Both the Illinois House and Senate on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Pat Quinn's revised gun bill, making the state the last in the country to allow firearms to be carried in public.
The Senate voted 41-17 after the House's 77-31 vote to override Quinn's amendatory veto that wanted to keep guns out of places that serve alcohol and impose a one-gun limit.
The votes came just before a midnight federal appeals court's deadline to allow Illinois residents to carry concealed guns.
Quinn used his amendatory veto last week to make changes to the compromise concealed carry bill already passed by the legislature.
"Do not genuflect before the National Rifle Association," Quinn said Monday in a message to lawmakers. "They do not understand public safety in the land of Lincoln, and we're going to fight hard for public safety."
Quinn said at the time he thinks the people of Illinois will stand with him and support his version of the concealed carry bill becoming law. At least one lawmaker, though, said there are enough votes to override the governor's veto because not passing a concealed carry bill would be dire.
"For the life of me I can't believe that the governor would want to put Illinois into public safety risk to go over the cliff," Rep. Brandon Phelps (D-Harrisburg) said.
The approved version of the bill calls for 16 hours of training, a $150 application fee and a ban at schools, bars, parks and government buildings.
It's not the only special session that's been called to talk about guns. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called a special session of the Chicago City Council next week. Emanuel wants to strengthen the city's assault weapons ban and impose harsher punishments for gun crimes committed near schools.
That vote will take place next Wednesday.
