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Illinois State Senate Approves Gun Control Legislation

By Kamika Dunlap on April 30, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

The Illinois State Senate approved tough new gun control legislation in order to protect children and combat the recent outbreak of neighborhood violence.

The bill, backed by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, now awaits a signature from Governor Pat Quinn. It increases the punishment for offenders carrying a loaded weapon without a state permit card, the Chicago Tribune reports.

These days, violence has become so rampant on Chicago streets that lawmakers are questioning whether a National Guard deployment will help fight crime, as previously discussed.

Specifically, the new bill would change the current state law from the lesser sentence of probation and mandate at least one year in prison for a person convicted of unlawful use of a weapon by carrying a loaded gun without a firearm owner's identification card.

Mayor Daley backed the state senate bill for tougher gun control and lashed out at the Supreme Court, anticipating the judges will rule in favor of overturning the city's handgun ban.

As previously discussed, Chicago's long-standing handgun ban is under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The High Court will decide whether the Chicago handgun ban should be invalidated under the Second Amendment in the McDonald v. Chicago case.

In the Chicago case, the justices will look at whether the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments, or whether it remains one of the few areas in the Bill of Rights that binds only the national government.

A decision by the Supreme Court on whether to strike down the Chicago handgun ban may establish basic ground rules for future gun control efforts in states and cities across the U.S.

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