REPORT: Jim Durkin Removed from Speakers List During U.S. House Judiciary Hearing in Chicago After his Vote in Favor of the Assault Weapons Ban was Discovered

By Illinois Review

On Tuesday, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a special hearing on “Victims of Violent Crime in Chicago,” as witnesses testified about failed Democratic policies, the violent crime plaguing the city and the lack of political support for local police officers. Three witnesses testified before the committee, but as a report on Wednesday revealed – there was one witness missing: former Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin.

In Wednesday’s edition of POLITICO’s Illinois Playbook, it was reported that Durkin – who attended Tuesday’s hearing at Chicago FOP Lodge #7 and was a strong opponent of the SAFE-T ACT when he was in the Illinois legislature, “had initially been set to testify but was taken off the speaker list when organizers got wind of his OpEd supporting an assault weapons ban.”

In January, before he resigned from the Illinois legislature, Durkin was the only Republican to join the Democrats, voting in favor of the assault weapons ban – a move that angered conservatives and supporters of the 2nd Amendment, who vehemently opposed the unconstitutional weapons ban.

During the 2022 midterm election, Durkin suffered embarrassing losses, giving Democrats once again, supermajority control in the Illinois House.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune after the election, Durkin blamed the Second Amendment and social issues like abortion for Republican losses this past November.

Durkin remains a close ally and best friend of IL GOP chairman Don Tracy. During the primary, Durkin was a supporter of Richard Irvin’s Republican campaign for governor, despite Irvin pulling Democratic Primary ballots in 2014, 2016 and 2020.

Rumors are swirling in political circles that Durkin is thinking about running for Cook County State’s Attorney after Kim Foxx announced in April that she won’t run for re-election.