Illinois Assault Weapons Ban?

[delta22]

CHICAGO — Illinois could ban assault weapons under a plan proposed Tuesday by Gov. Pat Quinn, but any gun control regulation would have to clear major hurdles even with a renewed nationwide debate.

The Chicago Democrat used his amendatory veto power to gut a bill related to ammunition sales and add language prohibiting the manufacture, delivery, sale and possession of semi-automatic assault weapons and attachments. Illinois lawmakers could accept or override the changes, or not call a vote at all.

The proposal – which specifically bans the AK-47, AR-15 and TEC-9 – was first reported by The Associated Press.

"It's very clear that these particular weapons are not designed to do anything but to have human targets," Quinn told reporters in Chicago.

The Colorado movie theater massacre has reignited debates about assault weapons and in recent days, a number of anti-violence advocates, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, have called for similar action in Chicago. Quinn recently signaled his support for a ban while noting the heroism shown by an Illinois man who was killed in the attack.

A handful of states have assault weapons bans, including New Jersey and Massachusetts. A federal ban expired in 2004 and attempts to revive it have been unsuccessful.

While Illinois is the only state without a concealed carry law, an assault weapons ban would face strong opposition from the gun lobby – that is, if it's called for a vote at all.

Quinn, who didn't work with the sponsor of the original bill, has had little success with amendatory vetoes. And other gun control measures have failed in the General Assembly and Cook County's assault weapons ban has undergone legal challenges. Earlier this year, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed lower-court rulings that found the ban constitutional, sending it back to trial court.

Quinn defended his tactic, saying the time for gun control is now. He cited the fatal shooting in Colorado and the 2008 shooting at Northern Illinois University that left five students dead. Quinn believes his latest plan was related to the original bill.

The bill's original sponsor, Republican state Sen. David Luechtefeld, called Quinn's plan politics as usual. Luechtefeld accused Quinn of using the Colorado shooting to make headlines.

"Politically, he wants to be shown as against assault weapons and it's totally political on his part," Luechtefeld said. "It's a way to get his name in the paper."

Luechtefeld's measure would have allowed Illinois residents to have ammunition purchased from in-state companies shipped to them. Currently, Illinois residents can only have ammunition shipped if it's bought out of state.

He added that he doesn't think his bill is controversial, and that Quinn's move kills it.

The governor has used amendatory vetoes more than a dozen times in the last year; amendments were approved twice.

In many cases, lawmakers didn't call a vote. House Speaker Mike Madigan has refused to do so in the past on the grounds that Quinn overstepped his constitutional authority. Also, the Illinois Supreme Court has said that an amendatory veto can't change the fundamental purpose of a bill.

Todd Vandermyde, an Illinois lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, said Quinn was going beyond his power as a governor. He criticized the bill as a publicity stunt and added that the proposal was too broad.

Still, gun-control advocates applauded the move.

"We have a national crisis on our hands. Chicago has a crisis on its hands," said Dan Gross, head of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "We have to do everything we can do to prevent tragedy from happening."

___

[Bumper64]

They keep pushing this issue of taking our guns away from us, they will get the fight they are pushing for here in the US.

What they are telling us is that our lives and our families lives mean nothing!

We should not be able to pull out a gun to protect ourselves from the bad guy.

Does that mean the rules apply to them?

Will their Secret Service guys turn over their assault weapons and use billy clubs to fight off the bad guys!

I will answer that one real fast: answer = NO!!

So what they are saying is that it's OK for us to be unprotected and killed as long as they are safe behind their SS guys!

SS = hmmmmmm where have I seen that in the past?

Let someone come up to Jesse Jackson and say something threatening and see how many guns are drawn and pointed at the bad guy!!

These people are a JOKE!! imo

[jaman]

great post Bumper64.........now that you mention it..... S S does ring a bell

[PAYNGO]

I live in Illinois, Nothing suprises me out of this Liberal Blue state...

[nstoolman1]

"We have a national crisis on our hands. Chicago has a crisis on its hands,"

Yes we do. Criminals are allowed to run free, armed , while law abiding citizens are neutered.

"We have to do everything we can do to prevent tragedy from happening."

Yes we do. Arm every willing, law abiding citizen that is willing, and produce a country of people able to stop it as it happens.

Make sense?

[cajunrescuemedic]

"We have a national crisis on our hands. Chicago has a crisis on its hands,"

Yes we do. Criminals are allowed to run free, armed , while law abiding citizens are neutered.

