Dems at War over Assault Weapons
Senate President Don Harmon introduced a new version of an assault weapons ban Sunday that has been criticized by Governor JB Pritzker and House Speaker Chris Welch.
Senate Democrats have filed their own version of an assault weapons ban that passed the House late Friday, drawing the ire of both Governor JB Pritzker and House Speaker Chris Welch.
The legislation, filed Sunday by Senate President Don Harmon reduces the number of banned semi-automatic rifles.
Maybe most frustrating for House Democrats was the removal of a provision requiring the registration of serial numbers for existing assault rifles. Some senators have privately wondered if the registration would render the bill unconstitutional.
Speaker Chris Welch issued a statement Sunday afternoon rejecting the Senate version of the legislation.
"As Speaker of the House I will stand firm in our values and principles as Democrats,” he said. “I will fight for the needs of Illinoisans and I will not accept a watered-down version of legislation that falls unacceptably short of the comprehensive solutions that the people of this state deserve."
Governor JB Pritzker issued a not-so-veiled veto threat.
“The people of this state deserve a real assault weapons ban, one that has a real accounting of the weapons currently in circulation and a real chance at ceasing the flow of more weapons of war immediately,” Pritzker said in a statement. “We need a bill that meets the urgency of now and the current version in the Senate falls short.”
The Senate could take up their version of a bill Monday morning in committee and potentially on the floor as early as Monday afternoon, potentially leaving two versions of the legislation that die in the other chamber without action by noon Wednesday.
“I don’t know what the hell they’re doing,” said one frustrated House Democrat last night, referring to the Senate. “This is not an issue to play games with.”