By Mike Flannery, FOX 32 News Political Editor - bio | email
CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed a statewide ban on assault weapons.
The governor wants to prohibit these guns because he says they're an invitation to murder and disaster.
"That's complete bunk. The governor's an idiot. He doesn't understand what he's doing. He's trying to get five minutes of film time to make it look like he's doing something," Roger Krahl, owner, RGuns, said.
Krahl and nine employees make guns that Gov. Quinn calls Assault Weapons. In the wake of the mass murder carnage in Colorado, he would ban them.
In a letter to members of the General Assembly, Quinn says the ban will make Illinois a safer place to live.
"We have to do something. We cannot stand idly by. I think we should remember those who lost their lives and carry on with something that will make things better," Quinn said.
Strongly supporting the governor was suburban Orland Park's police chief, a former Secret Service agent who once took a bullet intended to kill President Ronald Reagan.
"It'll help reduce violence against our police. It'll help keep these type of guns out of gang members and out of the hands of cartel members," police chief Tim McCarthy said.
The proposal also calls for a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines. It was first reported by The Associated Press.
Quinn's proposal faces hurdles in Illinois, even after the massacre at a Colorado movie theater renewed national debate about assault weapons.
The bill's original sponsor is Republican state Sen. David Luechtefeld. He accuses Quinn of playing politics.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
His bill would have allowed Illinois residents to have ammunition purchased in-state shipped to them.
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Gov. Pat Quinn said Illinois lawmakers have a chance to make history on two fronts this month by approving a plan to fix the state's decades-old pension crisis and legalizing same-sex marriage.
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Former White House social secretary Desiree Rogers has been appointed to head the board of a government-supported nonprofit that promotes Chicago as a tourism and convention destination.
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Republicans call them "scandals." Democrats call them "fishing expeditions." Whatever the case, the Obama administration finds itself trying to fix three big problems this week. FOX's Bret Baier reports.
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Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn must decide if he will sign a measure allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes after the state Senate approved legislation on Friday.
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Faced with a trio of controversies, President Barack Obama is trying to halt a perception spreading among both White House opponents and allies that he has been passive and disengaged as unexpected developments...
President Barack Obama, seeking to regain his footing amid controversies hammering the White House, named a temporary chief for the scandal-marred Internal Revenue Service Thursday and pressed Congress to approve new...
After initially opposing the legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon now supports the bill awaiting a State Senate vote. She told Good Day Chicago why she changed her mind.
After initially opposing the legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon now supports the bill awaiting a State Senate vote. She told Good Day Chicago why she changed her mind.
