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* Gov. Rauner talked to reporters yesterday about the gun bills moving through the General Assembly…
I’ll tell you, one of my frustrations, Speaker Madigan and his majority so far have not been willing to really bring Republicans in. Republican legislators have not really been included in much of the negotiations and my team has not really been brought in very much. I’m concerned that they want to just do a one party, partisan type of legislation. I don’t think that’s right. We should be a bipartisan negotiation to get good bills done.
* From a Speaker Madigan press release…
Today, Democrats and a few thoughtful Republicans stood up and answered the call, but the silence from Governor Rauner speaks volumes and is reflected in the fact that the majority of his caucus opposed even these most basic gun safety measures. While the successful passage of these bills is a critical step for safer communities, it should have been a step we took together rather than another example of the governor’s failure to lead.”
Ah, Illinois. What would I ever do without you?
* Meanwhile, Senate President Cullerton’s release looked outward…
With Congress paralyzed by partisan politics, Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton applauded his Illinois colleagues for taking action Wednesday to protect public safety and urged state lawmakers across the country to show similar leadership.
“I’m proud of the Illinois Senate’s continued leadership in pushing for safer communities. We all recognize the need for federal action on gun safety. But in the absence of federal action, I want to encourage our statehouse colleagues across the country to do what we did today, seize this opportunity to make a difference,” said Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton, who represents the state’s 6th Senate District in Chicago.
“And I want to specifically call on Indiana officials to finally do something about the flood of guns from their state flowing into Chicago and being used for crimes. If Indiana were to take public safety as seriously as we do, both of our states would be far better.”
The Senate President’s call for statehouse leadership across America followed the Illinois Senate’s approval of legislation regarding gun dealer licenses (HB1273) and creation of a process through which guns can be removed from people who family members believe are prone to violence (HB772).
Cullerton also stressed that annual studies have shown that lax gun laws in Indiana result in firearms flooding into the Chicago and being used for crimes. Between 2013 and 2016, 21 percent of the guns recovered by Chicago police had been sold in Indiana.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 9:45 am
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==my team has not really been brought in very much==
Because you have nothing constructive to offer. Even Republicans have abandoned you.
This is just more of the same crying that the Governor has become so good at.
Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 9:50 am
Dems clearly want to trap Rauner on largely ineffective bills that do silly things like ban body armor, so that he has to choose between aggravating a suddenly mobilized anti-NRA left and aggravating downstate voters more amenable to the Second Amendment. It’s craven, but not remarkably so; Republicans would do the same thing in the same situation. It’s good politics and bad governance, which we approved of when we voted for these people.
Comment by Chris Widger Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 9:51 am
Is 21% a big number?
Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 9:52 am
==Ah, Illinois. What would I ever do without you?==
Take less antacid?
Comment by Flapdoddle Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 9:53 am
Maybe it makes the news less compelling but who is a big enough fool to take Rauner at his word on anything?
Comment by Sonny Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 9:53 am
Chris Kennedy’s website says:
“We need to pass a gun dealer licensing bill. Efforts stalled in Illinois’ November 2017 legislative session to advance Senate Bill 1657 in the House. As governor I will move forward with this legislation. In the state of Illinois, you need to have a license to cut hair or paint nails but not to sell guns. That needs to end.
We need to pass a ban on assault weapons and a ban on bump stocks, which turn firearms into mass killing machines. These weapons are meant for war, not common ownership. No where on earth are mass shootings more prevalent than they are in the United States. We cannot so easily supply people with the weapons to inflict maximum damage. New Town, Las Vegas, and Parkland should never have happened, and we have a responsibility to the people of our state to do everything we can to prevent mass shootings.”
He has said that gun control is one of his core issues. Supposedly the driving force behind his Lt. Governor pick.
So why haven’t we seen a statement from Kennedy applauding Mike Madigan for passing gun control legislation Kennedy has specifically touted?
Why haven’t we seen a statement from Kennedy demanding Rauner sign the bills?
In fact, why with a national movement afoot, haven’t we seen a single statement from Kennedy on gun control since the Parkland shooting?
I checked the Kennedy website, saw nothing. Rich, dear readers, have I missed something?
Because from where I sit, it seems that Kennedy’s supposed passion for ending gun violence was really just a matter of political convenience, a failed effort to court African American voters.
Comment by Thomas Paine Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 9:59 am
I wonder how many GOP legislators Rauner thinks he speaks for these days? Since last summer, it’s been Republican lawmakers who have delivered the most serious beatings to him, both in the GA and in the media.
The House GOP floor leader — traditionally, the legislative quarterback for a governor of the same party — has endorsed his primary opponent.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:00 am
It is ridiculous that the Democrats expect the Republicans to vote on their bills when they don’t talk to them ahead of time.
Madigan: PLOP
GOP: “What’s this?”
Madigan: “Just vote for it.”
GOP: “Um, why?”
Madigan: “Because it is good public policy that I’ve been working on for a very long time in secret.”
GOP: “Um, no thanks.”
Madigan: “See! The evil Republicans don’t vote for good bills!!!”
Comment by Just Me Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:01 am
BDD. Chicago seizes 7-8,000 guns per year. 21% would be about 1600 guns.
National estimates are for some 300 million firearms in the US. Almost one per person. With 2.6 million people in Chicago, that would be over 2 million guns. Cut that in half as Chicago may have fewer guns per person than the national average, still a lot of guns compared to 1600.
New York sentences illegal gun dealers to 3.5 years. We do a year (per news reports). We could make our laws stiffer.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:07 am
@Just Me, these particular bills might be new but most of the ideas are not. Bump stocks have been in the mix since Las Vegas, and licensing/restricting gun dealers has been too. It might have gone through fast but you can’t really say there has been no discussion about the ideas.
