Attorney general, lawmakers call for statewide assault weapons ban

By Maura Kelly Lannan
The Associated Press
Published October 20, 2004, 5:01 PM CDT

Attorney General Lisa Madigan and about a dozen state lawmakers on Wednesday urged the Legislature to pass a statewide ban on assault weapons during its November veto session.  (NOTE: This is a ban on possession not purchase.)

The ban would cover the same weapons included in a federal ban that expired in September and outlawed 19 types of military-style semiautomatic weapons.

"Ten years ago, Congress wisely passed the assault weapons ban. This year, special interests persuaded Washington to allow assault weapons to return to our communities. In doing so, Washington turned its back on our children and our communities,'' Madigan said.

Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, said the federal assault weapons ban had no effect on crime nationally and a state ban would hurt hunters and sportsmen.

"It's really aimed at banning semiautomatic firearms, which is the most popular type of firearms that hunters and sportsmen use,'' Pearson said.

Madigan and Cook County State's Attorney Richard Devine rejected that argument, saying the guns that would be banned aren't the sort of guns used for sport. ``The purpose of the weapons that are subject to this ban is to kill people, quite simply,'' Devine said.  (NOTE: The Second Amendment is about killing people who would jeopardize our freedoms, not ducks.)

Last spring, state Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, introduced a bill that would make the federal assault weapons ban part of Illinois law if the ban was allowed to expire, but the bill never reached a vote during the regular legislative session.

Cullerton said he expects the issue to now be considered during the Legislature's veto session, which begins Nov. 8. He said the bill has bipartisan support, but he expects any vote to be close.

"This is simply an effort to reinstate the law that expired on September 13,'' Cullerton said. "We have to do what Congress did not do by passing this ban.''

A state ban is necessary to keep Illinois residents safe and to protect law enforcement, said Bob Jones, Gurnee police chief and incoming president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

"It is senseless to have the men and women of law enforcement placed at greater risk than they already are by having these weapons on the streets. To us, it is unconscionable,'' he said. "For our people to be outgunned on the streets just makes no sense at all.''  (NOTE: Chief, if you can't handle the job or are too afraid, move on. You will NOT be missed.)

Pearson said Cullerton and Democratic leaders "have declared war on the gun owners of Illinois."

"This seems to be an unwise move on the eve of the election,'' he said.

He warned that lawmakers from southern Illinois who are in tight races ``may wake up and find that tomorrow is Day One of the campaign all over again.'' Downstate hunters and sportsmen will want to know if they support Cullerton's proposal, he said.

Several states -- including California, Massachusetts, New York and Hawaii -- have enacted their own assault weapons bans, while about a half dozen others have introduced bills to create bans at the state level, Madigan said.

National Rifle Association spokeswoman Kelly Hobbs said the federal ban was a failed policy and a state ban would be no different.

"The law didn't have a single effect on crime at the federal level. There's absolutely no evidence that it will affect crime in Illinois,'' she said.
Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press

I just don't get how any state can legaly ban any gun. It is unconstitutional. Why can't this be contested legally? They might as well regulate other Constitutional amendments as well. WTF is going on here?

They do it the same way other states do it.  They ignore the Bill of Rights.  It's an illegal bill, but they don't care.

They've got a majority so they'll probably get away with it.

Thanks again, Shitcago

I'm surprised it has taken them this long to get that ball rolling.  Could someone please flush Lake Michigan?

My sources in Illinois...have said that they will summarily ignore any assault ban or move out of state.  

Kind of odd really...I can look out across the river from my house, throw a rock and almost hit Illinois...geography is a funny thing!

Our selected officials do this every year. Yes, the Dems have the majority, but I don't see it passing, for a number of reasons.

1. The downstate Democrats are overwhelmingly Pro-gun. The governor is a Chitcago Democrat, and his downstate unpopularity is growing rapidly. I seriously doubt the downstaters want to be on Gov. Blowbagofshit's sinking ship.

2. It basically parrots the former federal law. In fact, it REFERENCES the former federal law, which probably doesn't even exist on the books anymore. Since EBRs are legal right now, even our commie IllAnnoy Supreme Court would have to call expost facto on this.

3. They're trying to do it during the veto session. There'll be more than enough to do without adding new legislation to the calendar.

4. We know about it, and we're going to let them know, in no unequivocal terms, that this is unacceptable. Last time, that meant a barrage of phone calls that shut down the capitol phone system.

More than anything, this is just Lisa Madatguns grandstanding for a receptive crowd.

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=8&f=23&t=186865

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=8&f=23&t=186776

Thanks for the heads up, but we're on it.

On behalf of the EBR owners in IllAnnoy, let me apologize in advance for soon to be Senator Barack Obama. He is truly an asshat.