"We have to do everything we can do to prevent tragedy from happening."

Yes we do. Arm every willing, law abiding citizen that is willing, and produce a country of people able to stop it as it happens.

Make sense?

Makes sense to me. Like the old saying goes, "when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns". If I'm not mistaken, the main reason for the 2nd Amendment was really not to protect us from criminals, but actually to protect us from the government. Maybe those politicians should actually READ the constitution and realize that many 2nd Amendment supporters, such as myself, are also registered voters. Most of the problems aren't with the criminals, it's with the politicians. I say it's time to start passing out pink slips.

[delta22]

I'd rather be judged by 12 ,then carried out by 6.

[PartyTime]

They want to turn the entire State into Chicago where no one can have guns but the criminals so crime will be out of control. Crime in Chicago is out of control and they even admit this. What is the problem? Criminals don't mind the laws and know they have nothing to fear against their crimes against others because they know they are unarmed.

Imagine if the law said everyone MUST carry a gun. What would happen to crime then if everyone knew everyone was armed? Only an insane *********** would try something knowing he'll be shot down the minute he tried something!

Imagine if Colorado had a law that REQUIRED everyone must carry a gun. What are chances that shooting would have ever happened if he knew everyone in that theater was armed knowing he would be shot dead? The only fool that would ever attempt such a thing would be one who was merely on a sucide mission wanting to die!

Statistics are very clear showing wherever they have more gun control laws the crime rates are the highest while areas with the least gun control laws show the lowest crime rates. Want to eliminate crime? Make it a law everyone MUST carry a gun!

BTW, laws only apply to conceal and carry. Key word here is CONCEAL, meaning you can't carry a gun that is HIDDEN from plain view. There are no laws that can prohibit OPEN carry because their constitution mandates them from passing any such law and any such law would be in violation of their constitutional mandate! Any one anywhere can freely OPEN CARRY regardless of any code or statutes because any such code or statute prohibiting it is null and void on its face under their constitutional mandate!

And another most people are actually clueless about is that ALL those city, county, state and federal laws, codes, statutes, public policies, ordinances, etc, ONLY apply on FEDERAL LAND! Any land that is not federal land is out of their jurisdiction and requires YOUR personal CONSENT to allow them to have any jurisdiction or authority over you. This is not just some opinion. This is written in THEIR laws within the organic laws of the United States which have never been repealed are is still law today and published as law by the government printing office which all the organic laws can be found in the first book of the US Code which is Title 1 thru Title 5. In the begining of that book before it gets to Title 1 all the organic laws are published.

Of course they don't want the sheeple to know this because if they did the people would learn we as a private society actually live under anarchy because none of government laws actually apply to the private people without their consent!

[sxsess]

I'd rather be judged by 12 ,then carried out by 6.

No doubt delta. Great post!! +1. I just bought 2 Assault rifles - AR-15 & AR-10. Love these guns!! Government can shove it up their *sses!

[desimo]

The basis for the 2nd amendment was human targets. It was about defending the nation against a government that is out of control. Illinois is one of possibly two locations where it is illegal to carry a weapon. Yet, I have two brothers who are retired cops and they did not seem to have any lack of gang banger who had all the weapons they needed. If Obama is so in favor of gun ownership why is the state he represented a 'denial' state where it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon. If you get a permit you get a permit to carry an unloaded weapon.

[sxsess]

The basis for the 2nd amendment was human targets. It was about defending the nation against a government that is out of control. Illinois is one of possibly two locations where it is illegal to carry a weapon. Yet, I have two brothers who are retired cops and they did not seem to have any lack of gang banger who had all the weapons they needed. If Obama is so in favor of gun ownership why is the state he represented a 'denial' state where it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon. If you get a permit you get a permit to carry an unloaded weapon.

Desimo Illinois is so ate up with liberalism they have lost their way. These people need to be voted out in November, but in Illinois, California, etc. its to late for them. Liberalism is a mental disorder.

[cajunrescuemedic]

I agree with you 100% Sxsess. +1 each time !!!

[jonjon]

Desimo Illinois is so ate up with liberalism they have lost their way. These people need to be voted out in November, but in Illinois, California, etc. its to late for them. Liberalism is a mental disorder.

So eloquently described +1 to you

[nstoolman1]

Desimo Illinois is so ate up with liberalism they have lost their way. These people need to be voted out in November, but in Illinois, California, etc. its to late for them. Liberalism is a mental disorder.

Only for some of them. There are still a few of us that are trying to change it.