Illinois Valley Times

State Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) shares his conviction over the protection of the Second Amendment rights of his constituents. 

Citing the importance of this provision, the Republican representative pointed out the constant efforts to strike down this part of the Bill of Rights.

Welter, a Republican who represents the 75th District in the Illinois House of Representatives, stressed the importance of the Second Amendment and the necessity to protect this right from those who seek to curb its practice. According to the state representative, he aims to safeguard his right to invoke this amendment as well as the rights of his constituents.

“The Second Amendment is one of the most important rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights,” Welter said. “The operative text states that the right of the people to keep and bear arms…shall not be infringed. In spite of the clarity of this amendment, we have seen repeated, consistent and sustained attacks on this right and efforts across the spectrum to infringe on this individual right.”

Welter, who was appointed to office in July 2016, state the logic behind his stance. According to him, the founders of the Constitution planned to put in place the Second Amendment to ensure the security and safety of the citizens of the country. That is, this provision was included in the Bill of Rights to guarantee that the government would not overstep its boundaries and take advantage of its powers to the detriment of the public.

“The founders intended the Second Amendment to function as a citizen check against overreach in the event that the government started to take away civil rights guaranteed in the Constitution,” Welter said.

With these in mind, Welter stressed his determination to make sure that the Second Amendment rights are protected. The Republican representative expressed his rejection of any unconstitutional laws on gun restriction in the country. He further stated his pledge to aggressively defend his constituents from attempts of undermining the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution specifically the Second Amendment.

“I will not support unconstitutional gun restriction laws. I will actively fight any attempt to undermine our Constitution and infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,” Welter said.

Before becoming the representative for the 75th District in the Illinois House of Representatives, Welter was the chairman of the Grundy County Board. Apart from this position, which he was first elected for in 2010, the Republican statesman was the human resources and procurement manager of a local company handling local trucking and construction equipment.

Welter is anticipated to bring forth his relevant experiences as a prominent member of the private sector in his work as the representative for the 75th District. His notable professional experiences with the handling of local government affairs are highly regarded by his constituents and colleagues as well.  

Since his appointment in the Illinois General Assembly, Welter has become part of the committees on Agriculture and Conservation; Appropriations-Public Safety; Elementary and Secondary Education Charter School Policy; Energy; Judiciary/Criminal; Restorative Justice; and Special Needs Services.