Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Surprising vote on gun bill

Thursday, May 10, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller

The rollcall on this bill was pretty surprising…

With suggestions that it could help limit tragedies like April’s Virginia Tech massacre, the Senate on Wednesday approved a ban on high-capacity gun magazines.

Ammunition clips holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition would be illegal under legislation that passed 31-26 and was sent to the House.

Sen. Dan Kotowski, a Park Ridge Democrat, sold the bill as one that doesn’t limit the manufacture or sale of guns in a state reluctant to toughen controls on weapons despite solid Democratic control of the Legislature. […]

But critics said the legislation does nothing to stop violence and would drive gun manufacturers out of the state.

The Illinois State Rifle Association has kicked up a lot of dust over this bill, claiming at one point that Kotowski was “dancing in the blood of the Virginia Tech victims.”

But the bill had bipartisan support and could not have passed without several Republican votes. You can download the rollcall here, but Republican Senators Althoff, Cronin, Dillard, Hultgren, Millner and Murphy all voted for it.

Murphy? Matt Murphy, who was backed by conservative money bags Jack Roeser in last year’s primary? I asked Murphy about his vote last night and he said that besides the fact that he supports stuff like this, the bill is popular in his district.

Anyway, here is a mailer that ISRA sent out a few weeks back attacking Kotowski. Click the pics to see larger images. It’s quite something…

Discuss.

20 Comments

- Larry McKeon - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 9:12 am:
This is a rediculous piece of legislation. Grandstanding, at best. It will have no impact on crime and not deter any craized shooter. It certainly would not have detered the shooter in the New Jersey tragedy who reloaded numerous magazines a fired reportedly 200+ shots. Sure, pass a restriction on limiting magazines to 10 rounds — a craized gunman hell-bent on murder will buy 20 of them.

- Larry McKeon - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 9:16 am:
Sorry. I typed New Jersey. Mean’t Virginia.

- graduated income - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 9:47 am:
I’m disapointed at the actions of my Senator Matt Murphy. The ban is a stupid idea.

- i d - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 9:48 am:
More stupid legislation to avoid budget talk.

- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 9:51 am:
“i d” the budget doesn’t have to be the only thing that the General Assembly debates. There are other issues out there that members are interested in.

- Pat Collins - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 10:08 am:
You can’t be too surprised at Althoff’s vote. She is at best, a moderate R. At worst, a PRL clone.

- Ken in Aurora - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 10:30 am:
A sterling example of a “feel good” bill that will have no affect on shootings or crime. Morons.

- i d - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 10:50 am:
Sorry, I will try to contain myself to one word comment.

- Gene Parmesan - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 10:51 am:
Couldn’t agree more Ken.

- paddyrollingstone - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 11:06 am:
That mailer is a piece of garbage. Worse, it will be completely ineffective. Does the ISRA think that there are thousands of gun rights supporters in Park Ridge who voted for Kotowksi and might be persuaded to vote against him next time? Dream on.

- Underdog - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 11:13 am:
I don’t know what’s worse: the fact that this symbolic piece of legislation managed to pass by all of 2 votes just weeks after the biggest shooting incident in US history, or the ISRA mailing. Really, if you’re going to make a habit of calling gun control advocates exploitative for rallying around gun violence or when they use victims of violence as spokespeople, you probably should avoid using US soldiers as political props.

Maybe a future question of the day could be whatâ€™s the most outrageous claim by issue advocates this year?

If donâ€™t raise electric rates, low income people will suffer most!

US troops will be defenseless in Iraq if Illinoisans canâ€™t buy large ammo clips!

High school athletes will go without jerseys if we donâ€™t raise taxes by $7 billion!

- Gene Parmesan - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 11:43 am:
I’m a big gun advocate, but that ISRA mailer is junk. Frankly, that mailer hurts their efforts more than it helps. Boneheaded move.

- Ken in Aurora - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 11:53 am:
The mailer is regarding SB 16, the so-called “assault weapons” ban; the magazine ban is SB 1007.

SB 16 *will* cause Illinois firearm manufacturers to leave the state.

- Ken in Aurora - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 11:57 am:
Oh, and I agree with Gene - the mailer is silly. Things like this are why I’m not a member of ISRA. Their tactics are just as bad as those of the banners.

- Napoleon has left the building - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 12:00 pm:
Matt Murphy is smarter and way more pragmatic than the robotic right winger that you may have expected him to be. I think he’ll be around for a long time.

- Ken in Aurora - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 12:01 pm:
Anybody care to speculate how this bill will fare in the House?

- Rob_N - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 12:59 pm:
Ken, to answer your question of how this might fare in the House you have to look at the Republican senators who voted for it.

In particular, Sen. Millner with his law enforcement background is not too surprising a ‘yes’ vote and his cache will go a long way toward helping the bill in the House. Sen. Murphy (known as a bit of a conservative, as Rich notes) also helps give a clue to the House vote. Murphy’s district borders Sen. Kotowski in the northwest suburbs.

I have a good hunch SB1007 will pass the House. Upstate Democrats (Chicago and suburbs) plus the suburban moderate north and northwest suburban Republicans will combine to approve the bill.

The ISRA (or, actually the NSSF in the case of that crass postcard) will have a tough time convincing suburban soccer moms that high capacity clips are a good idea.

And military folks sure didn’t appreciate being used by the NSSF like that. That mailer was an especially dunderheaded move in light of the work Sen. Kotowski’s doing for vets.

- Ken in Aurora - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 2:13 pm:
“In particular, Sen. Millner with his law enforcement background…”

Make that a “law enforcement administration background”. My experience is that administration types share few views with the rank-and-file officers, including those on gun issues.

- Dozer - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 2:35 pm:
the bill bans guns as well as standard issue mags. rifles like the henry big boy and colt lightning become illegal for sale in Illinois.

The bill also makes the mere transportation of a magazine unloaded in a vehicle a crime.

it is a feel good bill that was the result of a political deal cut for nothing of value.

Millner is taking Don’t bet the farm on it pasing the house.

This bill will also cause manufacturers to leave illinois as the sale of their products with standard mags would be illegal to civilians in 48 other states.

- Ken in Aurora - Thursday, May 10, 07 @ 2:53 pm:
Dozer, that’s not how I’m reading it - the bill only affects detachable magazines. Still a sucky bill, though…

Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.