Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday vetoed a bill that would require the state to license gun shops, a move viewed by some to solidify his standing with Republican voters a week ahead of the primary election while inviting criticism from Democrats.
He first revealed his plans Tuesday morning in an interview with WJPF radio in southern Illinois. Rauner said the measure, which was sent to him a couple weeks ago after passing the General Assembly, was unnecessary and burdensome.
“We’ve been doing a lot of homework, doing a lot of research on this. And I have decided that I am vetoing that bill,” Rauner said. “It’s just not right. It’s unnecessary, burdensome regulation. It’s redundant on top of existing federal regulations, it’s crushing to our small-business owners and creates bureaucracy that really doesn’t help make our community safer.”
The measure would have required gun dealers to get licensed in a way similar to auto dealers and Realtors. A simultaneously passed trailer bill set a $1,000 cap on licensing fees within a five-year period.
Proponents argued it was a common sense bill meant to ensure professional standards were being maintained at gun shops, while critics said the fee would punish small businesses and the state would have to invest millions of dollars it doesn’t have to hire inspectors.
The bill was supported by most Democrats, along with a few suburban Republicans. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and Cardinal Blase Cupich actively lobbied for its passage.
The veto announcement comes just one week ahead of the primary election, perhaps helping Rauner re-establish his conservative bonafides with Republican voters. Rauner has taken some heat from his own party in the past for signing House Bill 40, which allowed for the taxpayer funding of abortion, and the Trust Act, which prevents law enforcement from detaining individuals solely based on their immigration status.
Rauner faces conservative state Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, who’s been running to his political right, in next week’s primary.
Democrats were swift and scathing in their responses to the veto, saying Rauner put politics ahead of safety.
“The governor’s decision was cruel, it was cold and it was calculated to benefit his own politics at the expense of public safety,” Emanuel said. “This veto is a slap in the face to crime victims, faith leaders and police who have pleaded with Governor Rauner to protect public safety by signing the Gun Dealer Licensing Act. This failure will be his legacy.”
J.B. Pritzker, the billionaire candidate leading the polls ahead of next week’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, said the action shows “empty rhetoric and absent leadership” on the part of Rauner.
“High schoolers are leading a nationwide movement and parents in our state are demanding change ...," Pritzker said. “This is a governor who is telling children across the state that he cares more about winning his primary than doing his job to protect them.”
State Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, another
