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Mayor takes another shot at gun-control
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-gun05.html#
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter
Arguing that the political tide has turned against the National Rifle Association, Mayor Daley on Wednesday unveiled yet another package of gun-control legislation that looks a lot like the old one.
Once again, the mayor wants to ban assault weapons, mandate trigger locks, license gun dealers and limit handgun purchases to one-a-month, per-person.
The only new wrinkle is the mayor's offer to include a 10-year "sunset provision" to make the one-gun-a-month limit, as he put it, "even more palatable."
For 17 years, Daley has been beating his head against the wall on a gun-control issue heartfelt from his years as state's attorney, only to be shot down repeatedly in Springfield.
NRA: 'Tide is with us'
But last year, the Illinois General Assembly agreed to close a loophole by requiring anyone who buys a firearm at a gun show to pass a criminal background check. Gov. Blagojevich also vetoed three NRA bills and lawmakers failed to override his vetoes.
All of that tells State Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago) that the political dynamic in Springfield has changed. "This year in the Senate, there's four Republicans running for statewide office or Congress. Their constituency has changed. They can't just vote with the NRA. . . . Some guy from Pontiac running statewide -- he can't vote with the NRA,'' he said. "That's changed the dynamic tremendously in Springfield"
Todd Vandermyde, Illinois legislative liaison for the NRA, scoffed.
"The tide is with us . . . we were fairly close to overriding a gubernatorial veto and taking away the home rule powers of Chicago. . . . We were only a couple votes shy of a super-majority," Vandermyde said.
The NRA's legislative package will include proposals to change civil liability laws to hold municipalities that prohibit firearms liable for injuries suffered by constituents who are unable to defend themselves. And the NRA wants to apply the same liability approach to Daley's decision not to abide by a federal law that allows retired police officers to carry concealed weapons.
But Daley thinks that at the very least, there's a good chance that a statewide ban on assault weapons will pass this spring. Since the federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004, Chicago Police officers have seized 519 assault weapons.
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http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-gun05.html#
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter
Arguing that the political tide has turned against the National Rifle Association, Mayor Daley on Wednesday unveiled yet another package of gun-control legislation that looks a lot like the old one.
Once again, the mayor wants to ban assault weapons, mandate trigger locks, license gun dealers and limit handgun purchases to one-a-month, per-person.
The only new wrinkle is the mayor's offer to include a 10-year "sunset provision" to make the one-gun-a-month limit, as he put it, "even more palatable."
For 17 years, Daley has been beating his head against the wall on a gun-control issue heartfelt from his years as state's attorney, only to be shot down repeatedly in Springfield.
NRA: 'Tide is with us'
But last year, the Illinois General Assembly agreed to close a loophole by requiring anyone who buys a firearm at a gun show to pass a criminal background check. Gov. Blagojevich also vetoed three NRA bills and lawmakers failed to override his vetoes.
All of that tells State Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago) that the political dynamic in Springfield has changed. "This year in the Senate, there's four Republicans running for statewide office or Congress. Their constituency has changed. They can't just vote with the NRA. . . . Some guy from Pontiac running statewide -- he can't vote with the NRA,'' he said. "That's changed the dynamic tremendously in Springfield"
Todd Vandermyde, Illinois legislative liaison for the NRA, scoffed.
"The tide is with us . . . we were fairly close to overriding a gubernatorial veto and taking away the home rule powers of Chicago. . . . We were only a couple votes shy of a super-majority," Vandermyde said.
The NRA's legislative package will include proposals to change civil liability laws to hold municipalities that prohibit firearms liable for injuries suffered by constituents who are unable to defend themselves. And the NRA wants to apply the same liability approach to Daley's decision not to abide by a federal law that allows retired police officers to carry concealed weapons.
But Daley thinks that at the very least, there's a good chance that a statewide ban on assault weapons will pass this spring. Since the federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004, Chicago Police officers have seized 519 assault weapons.
[email protected]
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