford and GM.
— Daniel Mackin, Northbrook
Changing human behavior
I read with great interest the story “Can we engineer our way out of the climate crisis?” (Sept. 15) about the University of Chicago’s new program in climate engineering. But this is only a half-measure.
The U. of C. needs to start a program to address social engineering as well. Our planet has been infested by an invasive species of about 8 billion semi-hairless bipedal primates whose behavior must be radically altered.
I even have a chant that students agitating for the creation of such a program can use: “Hey, hey, ho, ho. Human nature’s got to go!”
— Bill Porter, Vernon Hills
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