William J. Kelly for IL Sec of State Proposes Ban on Car Ownership for Convicts

 

Chicago, IL (November 29, 2021) - William J. Kelly, Republican candidate for Illinois Secretary of State, has proposed a ban on car ownership for criminals convicted of car-involved violent felonies. Kelly says that the massacre at the Christmas parade in Waukesha should be a wake-up call to Chicago and Illinois leaders about the dangers posed by violent felons out on low cash bails:

 

"The Illinois Secretary of State has the power to revoke driving privileges with no guarantee of reinstatement," Kelly says. "But we need to do more to solve the epidemic of carjackings and organized retail thefts in the City of Chicago and other cities and towns across Illinois."

 

Kelly is proposing a background check on violent offenders and drug users similar to the one used for background checks on gun owners. "If you can't legally purchase a gun, why should you be allowed to own or purchase a car if you've been convicted of a car-involved violent felony," Kelly asks.

 

Kelly says that Illinois' elected officials need to do more to keep Illinois residents safe and that the epidemic of violence in the City of Chicago is out of control. "Chicago's clearance rate on murders is at 18% - one of the lowest in the country," Kelly says. "In Cook County alone, there has been a 43% increase in carjackings in 2021 over 2020. We need to put tough measures in place and hold convicts accountable for their actions in order to put an end to this madness."

 

Kelly's proposal would also penalize anyone found to have purchased a vehicle for a convicted felon, especially if the vehicle was later found to be used in the commission of a crime.

 

Kelly's proposal has legal merit. A recent Illinois appellate case says that if a dealer sells a car to a person with a revoked license, the dealer can be held liable if that person injures someone in an accident with the car.