Posted on 11/10/2004 9:08:01 AM PST by neverdem
Tribune staff reporters Ray Long and Lisa Black contributed to this report
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Senate voted Tuesday to let courts ignore local gun bans in cases where a gun owner uses a firearm in self-defense, overriding by a healthy margin a veto of the measure.
With several members calling it a common sense proposal, senators voted to trump the governor's veto 40-18--with two more affirmative votes than the bill received when legislators passed it last spring.
Commonly known as the "Wilmette bill," the measure surfaced as a result of the case of Hale DeMar, who shot an intruder in his Wilmette home last winter and was cited for violating a village ordinance against possession of a handgun.
Critics of the bill agree with Gov. Rod Blagojevich that the measure unjustly trumps the right of local officials to decide such matters for themselves. But supporters say that burglars and others who intrude into private homes and businesses ought to be on notice that the occupants may be armed.
"Maybe this will send a message," said Sen. George Shadid (D-Edwards). "You're not going to break into somebody's home without some repercussions."
Late last month, a Cook County judge dismissed DeMar's claim that the law violated his constitutional rights. He faces a fine for the ordinance violation and is set to appear in court in December. Efforts to reach DeMar on Tuesday were unsuccessful, and his lawyer declined to comment.
The veto override attempt now moves to the House, which also gave the bill strong support when it originally passed in the spring.
The Senate also sent to the House for veto override votes bills that would allow large trucks to travel 65 miles per hour on rural interstates and expand the authority of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to manage...
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
BANG!
I'm surprised it passed in IL! This, in a state that won't pass a shall-issue CCW law in this lifetime...
Same "critics" no doubt who felt that state and federal anti-segregation laws "unjustly trumped" the right of locals to decide such matters for themselves.
Gov Blago ain't having a good session this year. hehe
BUMP WITH A BANG!!!
Holy crap... this donkey seems to get it a little! A tiny ray of hope (realism says probably not).
Hate to say it, but get used to it.
Daley's total ban in Chicago is going to become the state model now that gun-grabbing liberal Dems run the state at every level.
It's going to be a tough grassroots movement for NRA types. It will take a while to turn this tide in our poor state of Illinois. Unfortunately, we can't seem to do anything but lose ground in recent years....
;-(
"Maybe this will send a message," said Sen. George Shadid (D-Edwards). "You're not going to break into somebody's home without some repercussions."
Wow. A pro-2nd Amendment Dem. Will wonders never cease?
Just happened to go into GATGUNS yesterday, and was told that it takes 16 weeks for your gun application to be processed...What's goes with this waiting period??
Perhaps it WILL be worth the wait, but as a vet with a TS Clearance and no criminal record...I hardly find the wp plausable. WTF with these politicians, led by Gov Bogdoodoovich?? At least now, if you've got a permit already, the over-ride of his veto of being able to protect your home...is really great news. Now,....for the license!
Farmers and folks in smaller towns don't go for liberal Bravo Sierra when it comes to exercising their God-given right of self-defense.
Eat your heart out, Daly -- if you have one.....
Good deal. I suspect as many people gave up their guns as there are semi trucks driving 55 however...
Trust me...it passed because of public outrage over DeMar's
treatment by the Wilmette police department! This was on
the radio/news for weeks last year.
What happened:
A burlar crawled into the locked house through the doggie
door in the kitchen. The burglar took the owner's house
keys and car keys. The family was asleep up stairs. The NEXT NIGHT, the SAME burglar returned, opening the door with the keys! The family was again asleep, but the house alarm went off, waking DeMar. The house alarm ALSO phoned into the local police station; it took them 9 minutes to
answer the call. In the meantime, the burglar had headed up the stairs where the DeMar children were sleeping. DeMar
stopped him at gun point and when the burglar made a lunge to escape, DeMar shot him, wounding him but not critically. When the police arrived, they hauled the injured burglar away, and came back two days later with a citation for DeMar...for having a hand gun in his home! The public wanted to know: WHAT the HELL would have happened had the police NOT shown up for another 9 minutes OR had DeMar NOT had a gun in the house? The big bone of contention was the police saying DeMar was guilty of having a handgun in his house; if he had used a SHOTGUN, the police would not have issued the citation! In other words,
a shotgun would have KILLED the burglar, while the hand gun merely wounded him. As I said, the public was outraged. The Illinois Senate changed the law over reaction to the case. Charges against DeMar were dropped.
Surprisingly, no law suit has ensued...so far.
Wouldn't it make more sense NOT to have this law and just REPEAL the gun ban?
How many stupid laws are ever repealed? Whether it's ego or whatever, it happens so rarely that it's the exception, not the rule. Look at the success of organized crime and the number of dead folks before the Prohibition of Alcohol was repealed. Look at the great success of the War on Drugs. /sarcasm
Gov. Rod Blagojevich, another democrat for citizens being unable to protect themselves. Another democrat against 2nd amendment rights.
Federal AWB wasn't repealed, but it did sunset and is no longer the law of the land.
Don't know where the "ordinary" came from?!
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