GUN BILL VETO NO SURPRISE

Rep. John Bradley fully expected Gov. Rod Blagojevich to veto legislation that would allow handgun owners to violate municipal handgun bans if they do so in self-defense in their own homes. So it came as no big surprise to Bradley, one of the bill's sponsors in the House of Representatives, when he received word Friday that the governor did just that.

"He had indicated through the press that he would veto the legislation," Bradley said. "We were hoping he would not do that, given the overwhelming support for the bill in both the House and Senate and with the citizens of Illinois." The bill passed the House with a vote of 90-25 and the Senate with a vote of 41-16.

Bradley said he is fairly confident that the veto will be overridden in the fall session. "I would hope, given the public support, that people would stand firm on their votes," he said.

With that many votes, the legislature can override the veto... if they really care about the issue. But they'll be watching the elections to figure out what the people really want them to do, no doubt. If you live in Illinois, you might want to let your elected critters know what that is -- and vote accordingly.