Quinn: Holiday Weekend Shootings Show Need For More Gun Laws
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Gov. Pat Quinn was on the West Side on Monday, talking about the wave of shootings in Chicago over the 4th of July holiday weekend, and the need for more gun laws.
WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports the governor said the shootings – with victims ranging from a 5-year-old watching fireworks to an elderly woman on her porch – are unacceptable.
"No one – no one – should be shot in our state of Illinois. We want to make sure that we enact laws that protect the people," he said.
Quinn Signs Anti-Gang Laws
Quinn signed two new laws aimed at reducing gang violence. One requires school officials to report illegal weapons and gang activity to police, and requires authorities to inform principals when a student is held for gang activity.
The other seeks to protect those who report gang crimes by setting up a witness protection program allowing counties to reimburse victims and witnesses for temporary living costs and moving expenses when they cooperate in a gang crime investigation.
Quinn also predicted a showdown in Springfield over his amendatory veto of concealed carry legislation.
He wants lawmakers to uphold revisions he made to legislation allowing people in Illinois to carry firearms in public.
The legislation allows qualified gun owners who pass background checks and undergo 16 hours of training to get carry permits for $150.
Last week, Quinn made a series of changes to the legislation, including a one-gun, 10-round limit on concealed firearms.
"They don't need more than one weapon, and I changed that last week in our amendatory veto," he said.
The governor's changes also include a provision allowing towns and cities to enact their own assault weapons bans, beyond a 10-day window in the original bill; allowing employers to prohibit workers from carrying concealed weapons on the job; and a ban on guns in any establishment that serves alcohol.
Currently, the legislation bars guns only from restaurants whose liquor sales amount to less than half of gross sales
However, lawmakers have said they expect to override Quinn's veto, as the original legislation passed with veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate, following months of tense negotiations.
