 The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday essentially struck down the city of
Chicago's ban on handguns. Now both sides in the gun debate say they
plan to push for new laws next year.Richard Pearson, president of
the Illinois State Rifle Association, said that with the hurdle of a
gun ban now cleared, the Second Amendment is on equal legal footing.
"The Second Amendment has been declared a fundamental right ...
so it's going to be very difficult to pass some of the laws that
(gun opponents) proposed that did not get passed."
However, Pearson said he expects the ISRA to make its own push
for laws that have been proposed in the past but have not cleared
the Legislature.
That includes the long stalemated concealed-carry law in
Illinois.
"It'll be a good year for the Second Amendment and Second
Amendment supporters in Illinois" is as close as Pearson will come
to predicting passage for concealed carry.
Mark Walsh with the Illinois Campaign to Prevent Handgun Violence
said that may be as close as gun supporters get.
"I don't know if they have the votes for it," Walsh said. "I know
it will be a hotly contested issue."
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said he will revisit the city's gun
laws, though he too is staying away from specifics.
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Walsh said he expects other communities with local bans to do the
same. And he expects more gun control measures to be introduced in
Springfield.
"(The Supreme Court) left open room for passing some of these
common-sense gun laws such as registration, reporting lost or stolen
weapons, and limiting handgun purchases," Walsh said.
Pearson expects the same, but he also wonders if there are enough
votes in the state Capitol to toughen gun laws.
In Illinois, legislation about guns is always disputed along
regional lines, not party lines. The population center of Chicago
and the suburbs almost always outweighs downstate votes. But there
are enough lawmakers who support gun-owner rights to counter most
proposals from Chicago-area legislators.
Both Pearson and Walsh said that aside from the budget mess, gun
control could be the hottest topic in Springfield next year.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]
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