State lawmakers send Karina's Bill to Gov. Pritzker's desk to address domestic violence

SPRINGFIELD — A year and a half after the murder of Karina Gonzalez, Illinois lawmakers on Tuesday passed legislation named for the West Side woman that aims to prevent domestic violence deaths like hers by requiring law enforcement to promptly remove firearms from people accused of abuse.

Karina’s Bill passed the Illinois House by a vote of 80-33 in the waning hours of the General Assembly’s lame duck session, advancing the measure that would require police to confiscate guns within 96 hours of a judge’s order from people whose FOID cards have been revoked due to emergency restraining orders.

“Our hope is that this important change will give strength to survivors everywhere and help ensure no family ever has to experience this type of tragedy again,” Manny Alvarez, Gonzalez’s son, said in a statement after being invited to the House floor by state Rep. Edgar Gonzalez, D-Chicago, to urge an “aye” vote.

Suburban state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, the Batavia Democrat who carried the bill in the House, said it “changes the systemic issues in our process to protect victims.”

The long-sought measure, which was opposed by some law enforcement groups, passed the Illinois Senate 43-10 on Monday.

Gov. JB Pritzker previously raised concerns about the resource burden placed on Illinois State Police and local departments that will be tasked with carrying out confiscations. But sources in the governor’s office said he would sign it.

The legislative action came after a report released last summer found that domestic violence deaths more than doubled in 2023 compared to 2022, up to 120 deaths in 94 separate incidents statewide.

Current law allows for survivors seeking an order of protection to request removal of firearms, but advocates have long warned that enforcement is inconsistent.

Gonzalez and her 15-year-old daughter, Daniela, were fatally shot in their home in July 2023, just weeks after she told police about threatening behavior by her husband, Jose Alvarez.

She was granted an order of protection against Alvarez, whose firearm owner identification card was automatically revoked. He was also banned from the family home.

Yet on July 3, Alvarez was still in the home with a pistol when he fatally shot his wife and daughter and wounded their 18-year-old son, Manny Alvarez, according to prosecutors.

Manny Alvarez, now 20, said their family was “honored to see this law, named for my mom," pass the General Assembly. "Karina and Daniela were beautiful, deeply loved people and we miss them every single day,” he said.

An earlier version of the bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate, with leaders waiting on the outcome of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that was handed down in June. Justices ruled the government can forbid someone with a domestic violence restraining order from possessing firearms.

During a committee meeting before his chamber’s vote Monday, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon said the legislation was “a long time coming,” and that the Supreme Court ruling “gave us far more elbow room than I would have expected to tackle this issue.”

“We wanted to make sure that this is a bill that works — not just one where the words on paper make us feel better about our efforts, but one that actually protects victims,” Harmon said, crediting sponsoring state Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago.

“This law will save lives,” Villanueva said in a statement. “Karina’s Law closes a dangerous loophole and sends a clear message: Illinois prioritizes the safety and dignity of survivors.”

Opponents at the Illinois State Rifle Association and in the Republican caucus argued that the bill violates due process rights for gun owners. Proponents countered that people subject to gun confiscation must be deemed “an immediate and present danger” by a judge, with sworn testimony from people asking to have guns removed.

Amanda Pyron, president and CEO of The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, called the bill’s passage “a critical step forward in protecting survivors of domestic violence from firearms.”

Andres Roque, whose sister, Maria Roque, was gunned down in front of her Austin home in a 2023 domestic shooting, said he hopes the legislation spurs agencies to address cases with more urgency.

“My sister fought to protect herself and her kids ... and we [are] still gonna keep fighting,” he said. “I feel like this is an opportunity for people to just wake up.” Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart strongly supported the legislation that he said will “increase resources for domestic violence survivors.”

The bill would take effect 90 days after Pritzker signs it into law.

Mitchell Armentrout reported from Springfield. Sophie Sherry reported from Chicago.