Alphecca

Illinois Going Gun Control Crazy

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich seems determined to become the most anti-gun governor in the state's history. From the Herald News:

Gov. Rod Blagojevich vetoed three bills Sunday that were backed by gun-rights advocates, saying the measures would have weakened laws aimed at keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals.

One bill called for state police to purge background check data 90 days after the check is performed. The measure also would have required background checks on potential firearms buyers at gun shows, but Blagojevich signed separate legislation Friday that accomplished that same goal.

Richard A. Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, has said the group supported the elimination of background check data because of concerns about how that information is used.

Another bill would have eliminated a waiting period for gun owners trading in one firearm for another. A third would have overridden local laws regulating the transport of guns.

[...]

Blagojevich has signed several other gun control measures that were passed during the spring legislative session, including a law allowing for harsher sentences for criminal firearm convictions and one allowing state police to report the name of a person who was denied a firearm owner's identification card to local law enforcement agencies.

Now, I've always thought that waiting periods are a bad idea. In the case of Illinois, you've already had to wait a long time to get your Firearms ID Card. Now, you're in a situation where your abusive "ex" is stalking or threatening you. You need protection NOW, not three days from now. I'm sure you can think of more examples.

In this vetoed bill, the waiting period would only have been dropped if you were trading a gun for another at a dealer so you obviously already have the Firearms ID Card and furthermore, the dealer is still required to run the NICS instant check on you with the FBI which will insure that you haven't done anything wrong since getting your ID Card. I see no good reason for the waiting period.

Dismissing the bill that would have unified the state's firearm transport laws doesn't help towns or police, it just makes criminals of people who are obeying state law and simply drive through a town that has decided to create their own little gun-free utopia.

Allowing the state police to maintain firearm purchase records for any length of time but especially forever, as is the case here, is a defacto registry. If other towns and cities suddenly decide to become gun-free utopias themselves, they have a convenient means to locate and confiscate all firearms.

Blagojevich says:

"I am vetoing these three bills to help police do their job protecting our communities, to allow towns and cities to enforce their own laws and to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals," Blagojevich said in a statement.