Quinn for Illinois

Today, alongside Mayor Daley and the family of Police Officer Thomas Wortham IV, killed during an attempted robbery in May, Governor Quinn signed legislation to increase penalties for illegal possession of weapons. It is an important step to preventing the violence that plagues our streets.

There is an epidemic of violence in our state. Our citizens and first responders are under assault from criminals using illegal weapons that have no place on our city streets. Just yesterday, another officer was shot and killed, the third such tragedy in two months.

At such an important time, Bill Brady didn’t think that increasing penalties for illegal gun possession mattered. He failed to appear to vote on this bill.

Our campaign has repeatedly pointed out that Bill Brady is outside the mainstream, more than any gubernatorial candidate in the history of our state. When it comes to guns, Brady isn’t a conservative; he’s an extremist.

For example, Brady opposes a ban on assault weapons. These are the same guns former Republican Governor Edgar called, “weapons of slaughter and destruction used by criminals” that had “no legitimate civilian purpose in a civilized society.”

These are Senator Bill Brady’s positions on weapons:

• Voted against safe storage of firearms to keep guns out of children’s reach;
• Would eliminate IDs for gun owners and destroy records of gun purchases;
• Voted against licensing gun dealers;
• Voted against ‘straw purchases’ of guns, one of the main ways illegal weapons make it onto our streets;
• Sponsored legislation to destroy records of gun purchases and eliminate waiting periods at gun shows;
• Voted against requiring gun license applicants to certify that they had not been convicted of domestic battery;
• Said he would veto legislation to ban semi-automatic weapons.

At this important time, we can't afford a leader who opposes even the most commonsense restrictions on weapons.