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"The gun lobby worked hard this session to weaken laws that protect
the public from criminals," Blagojevich said. "I refuse to stand by
and let them succeed. Too many families and communities could be
hurt. Public safety must come first. I am vetoing these three bills
-- to help police do their job protecting our communities, to allow
towns and cities to enforce their own laws, and to keep guns out of
the hands of dangerous criminals."
Blagojevich vetoed Senate Bill 57, Senate Bill 2104 and House
Bill 340. All three bills were backed by the National Rifle
Association.
Senate Bill 57, if not vetoed, would have closed the gun-show
loophole, but it would have required the destruction of the Illinois
State Police's vital firearm purchases database. This database is
used by the Illinois State Police to investigate gun crimes and
prepare for raids on possible gun traffickers. Blagojevich pushed
for and helped pass
Senate Bill 1333, which cleanly closes the gun-show loophole
without affecting the database. The governor signed Senate Bill 1333
on Friday.
If it had not been vetoed,
House Bill 340 would have eliminated the waiting period for gun
owners trading in firearms. This would have allowed an individual to
trade in a hunting rifle or small-caliber handgun for a
military-style assault weapon, without delay.
Senate Bill 2104 would have overridden local laws concerning
transporting firearms. The veto of the legislation allows many towns
and cities across Illinois, including Chicago, that have stricter
firearm laws to keep their communities safe by enforcing laws that
they deem appropriate.
"The whole purpose of the Brady Bill was to have an appropriate
waiting period for gun sales, as well as keeping records of those
purchases," said Tom Vanden Berk, a board member of the Illinois
Brady Campaign. "This is an essential tool for law enforcement in
order to go after those who commit crimes with firearms. I applaud
Governor Blagojevich for vetoing these bills and maintaining these
important protections."
"By vetoing these measures, Governor Blagojevich is showing his
commitment to protecting the safety of Illinois residents as well as
his respect for laws put in place by local governments to protect
their communities from gun violence," said Thom Mannard, executive
director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence. "With
respect to SB 57 and HB 340, destroying records of gun purchases and
eliminating waiting periods on gun transfers will only help gun
traffickers while putting our law enforcement officers and the
communities they serve at greater risk. SB 2104 is a direct attack
on the long-standing ability of local municipalities in Illinois to
address gun violence in the interests of their residents. We thank
the governor for putting the safety of Illinoisans above the
interests of the gun lobby."
[to top of second column in this article] |
 The latest legislative session was extremely productive for
improving public safety across the state, including the following
measures:
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On Friday the governor signed
Senate Bill 1333, which closed the gun-show loophole by
requiring gun sellers, who are not federally licensed firearms
dealers, to request background checks from the Illinois State
Police before they can sell guns at gun shows. If ISP
determines, after a background check is conducted, that the
buyer is qualified to own a gun, the state police will issue an
approval number that is valid for 30 days, during which time the
sale must take place. Additionally, the seller must retain
records of sales for at least 10 years and make those records
available to law enforcement agencies for criminal
investigations.
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In June, the governor signed
House Bill 524,
House Bill 132 and
House Bill 35, which imposed harsher prison sentences for
individuals convicted of a crime using a firearm. The bills
included mandatory prison time for second or subsequent
offenses.
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The governor also signed
House Bill 348, which requires that if anyone attempts to
get a Firearm Owner's Identification Card but is denied, state
police must report the person's name and address to the local
law enforcement agency where the person lives.
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The governor announced $3.9
million for Operation CeaseFire programs in Illinois in the
coming fiscal year, including seven $250,000 grants for
communities that will receive funding for the first time. Last
year, Blagojevich increased funding for CeaseFire to expand from
five Chicago communities to 15 communities around the state.
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In March, the governor created an
elite gun trafficking police unit to stop the flow of crime guns
into Illinois. The gun unit works with federal authorities and
law enforcement agencies from Indiana and Mississippi to detect
and capture gunrunners and illegal dealers. More crime guns flow
into Illinois from Indiana and Mississippi than from any other
state.
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The governor has pushed strongly
for the state assault weapons ban currently being considered by
the legislature. The legislation would ban assault weapons and
.50 caliber rifles in Illinois, which are extremely dangerous
weapons. The ban would outlaw weapons such as UZIs, AK47s and
TEC-DC9s.
[News release from
the governor's office]
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