2/25/2005

Push for Gun Control in Illinois

anti-gun lawmakers on Thursday are queued up to move their own proposals--including measures to limit handgun purchases and ban many assault weapons--through a committee more sympathetic to their position. That sets the stage for a major confrontation over gun control in the full House in the coming weeks that will pit urban and Downstate lawmakers against each other. It also could pressure Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich to take sides in a politically sensitive battle of which he has tried to steer clear. . . . An aide to Blagojevich said the governor supports the mayor's legislative package and has "pledged to do whatever we can to help those bills pass."

So much for Blagojevich's original campaign pledge on gun issues. Anyway, there are many places where the gun control issues are not dead. There is some pro-gun legislation being pushed in Illinois, but it is not going to get the Governor's signature even if it were to make it through the legislature.