Rauner won't get pressured to sign proposed gun legislation into Ill. law

Gov. Bruce Rauner will be most remembered for his willingness to go two full years without a budget for Illinois government (causing many of the financial problems the state has today), but he’s also a governor who signed into law measures viewed as supportive of progressive views on abortion, immigration and transgender rights.

RAUNER: What will he do?

In each of those cases, Rauner put his signature of approval on measures the Democratic-majority General Assembly enacted with overwhelming approval – which means Rauner most likely felt pressured into signing off on issues he would have preferred to ignore.

AS THINGS TURNED out, Rauner refused to feel similar pressure in acting Tuesday on a measure the state Legislature approved to require retailers who sell firearms to be licensed by the state. Rauner dug out the "veto" pen in rejecting the idea -- saying he thought it excessive business regulation.

Rauner's rejection came one day after he was confronted with questions about his intentions on the bill, with the governor trying to repeat a stock answer that “a comprehensive solution is what I’m advocating for.”

He also talks of “work(ing) with our members of the General Assembly on a bipartisan basis to come up with real solutions on a bipartisan basis.” Apparently, it was clear enough for him to act.

IVES: Can't add gun control to rant list

He saw how signing off on the measure would have brought additional political heat onto himself. With just six days remaining until the primary Election Day in which he's seeking nomination for re-election, the last thing he wanted to give his ideologue critics (and they are an outspoken bunch) is another issue with which to smack him about.

RAUNER FOLLOWED UP his “none of your business”-type answers with a "drop dead" action to those people concerned about the growing access of firearms in our society -- particularly amongst some individuals who probably shouldn't have the ability to bear arms. That is what will appease the people whom Rauner wants to think of being his political backers; as in the ones who will view any efforts to enact new laws that restrict firearm access as being repulsive.

If Rauner had signed this newest bill into law, the kind of people openly campaigning against his re-election would have added “gun control” to the list of other sins they perceive the governor has committed against conservative-oriented people.

Will Rauner add to 'ideologue' reputation?

The last thing the governor wanted to do in this final week before Tuesday’s primary election is give GOP opponent Jeanne Ives yet another issue with which to bash him about.

Hence, we got the generic double-talk that says as little as possible, but which can be spun in interpretation as calling for a grand overall solution to the problem of too many firearms in our society – and way too many in the hands of people who probably shouldn’t be allowed to have them at all.

BUT THIS STILL is Illinois, the hard-core “blue” state of the Midwest (Indiana being the hard-core “red” state and many of the others being blue-leaning, but capable of being flipped in individual Elections day).

And with the mood of the nation making gun control a hot button issue, Rauner is now going to get a whack upside his head on a national scale.

I’m sure Rauner thinks he’s “damned if he does, and damned if he doesn’t.” Which is why his vagueness was all too understandable. He probably thinks by acting now, he can minimize the damage.

It can't be used against him in next week's primary, and perhaps he thinks that by the time the Nov. 6 general election comes around, it will be a long-forgotten issue. Perhaps he thinks it will be like all the people who ranted about Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the "pop tax" who now don't say much about it.

NOT THAT IT will succeed. For anything related to firearms or violence is going to get an intense amount of attention. It is, after all, the political “flavor of the month.”

Why else would high school students across the nation, including in Chicago, be planning a walkout from class Wednesday as a way of urging political people to take action on this issue -- it has been one month since the Florida school incident that triggered much of the recent rhetoric.

How will student outpour influence firearms debate?

And yes, I find it humorous to read the line in a Chicago Tribune report that says school officials are cooperating with organizers to plan walkouts that are “nonpolitical.”

I’m not sure how that’s possible. Too many people of both sides will want to politicize what happens Wednesday, along with Rauner's veto. I'm sure the Democratic majority of the Legislature will take pride in overriding Rauner later this year, probably as much joy as many of the students who participate Wednesday will be doing so just for the joy of cutting class!

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