CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and challenger Bruce Rauner both endorse what they call “common sense” in gun laws, but disagree over what that means.
Quinn, a Chicago Democrat running for re-election in November, has repeatedly called for a ban on assault weapons in Illinois and tried unsuccessfully to impose more safeguards in the state’s law allowing concealed carry of firearms.
Rauner, a Republican businessman from Winnetka, applauded Illinois becoming the last state in the nation to approve concealed carry, and warns that too many regulations on assault weapons and other firearms can run afoul of constitutional rights.
The two candidates sketched out those opposing views in an Associated Press campaign questionnaire. And Rauner reinforced his message Monday after being asked about assault weapons at an appearance on Chicago’s West Side, where residents see guns contributing to a stubborn violence problem.
He said, “It’s important that we keep guns away from criminals and the mentally ill, but going much beyond that creates constitutional issues.”
A spokeswoman for Quinn’s campaign on Monday repeated its criticisms of Rauner’s stance. She said such weapons “belong on a battlefield - not in our schools and not in our communities.”
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