Illinois governor Pat Quinn has used his power to veto specific sections of the concealed carry bill (passed with bipartisan support in the legislature) and further restrict the ability Illinoisans to defend themselves outside of their homes. Make the jump for the list of changes . . .
- Requires a person carrying a gun to have it completely concealed, rather than mostly.
- Limits a person to carrying one magazine that is capable of holding 10 or fewer bullets.
- Prohibits carrying in any establishment where alcohol is consumed, except for a private residence or private club. The original bill prohibited carrying in establishments where alcohol sales account for more than 50 percent of receipts.
- Inverts the presumption of where a person can carry. Licensees can carry only in locations where the property owner has posted a sign indicating it’s OK to carry a gun on the property. Previously, the bill said property owners had to post signs if they wanted to prohibit carrying guns on their property.
- Allows employers to prohibit guns on their properties, even inside vehicles on parking lots. Previously, the bill’s “safe harbor” provision allowed an employee to keep his or her firearm in the car while parked in the lot, even if the employer prohibited firearms on the property.
- Requires a licensee to lock the gun in a case before exiting the vehicle when parked outside a location that prohibits guns. Previously, the bill allowed a licensee to carry an unloaded gun in the immediate area surrounding the car in order to store it or retrieve it from the trunk.
- Completely removes the preemption against bans on so-called assault weapons, thereby restoring the authority of municipalities to enact bans on such weapons.
[via BND.com]
From the press release that the governor’s office put out, it looks like while Pat Quinn has stripped out the provisions of the bill that would have made state law supersede local legislation for “assault weapons,” the language still exists to eliminate Chicago’s ability to regulate the ownership and carrying of handguns. In short, even with help from Rahm’s buddy in the Governor’s office, they’re still having concealed carry forced down their throats.
Quinn’s words:
HB183 strips the authority of home-rule governments to enact future laws on assault weapons to protect their local communities. This NRA-inspired provision is not in the interest of public safety or local communities. In fact, these provisions have nothing to do with the right to carry a concealed gun and have no place in this bill. Local governments should always have the right to strengthen their own ordinances to protect the public safety of their communities.
His changes also, by default, make it ILLEGAL to carry a gun into a store UNLESS you are specifically permitted by a sign in the window. From the press release:
Under the bill, loaded guns would be allowed in stores, restaurants, churches, children’s entertainment venues, movie theaters and other private properties, unless the owner visibly displays a sign prohibiting guns. As a matter of property rights, the legal presumption should always be that a person is not allowed to carry a concealed, loaded gun onto private property unless given express permission.
In short, this sucks. But there’s still time for the Illinois legislature to overturn the veto, something that people are predicting will happen. Some see this as nothing more than Quinn polishing his pro gun control bona fides in preparation for his next election, knowing full well that the veto override will absolve him of all responsibility.
For more information:
- The full text of the bill, as passed by the legislature.
- The full text of Pat Quinn’s re-writing of the legislation.