Quinn Adds Assault Weapons Ban To Ammunition Bill
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 31, 2012 6:00PM
Gov. Pat Quinn used his amendatory veto power to add an assault weapons ban to an ammunition bill Tuesday, a move that could face legal challenges and strong opposition from the gun lobby if the General Assembly agrees to the change.
The bill, SB681, already would amend the Firearm Owners Identification Act to allow Illinois residents to have ammunition from Illinois vendors shipped to them, provided the vendor is allowed by law to sell ammunition. (Currently Illinois residents can have ammunition shipped to them from out-of-state vendors.) Quinn’s addition to the bill calls for a ban on automatic assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines. His veto message reads, in part:
As Governor, it is my foremost duty to protect the citizens of Illinois, especially our children, from deadly violence.I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution- the right to bear arms.
However, the proliferation of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines undermines public safety and the right of personal security of every citizen.
Right now, anyone with a FOID card in Illinois is permitted by law to purchase an assault weapon. Illinois also does not impose any restrictions on the purchase or possession of high-capacity ammunition magazines, which automatically feed ammunition into a firearm chamber to allow the user to fire repeatedly without reloading.
Banning assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines will make Illinois a safer place to live.
Quinn hinted at the move earlier this month at an unrelated bill signing where he praised the heroism of Crystal Lake native John Larimer, one of the victims killed in the shooting during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colo.
State Sen. David Luechtefeld (R-Okawville), the bill’s primary sponsor, called Quinn’s actions politics as usual and effectively kills the bill. Once Quinn uses his amendatory veto it’s up to the General Assembly to accept or reject the change.