DeKalb HS students question state representative candidates on guns
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DeKALB (Heartland Newsfeed) — Students from DeKalb High School had the opportunity to ask questions to candidates running for the Illinois House seat in District 70 during a candidate forum held Tuesday, Mar. 6 by the school’s Politically Active Youth group.
A student-submitted question asked the candidates about their thoughts of guns and the idea of gun control.
Paul Stoddard, the first of two Democrats running in the March 20 primary election, states that there are things that should have been done to stop people who shouldn’t have guns — like those who suffer from mental illness or are on psychotropic prescription drugs — which would have prevented the killing others. A suggested idea was the introduction of expanded background checks.
More: Four candidates are seeking to fill 70th District void as Robert Pritchard bows out
Howard Solomon, Stoddard’s primary opponent, supports engraving bullets so they can easily be tracked back to the guns that fired them. He also recommended changes to the Second Amendment in his opening statement.
John Eldon Mathey, a Libertarian candidate who will begin collecting petition signatures March 27 to get on the ballot in the November 6 general election, recommends not reporting the name of shooters to prevent copycat killers. He also comments that new laws are not the answer to end mass shootings.
The lone Republican in the race, Jeff Keicher, was unable to attend the forum.
This article was edited to reflect the correct date the forum was held.
Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
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