Governor Pat Quinn is pushing for a ban on assault weapons in Illinois. The governor used his amendatory veto power Tuesday to alter a bill that would have allowed Illinois residents to purchase ammunition and have it shipped to them. Quinn wants the bill to include a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

As of now, anyone with a firearm owner identification card can buy an assault weapon. According to the governor, there are no state-imposed restrictions on the sale or possession of high-capacity ammunition magazines.

In a letter to lawmakers, Quinn wrote that he’s a strong supporter of the second amendment, the right to bear arms, but he says there’s no place in Illinois for “weapons designed to rapidly fire at human targets at close range.”

Quinn’s proposal could dragIllinois into the national debate over assault weapons after the massacre at a Colorado movie theater.

The governor didn’t mention that tragedy in his letter, but he did say states like California, Massachusetts, New York and others have this ban and Illinois should too.