http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-041114gunbill,1,7239933.story?coll=chi-news-hed
Lawmakers override veto, approve bill protecting gun owners
By Christopher Wills
Associated Press Writer
Published November 16, 2004, 6:19 PM CST
Rejecting the governor's veto, Illinois lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to give new legal protection to homeowners who use a banned handgun to shoot burglars.
The House voted 85-30 Tuesday to override Governor Rod Blagojevich's veto. The Senate had approved the bill earlier, so it now becomes law.
The legislation applies only in specific and uncommon circumstances, but it became a symbol in the tug-of-war over gun control.
The bill's supporters saw it as a statement of support for the basic concept that people should be able to defend themselves in their own homes. Opponents viewed it as an attempt to undercut local gun laws.
It was inspired by the case of Hale DeMar, a Wilmette restaurant owner who shot a burglar who had broken into his home twice. County prosecutors declined to press charges for the shooting, but Wilmette officials charged DeMar with breaking the city's ban on handguns.
Under the new state law, someone who shoots an intruder on his or her property could not be convicted of violating a local gun ban. The new law does not, however, prevent state charges if prosecutors believe the shooting itself was a crime.
Blagojevich, a Chicago Democrat, vetoed the bill earlier this year, arguing it would encourage people to defy local gun laws. There was no debate Tuesday in the House, but the bill's supporters say people forced to defend their home should not then be put through the trauma of facing charges.
"I think the General Assembly shut down the governor's hunting season on homeowners,'' said Todd Vandermyde, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association.
About half a dozen Illinois cities, including Chicago, ban handguns, according to the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.
The council's executive director, Tom Mannard, said he was disappointed by the veto override. He called it a dangerous overreaction to a single incident.
Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press
Lawmakers override veto, approve bill protecting gun owners
By Christopher Wills
Associated Press Writer
Published November 16, 2004, 6:19 PM CST
Rejecting the governor's veto, Illinois lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to give new legal protection to homeowners who use a banned handgun to shoot burglars.
The House voted 85-30 Tuesday to override Governor Rod Blagojevich's veto. The Senate had approved the bill earlier, so it now becomes law.
The legislation applies only in specific and uncommon circumstances, but it became a symbol in the tug-of-war over gun control.
The bill's supporters saw it as a statement of support for the basic concept that people should be able to defend themselves in their own homes. Opponents viewed it as an attempt to undercut local gun laws.
It was inspired by the case of Hale DeMar, a Wilmette restaurant owner who shot a burglar who had broken into his home twice. County prosecutors declined to press charges for the shooting, but Wilmette officials charged DeMar with breaking the city's ban on handguns.
Under the new state law, someone who shoots an intruder on his or her property could not be convicted of violating a local gun ban. The new law does not, however, prevent state charges if prosecutors believe the shooting itself was a crime.
Blagojevich, a Chicago Democrat, vetoed the bill earlier this year, arguing it would encourage people to defy local gun laws. There was no debate Tuesday in the House, but the bill's supporters say people forced to defend their home should not then be put through the trauma of facing charges.
"I think the General Assembly shut down the governor's hunting season on homeowners,'' said Todd Vandermyde, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association.
About half a dozen Illinois cities, including Chicago, ban handguns, according to the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.
The council's executive director, Tom Mannard, said he was disappointed by the veto override. He called it a dangerous overreaction to a single incident.
Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press
