Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s renewed push for House Bill 2414, a statewide ban on certain semi-automatic firearms and .50-caliber rifles, may not be called for a vote this Spring, according to The Pantagraph.

On Feb. 7, one of the governor’s top allies in the General Assembly said the issue might be just too contentious to move forward before lawmakers are scheduled to adjourn for the Spring on Apr. 7.

“I don’t think anything will happen with that,” said Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago), who is co-chairman of the governor’s re-election effort. “It would be very difficult to pass that over here.”

That assessment comes just five weeks after Blagojevich made the ban on so-called assault weapons a cornerstone of his State-of-the-State speech.

Blagojevich wants Illinois lawmakers to approve legislation to ban the manufacture, possession and delivery of certain semi-automatic firearms, accessories for the prohibited guns, large capacity ammunition feeding devices and .50-caliber rifles.

An attempt to pass a state version of the federal law in May 2005 fell short in the Illinois House by three votes.

Since then, supporters have been working to craft amendments to the legislation aimed at securing votes for the proposal. Steve Brown, a spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), said backers of the ban want to make sure they have enough support before it is called for another vote.

“It’s going to be a close vote either way,” said Brown.

Gun rights advocates have argued that the federal assault weapons ban didn’t have any effect on national crime rates. They also have argued that such a ban would hurt hunters, sportsmen and gun collectors.

State Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago), who has been an avid supporter of the ban, said the legislation may be better suited to be voted on in the Fall veto session or next Spring, when it is not an election year.

Several Illinois-based gun manufacturers said during a Mar. 1 press conference in Springfield that they will pack up and leave Illinois if state lawmakers approve the ban and take some 750 jobs with them.

Their statements came as the state’s House Executive Committee voted 9-3 to approve the legislation.

“If this passes, we’re out of town,” said Dennis Reese, co-owner of Springfield Armory in Geneseo, one of four gunmakers located in the Rock River Valley town of 6,400 residents.

“Our only course of action would be moving out of state,” added Mark Westrom, president of ArmaLite Inc., another Geneseo gun manufacturer.

Gunmakers and their state lawmakers argued that they operate legal businesses, subject to tough state and federal laws.

Westrom said the state should concentrate on catching criminals, rather than on banning guns.

“The arms manufacturers of Illinois and their customers are not the problem,” Westrom said.

Along with Springfield Armory and ArmaLite, other companies involved in fighting the ban include Lewis Machine & Tool of Moline, Les Baer Custom Inc. of Hillsdale and Rock River Arms Inc. of Colona.