Time is running out for Illinois to implement a law allowing people to carry loaded firearms in public.
As the July 9 deadline looms, the conversation in Springfield has shifted from whether Governor Pat Quinn would veto the legislation, to when he might do so.
Quinn has been characteristically tight-lipped about his plans for the concealed carry legislation. But some in Springfield predict Quinn is leaning toward vetoing or re-writing the bill -- including an uncharacteristically cheeky House Speaker Mike Madigan.
“My expectation is that the governor will take some action on that bill, which in a certain sense is designed to advance his campaign for re-election,” said Madigan.
It wouldn't be the first time Quinn used his veto power to urge stricter gun-control laws. After the mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater last summer, Quinn rewrote a bill to try to impose an assault weapons ban. That was rejected by lawmakers -- something Madigan predicted would happen in this case, too.
Whatever Quinn does, time is running out. He and lawmakers have until July 9, which is the federal-court mandated date by which Illinois is to have concealed carry on the books.
