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The people are with him (continued)

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Illinois
Polls

* The rest of my weekly newspaper column…

One of the biggest issues Quinn harped on earlier this month when he used his amendatory veto powers to rewrite the concealed carry bill was that “guns and alcohol don’t mix.” So his veto prohibited all concealed carrying in any restaurant which also served alcohol.

“Do you think trained and licensed Illinois citizens should be able to carry concealed, loaded handguns into restaurants that serve alcohol?” respondents were asked in a Capitol Fax/We Ask America poll taken July 10.

An overwhelming 70 percent said “No.” Just 26 percent said “Yes” and only 4 percent were uncertain.

A whopping 83 percent of Chicagoans were opposed, 77 percent of suburban Cook County residents and 73 percent of collar county residents also were opposed. Support was highest among Downstaters, at 38 percent, but a majority of 55 percent still were opposed.

The General Assembly did not include the ban on carrying in restaurants in a compromise bill that failed to pass last week. The omission was sharply criticized by the governor.

A lobbyist with a gun control group confidently predicted last week that if the proposal got to the House and Senate floors it would pass easily. The poll shows why.

The problem is getting the idea to the floor. Legislative leaders don’t want to substantially alter their agreement on the concealed carry bill before the ink is even dry on the new law. But this appears to be a very powerful issue and pressure will most certainly build to move something next spring.

Comments

How many drunk-shooting incidents do other CCW states that don’t have this clause have?

Are talking tens of thousands a year, or just a few thousand?

Comment by Fred H Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 10:03 am
It makes sense, if the concern is people getting loaded while armed.

A lot of restaurants have separate bars where no one eats a thing. And you can spend hours at BWW drinking beers and nursing nachos watching football.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 10:05 am
Quinn needs a drum to beat… this is it.

He cant stand on his hard line stance against fracking (which I think he was right to sign by the way)

He can’t pound the table ans show he brought same sex marriage to Illinois.

Can’t point to the booming economy or how he fixed the pension or budget.

But this… its a great gong to bang for his base in Chicago. Play to their fears! Get those votes!

Whatever.

Comment by RonOglesby Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 10:07 am
At some point, being a “Populist”, and promoting populists ideas, must lead to those ideas in a practical use by someone being a Governor.

Good governors move from a populist idea, and make it something used for governance.

Can Pat Quinn make that “jump” from populist idea, to governance? The people of Illinois, that Quinn understands so well, are going to ask at some point… “Now what, Governor?”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 10:07 am
I can drive my car to a restaurant that serves alcohol– certainly driving and alcohol don’t mix. I should be able to carry my firearm to the same. The bill already states that I can not carry my firearm under the influence of alcohol, just like I can not drive under the influence.

Comment by facts are stubborn things Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 10:09 am
“Good governors move from a populist idea, and make it something used for governance.

Can Pat Quinn make that “jump” from populist idea, to governance? The people of Illinois, that Quinn understands so well, are going to ask at some point… “Now what, Governor?””
O.W. is exactly right. I am not exactly a Jerry Brown fan, but he clearly understood that he needed to change to effectively lead California and did so. Quinn will never change– or even realize that he needs to since he surrounds himself with sycophants– so he will continue to fail.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 10:14 am
There are huge difference between restaurants and taverns, and I think there already is a percent sales rule in the enacted version that covers most reasonable concerns. Is the dividing line in the right place?…can’t say.

You could write the poll as “establishments that sell alcohol”, and most polled would agree with that too (bringing gas stations and grocery stores into the mix).

A more interesting question would preface yours with, “As you may have heard the recent IL CCW law bans carry in establishments that get ___% $ sales from alcohol, would you expand that to all restaurants that serve alcohol? …all establishments such as grocery stores and gas stations? ”

Populism and polling, a match made in …

Comment by CarrollCounty Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 10:37 am
One answer “16 hours of training”. I think 16 hours would address the no carry while drinking pretty well. To tell the rest of us who may not even drink that we can’t go to a restaurant is WRONG thinking and is typical NANNY state B.S..
People will have the right to carry soon and depending on how the current motions go maybe very soon.
I am outraged that forest preserve and parks are off limits. More gun free zones just to make liberals able to expand the list every legislative session? Even now, A move for NO RESTAURANTS! Not one other State bans restaurant carry to non drinking individuals. Lets make a list of where you can carry, It will be very short and easier to remember if this keeps up.
Big city residents are just to used to being regulated down to the weakest link. Just enforce the no alcohol rule for carry ANYWHERE not just restaurants. Silly people, They are just so willing to be over governed for a sense of security.

Comment by Bill K Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 10:44 am
The question has a pregnant implication that alcohol enhances the risk of problems with CC.

I would note those restraunts give you sharp knives and alcohol… so what is the rate of violence in restraunts with alcohol, and how many times has a gun been invovled? v a baseball bat or other lawfull item we let people carry in

Hypothetically what if the question read: Statistically, no person with a concealed weapon has ever shot somone in a restraunt that serves alcohol because they were under the influence; would you oppose allowing people to carry a concealed in a restraunt that serves alcohol?

The gun discussion drifts us away from the fact that we have people with anger/violence problems in our society, and we dont seem to be doing anything to address that root. a gun is a tool like many others, bombs, poison, knives etc. Instead of focusing on the tool we need to focus on what is causing people to deploy these tools, or mandate the world be made of nerf.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 11:09 am
RonO is right on this.

Quinn’s got this drum to beat, but it’s not a very big one.

Comment by walkinfool Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 11:29 am
I’ve said this before and will say it again, the Governor’s changes made the law better and did nothing to take away from the gun rights groups (except that the amendments respected property rights more than some of the NRA members wanted).

I hope the legislature takes up these changes and enacts them in the Spring and hopefully the Governor learned a lesson that you need to be at the table with the legislators instead of at the microphone if you want actual accomplishments.

Comment by Ahoy! Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 11:53 am
Ahoy!

if you veto out compensation for the GA when they are actively working on pension reofrm as a political stunt, you can pretty much right off ever having any meaningful input or influence.

pretty much Quinn is toxic for the time being, anything he supports will probably die just because he supports it.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:15 pm
it’s all in the way the question is asked. If you asked “if someone were carrying a gun for protection and had to stop and eat would you favor them being arrested if they forgot to remove their weapon? Or “Do you favor people who carry legally having to store their weapons in their car unsupervised?” Or should restaurants and bars have to have security in their parking lots because people have to leave their guns in their cars?”

Comment by votecounter Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:18 pm
votecounter, if you want a biased poll question, pay for your own.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 2:19 pm
Ahoy,

The problem with the amendments is they have no data to show they have any meaningful affect on safety. I get not having a gun in a nightclub or bar, but any drinking establishment. Are we really worried about the Applebees crowd here.

It was a typical Chicago move against gun. Pander and fear monger rather then address the failures of the Chicago politicians that really don’t care that 500 people, (mostly minorities) will lose their life in Chicago this year, because they know their families will still vote democrat.

Comment by the Patriot Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 3:36 pm
Votecounter, I’m pretty sensitive to what I see as push polling - and I’m not seeing it here, IMO the question was very fairly constructed.

In my opinion the results are more because IL has no culture of legalized concealed carry by residents. I think the issue will defuse by itself as the state gets first-hand experience with CC unless there is a reactionary push to ban carry in restaurants with alcohol.

Comment by Ken_in_Aurora Monday, Jul 15, 13 @ 4:06 pm