The day is almost upon Illinois.
After a lengthy and heated battle in courts and at the statehouse, Tuesday marks the state's court-mandated deadline by which the legislature was required to draw up a concealed carry law after its last-in-the-nation gun ban was ruled unconstitutional last December.
The deadline comes on the heels of Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn's move, last week, to use an amendatory veto to drastically revamp the "compromise" bill the state legislature approved in veto-proof majorities by both Republicans and (largely downstate) Democrats in late May, setting the stage for another showdown between the legislature and Democratic governor.
Ahead of that showdown, Gov. Quinn has continued to work to make the case that his changes to the bill benefit the "common good." Specifically, he spoke out on Friday against the fact that the bill, as approved by lawmakers, allows for concealed carry inside certain restaurants that serve alcohol.
Over the weekend, he doubled down in defense of his amendatory veto, saying the 74 shootings in Chicago over the holiday weekend underscore why his revisions to the bill are needed. On Monday, he said he is "ready" for the "showdown" and urged state lawmakers not to "genuflect before the National Rifle Association," the Chicago Tribune reports.
Meanwhile, the governor's critics have criticized Quinn for playing politics with the legislation.
The state legislature on Tuesday is expected to override Quinn's veto, reverting the legislation back to the same bill they previously approved. Or, they may take no action whatsoever, setting an uncertain (and confusing) legal scene. Ahead of the showdown, pro-gun state Rep. Brandon Phelps, Cook County Sheriff spokeswoman Cara Smith and UCLA School of Law professor Adam Winkler joined HuffPost Live for a conversation (embedded above) on the matter.
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