GOP Illinois governor extends waiting periods for all gun purchases

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) signed a bill on Monday to extend a 72-hour mandatory waiting period for all firearm purchases.

The “cooling off period,” which already applied to handgun purchases, now covers all guns being sold including assault-style weapons, The Chicago Tribune reported.

Rauner said he was “proud” to sign the protections into law and said it was a “very important step forward to increase safety for the people in our state.”

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The governor also signed into law so-called “red flag” protections, which allows family members or police to seek a court order for guns to be confiscated from individuals deemed “an immediate or present danger” to themselves or others.

Similar laws passed in several states during a nationwide push for more gun control following the Parkland, Fla., school shooting in February.

President Trump was reportedly also weighing a plan to call on states to pass red flag laws in an effort to curb gun violence following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. 

Rauner did, however, say he would veto legislation that would have created new inspection protocols for stores that sell guns, The Tribune reported.

“That bill will not increase public safety, it will increase red tape and restrictions and unnecessary burden on our small businesses in Illinois,” Rauner said of his veto.

Rauner vetoed a similar bill that would have required gun shops to obtain licenses in March, calling it a “burdensome regulation.”

Gun control activist and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was shot in 2011, applauded Rauner’s efforts but said there is more work that needs to be done.

“While Congress remains silent, states like Illinois are responding to calls from Americans of all ages to do more to keep us safe,” Giffords said in a statement. “Today is another step in the right direction as Illinois communities now have a path to ensure those experiencing a crisis do not have access to guns.”

“Governor Rauner must build on these victories by supporting additional efforts to curtail the gun violence crisis and build a bridge to a healthier future for Illinois,” she added.