Comment by Perrid Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:13 am
Rauner asking for bipartisanship, that’s classic. The king of my way or the highway. He doesn’t even talk to the leadership.
Comment by Stoph Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:33 am
LBM. I posses 42 firearms. 20 out of 42 have either been inherited from out of state. Most of my out of state purchases have been because of price. I could have purchased each gun in state.
Many gun statistics are meaningless. I want to know, of the 21% of guns confiscated, how many were posessed by FOID card holders.
Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:39 am
==I posses 42 firearms.==
Are you a gun collector? Just curious. I never understood why anyone would ever need that many guns.
Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:04 am
BDD. I don’t have the FOID card owner info. I suspect the answer is few or none. NRA should know.
All my firearms are inherited. Shotgun I use for deer is pushing 100. Only modified choke barrel in the collection.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:04 am
Dem. Kinda. But my wife tells me I just like to waste money.
Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:09 am
Just think of it as boosting the economy. Thx.
Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:11 am
Dem. Guns have evolved. Especially shotguns. 2-3/4″ capable,then 3″ now 3-1/2″. .410,28,20,16,12,10. Always looking for new. Rifle calibers galore for all species and terrains. Handguns went from basic revolver to semiauto. I am a novice collector compared to many of my running buddies(mostly union tradesmen). Most of us gun nuts have are weapons more secure than Fort knox. Regrettably a few dont.
Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:18 am
Demoralized. My dad was a collector, hunter, and shot competitively. Result is multiple weapons.
One of mine is an Imperial Japanese rifle. Ugly weapon. I keep it because my Navy Chaplain uncle brought it back from the Pacific for my dad. It speaks to the friendship they had.
When I die I expect it will be sold or destroyed. My kids knew neither so there will be no sentimental value.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:19 am
–I want to know, of the 21% of guns confiscated, how many were posessed by FOID card holders.–
How’s about you let your fingers do the walking on the google and bring something to the party?
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:41 am
Like -blue dog-, I have a couple of rifles, a couple of shotguns, and assorted pistols, all locked up. Of the 10, 9 were inherited. The one I purchased was from a county deputy 40 some yesterday ago.
Comment by RNUG Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:47 am
Wordslinger. Google doesn’t report a connection between FOID card holders and Chicago gun seizures. The NRA should want to know and be able to get that information. May require a FOIA.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 12:20 pm
–The NRA should want to know and be able to get that information. –
Yeah, they’re all about research into gun use and its consequences.
You crack me up sometimes, dude.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 12:41 pm
Wordslinger. We don’t always think alike. Which is good.
NRA should want to have information to argue that legal gun owners are not to the problem. That would be my approach. But I’m not in the NRA. I think they have gone too far in opposing regulations.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 12:52 pm
I have a shotgun that they took away from my cousin after he jumped the fence at the Governor’s Mansion while Walker was Governor. My cousin was a bit mixed up after being in Vietnam. Anyway the police gave the gun to his father who gave it to my father, who gave it to me. The cousin went into treatment.
But it is interesting to note how differently we treat offenders now. My cousin would likely have been shot immediately in today’s world.
Comment by A Jack Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 1:03 pm
Rauner’s attack on these bills as Democratic-only proposals may presage his intention regarding disposition of the bills once they get to his desk. It might help him in the primary to veto them, but not so sure in the general.
Comment by anon2 Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 1:59 pm
Gun Dealer Licensing was the big bill passed yesterday, the one that brought hundreds of activists to the Capitol and led to cheers and tears of joy. It is neither a new idea, having been introduced by Senator Harmon for over a year, nor a radical one, with similar provisions having been adopted in 26 states. The GOP had plenty of opportunities to weigh in on improvements to the bill. (Note that “improvements” don’t include removing components that have been proven to save lives.)
Comment by Change Agent Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 3:18 pm
Whoops. My comments should have read “having been introduced by Senator Harmon for over a DECADE.”
Comment by Change Agent Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 3:20 pm
Illinois dealers had adequate background checks before all of this, by the way. The actual license doesn’t seem to bring additional safety, but it can bring revenue which Illinois needs. And it makes guns more expensive, which is fine by me.
Chicago has had very strict rules on guns. Until recently, you couldn’t carry. Now you can. Concealed carry firearms are not killing in Chicago by the way. It is almost all illegal firearms. Most of the guns come from out of state, mostly Indiana. Then Mississippi of all places.
The Florida killer, however, did buy his gun legally. Increasing age requirements and keeping guns out of the hands of those with mental illness is good policy.
Blame the AR-15 assault rifle? It looks like a military weapon, but the majority of new handguns sold are semi-automatic too. I believe the Virginia Tech murderer used handguns.
Anyway, I welcome stricter regulation. I was a FOID card gun owner, but I got rid of it years ago.
Comment by Sputnik Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 8:02 pm
Cullerton said that the reason for the gun dealer licensing is because of all of the illegal guns coming over from Indiana due to there lax gun laws. Does this mean that the bad guys will now say, “they got that new law in place, we can’t illegally send anymore guns to Illinois”. I’m sure they will be more vigilant
Comment by senseless Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 8:34 am
As a side note to the (general) discussion:
I do wish that being anti-NRA because of its extreme rhetoric, fear mongering, efforts to loosen gun laws and influence policy would stop being conflated with being anti-2nd amendment.
This is a rhetorical slight-of-hand that way too many people buy into.
It is entirely possible to be against the NRA while still believe in 2nd amendment rights, while also believing that guns should be regulated and not understanding why someone would want to own either an AR-15 or semi-automatic handgun.
Speaking as the sister, cousin and granddaughter
of hunters. Though it’s true that, while he does own guns, my cousin is primarily and proudest of being a bow hunter.
Comment by Jane A. Friday, Mar 2, 18 @ 9:42 am