They have precedent in IL.  Many years ago, I think in the 70's, Morton Grove, IL passed a handgun ban that WAS challenged on 2nd Amendment grounds.  The courts said, well, as long as ALL guns are not banned, it is OK to ban just one type.

So, the slippery slope began.  Many other cities and villages in IL followed suit.

So, if they can ban handguns, and ban semiautos, and get away with it, they can ban them all, one by one.

So, my question is, what gun CAN'T they ban under the 2nd Amendment?

Answer, all if you let them.

Quoted: I'm surprised it has taken them this long to get that ball rolling.  Could someone please flush Lake Michigan?

Please don't. All those fuckers will come up here and I am already so sick of the fuckers I can hardly stand 'em.

I do laugh at  the idea that if the shit ever really does hit the fan, that they will escape here. Heheheh. Most of 'em wouldn't make it 24 hours. No one here can stand them goddamn FIBs.

Quoted: They have precedent in IL.  Many years ago, I think in the 70's, Morton Grove, IL passed a handgun ban that WAS challenged on 2nd Amendment grounds.  The courts said, well, as long as ALL guns are not banned, it is OK to ban just one type. So, the slippery slope began.  Many other cities and villages in IL followed suit. So, if they can ban handguns, and ban semiautos, and get away with it, they can ban them all, one by one. So, my question is, what gun CAN'T they ban under the 2nd Amendment? Answer, all if you let them.

Yeah, I agree. I have already decided that I am done obeying their fucking antigun law bullshit. I stuck it out for 10 years with the AWban. No more. Molon Labe.

That's a pretty good one. How many AR type manufacterers are there in Il?
Rock River
Armalite
Lewis Machine and Tool

Are they going to go there and shut them down for "possessing AR's" because they make them?

Quoted: That's a pretty good one. How many AR type manufacterers are there in Il? Rock River Armalite Lewis Machine and Tool Are they going to go there and shut them down for "possessing AR's" because they make them?

You can kiss goodbye to the following too:

DSArms
Model1Sales
M&A Parts

Why do they NEED Assault weapons for HUNTING?

"Ten years ago, Congress wisely passed the assault weapons ban. This year, special interests persuaded Washington to allow assault weapons to return to our communities. In doing so, Washington turned its back on our children and our communities,'' Madigan said.

When was the last time a flash hider, bayo lug, or collapsible stock harm a community or the children that live in it?

It really chaps my ass when these idiots act like the AWB actually had to do with guns and not the accesories on the guns.

Quoted: Quoted: That's a pretty good one. How many AR type manufacterers are there in Il? Rock River Armalite Lewis Machine and Tool Are they going to go there and shut them down for "possessing AR's" because they make them? You can kiss goodbye to the following too: DSArms Model1Sales M&A Parts

Also add...

Eagle Arms
Les Baer
Springfield Armory

When the Brits marched on Concord to take away our forefathers' guns, our forefathers said no and fought back. They were called the Minutemen. Maybe you gun owners should march on Springfield and give them your answer.

Quoted: That's a pretty good one. How many AR type manufacterers are there in Il? Rock River Armalite Lewis Machine and Tool Are they going to go there and shut them down for "possessing AR's" because they make them?

Of course not. Like the dutiful little leftists they are, they will expect the manufacturers of AR's to continue making them for export to other states only. Screw the residents of Illinois, they want the revenue from the manufacture of those guns and parts, they don't want them sold there. The manufacturers would be suckers to go along with that.

The manufacturers shouldn't even threaten the politicians with moving their operations out of state, they should just do it. The handwriting is on the wall (in BIG letters) and there are plenty of gun friendly states that wouldn't punish them for doing business there. On top of that, Illinois is an expensive state to do business in. I'm sure it would be a whole lot cheaper for them to move their operations to a more business friendly state than Illinois.

Maybe it's time to change Chicago's motto to "The city that doesn't work"....

What people need to understand is this:  There IS no state named "Illinois".

There IS a state named "Chicago" which has an obscure outlying area called "Illinois".

This outlying area is populated by racist, bigots, homophobes, and some foul creatures known as "Republicans.  
These odd "people" are ignored except when it's time for elections, and their votes are needed to help support all the dead voters of Chicago.  Then, great promises are made to the few rubes living there to insure they vote "Right" (Democratic).

The idea that people in "Illinois" might be upset at something the state of Chicago does, is ludicrous to the elites of Chicago.

As soon as the election is over, and the ruling elite Democrats are properly re-elected to their life-time offices, the peasants in "Illinois" are expected to disappear again until the next election, and not to interfere in the important business of the state of Chicago.

Being relatively polite (or at least politic) the elites of Chicago refrain from commenting on just how stupid the cretins in "Illinois" are, and how far beneath Chicago they are.