Illinois concealed carry made a significant stride today with the latest proceedings from Springfield. Those who have been following the Illinois concealed carry journey will remember that back in December 2012, the Supreme Court ruled the Illinois ban of concealed carry as unconstitutional. They then set a limit of six months for the state to devise its own concealed carry legislation—or else the statewide law would default to “constitutional carry” (i.e., concealed carry without a permit requirement). In the legislators’ scramble, they agreed on a bill including:
- A “may issue permit” (to be approved by local law enforcement)
- 16 hours training requirement—the highest in the nation
- $150 permit fee ($300 for out-of-state permit applicants – no reciprocity with any other state)
- Prohibiting concealed carry
- on various modes public transportation
- in government buildings
- in stadiums
- in restaurants where more then 50% of revenue comes from the sale of alcoholic beverages
During the one month extension, Governor Pat Quinn vetoed several components of the proposal, calling for several restrictive measures including:
- Prohibiting concealed carry in any restaurant where alcohol is sold.
- Limiting concealed carriers to only one firearm at a time.
- Banning firearms from any private property unless the owners posted signage permitting firearms on the premises.
The legislation approved today overrode the Governors vetoes to the previous Illinois concealed carry bill by 41-17 in the Senate and 77-31 in the House. The revised legislation also converts the “may issue” system proposed in last month’s bill to “shall issue.” If permit applicants pass background checks, have proof of completing the 16hr training requirements, and possess a Firearm Owner ID card, they will receive a permit. Illinois police departments have been granted six months to make preparations to accept applications.
