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Posted:
Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:10 pm Post subject:
Illinois Senate Overrides Veto of Self-Defense Bill |
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Illinois Senate Overrides Veto of Self-Defense Bill
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Morning Editor
November 12, 2004
(CNSNews.com) - Second Amendment supporters are pleased that the
Illinois State Senate has voted 40-18 to override the governor's veto
of a self-defense bill.
The bill, SB 2161, would exempt citizens from prosecution under local
gun ordinances, in cases where they use a firearm to defend themselves
or their families.
The bill was inspired by the case of Hale DeMar, a Wilmette resident
charged with violating a Wilmette handgun ban after he shot and
wounded a man who broke into his house.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) is
applauding the Illinois Senate for overriding Democrat Gov. Rod
Blagojevich's veto, and it is urging the House to quickly follow suit.
"Forty Illinois state senators have shown very good sense in voting to
override the governor's veto," said CCRKBA Executive Director Joe
Waldron. "It is simply abhorrent to the American way of life to
penalize someone for defending himself and his home against a
criminal.
"In the case of Mr. DeMar, the man he shot had burglarized his home
two nights in a row. Wilmette's foolish handgun ban didn't stop that
thug from entering the DeMar home."
Waldron noted that Wilmette is one of several communities in Illinois
to enact handgun bans -- which "haven't stopped a single crime."
Said Waldron, "The pendulum needs to swing back from the philosophical
Twilight Zone, where small-minded politicians pass laws that
effectively prevent honest citizens from legally defending themselves.
"Illinois residents deserve protection from stupid local ordinances
that essentially make them criminals for defending themselves," he
added.
CCRKBA wants Illinois lawmakers to go a step beyond a veto, by passing
a state law that erases Wilmette-type gun bans - and allows
law-abiding citizens to carry concealed handguns.
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