While everyone watched to see whether Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) would sign the recently passed concealed carry legislation into law or veto it, he took another route and changed the bill–unilaterally. As a result, even Democrat lawmakers are outraged over Quinn’s actions.
Quinn watered down the concealed bill so that a gun cannot be carried in any establishment that serves alcohol, which takes almost every restaurant except for fast food spots off the table. He also limited concealed carry license holders to carrying only one magazine that cannot exceed 10 rounds.
The governor says the moves are representative of his “amendatory veto power,” but Democrat lawmakers said they are actually representative of the governor’s hubris.
According to Fox News, assistant state majority leader John Sullivan (D-Rushville) said Quinn “ignored the will of the people”; Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) said Quinn was just trying to score “political points.” State Senator Bill Haine (D-Alton) added that he hopes the legislature rejects the move out of hand
The NRA’s Andrew Arulanandam responded thus:
Limiting the rights of law-abiding people has never been an effective tool in reducing crime. Arresting, prosecuting, and punishing criminals is. That’s a simple and straightforward concept that reasonable people grasp.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.
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