Illinois Gov. Proposes Ban on Assault Weapons

In the wake of the mass shooting in Colorado last month, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed a ban on assault weapons in his state.

The Democratic governor used an amendatory veto power on an ammunition sales bill, adding a ban on the manufacture, possession, and sale of semi-automatic assault weapons and attachments. As the Associated Press explains, the state's legislature will be able to accept or override his changes to the bill. They can also decline to call a vote.

Quinn told reporters at a press conference that "We should show the nation that when something really bad happens, as happened in Aurora, Colorado, a horrific massacre, that we don't stand idly by. We take action."

As the Chicago Tribune explains, even with the emotional context of the shooting, the bill faces a steep challenge of actually being passed with the governor's changes. In general, the Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan has rejected attempts to pass amended bills that change the central premise of the original measure, as this one does (the original bill was supposed to allow residents to buy ammunition through the mail). And lawmakers have been trying to change gun laws in the state for years without success.