Central Illinois lawmakers call for local-option concealed-carry law

[June 25, 2011]  DECATUR -- State Reps. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, Adam Brown, R-Decatur, and Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, want to see Illinois adopt a local-option concealed-carry law. The lawmakers are sponsoring legislation that would allow for the issuance of concealed-carry firearms licenses on a county-by-county basis.

"Earlier this week, Wisconsin passed a concealed-carry law, making Illinois the only state that bans the carrying of concealed firearms," Mitchell said. "If 49 other states can have responsible concealed-carry laws, so can Illinois. People should have the right to defend themselves and their property from criminals. Unfortunately, the Chicago politicians continue to block passage of concealed carry in Illinois. So we are proposing a local-option concealed-carry law that will allow counties to issue concealed-carry permits."

The local-option concealed-carry legislation, House Bill 3794, would allow county boards, by a majority vote, to implement concealed carry on a county-by-county basis. County boards would authorize sheriffs to issue concealed-carry licenses to law-abiding citizens who meet certain age requirements, complete a series of training courses and pass criminal background checks, among other requirements. A licensed person could carry a concealed firearm in any county that adopts local-option concealed carry.

House Bill 3794 includes provisions that exclude concealed carry of a firearm in certain locations, including schools, courthouses, government buildings, churches, libraries, bars, stadiums and gambling venues. The legislation also allows business owners to prohibit concealed carry on their property.

Previously, Mitchell, Brown and Rose were co-sponsors of House Bill 148, which would have created a Family and Personal Protection Act and established statewide standards for the issuance of licenses to carry concealed firearms in Illinois. The proposed legislation failed to pass the Illinois House on a vote of 65-32-1. The bill needed a three-fifths majority, or 71 votes, to pass.

"I was very disappointed that concealed carry failed to pass this year," Brown said. "It is extremely frustrating that the Chicago politicians continue to dictate our state's gun laws. I will always support the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners. Downstate legislators must stand up to the Chicago politicians and demand that our constitutional rights be upheld. Since Chicago keeps blocking a statewide law, we are going to push for a county-by-county concealed-carry law."

"Illinois is now the only state in the nation that completely denies law-abiding gun owners the right to defend themselves from an attacker in public," Rose said. "A county-by county approach is certainly not the most ideal solution, but it's a start.  We can't allow tens of thousands of gun owners in our local communities to continue to be held hostage by a handful of politicians from Chicago."

Macon County Sheriff Thomas Schneider and Macon County State's Attorney Jack Ahola support the new local-option concealed-carry proposal.

"As the sheriff of Macon County I have been a longtime supporter of the Second Amendment and the right to conceal carry," Schneider said. "I believe in Rep. Mitchell's innovative proposal, which will allow each county to decide as to what they want for the residents in their county. The police can't protect everyone all the time, so I believe that a law-abiding, mentally competent citizen should have the right to protect themselves."

With passage of Wisconsin's concealed-carry law, Illinois is now the only state in the nation that does not have any procedures in place for law-abiding citizens to apply for concealed-carry permits.

In 2008's Heller Decision, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized gun ownership as an individual right. Last year, the Supreme Court overturned Chicago's long-standing gun ban.

Mitchell believes the recent rulings by the Supreme Court should overrule the parliamentary ruling by Chicago Speaker Michael Madigan that concealed carry requires a three-fifths majority to pass.

"The Supreme Court reaffirmed our Second Amendment rights," Mitchell said. "The Supreme Court and the U.S. Constitution trump any partisan ruling by Speaker Madigan requiring an extraordinary majority for passage of concealed carry. The speaker and his Chicago allies cannot stop concealed carry forever."

[Text from file sent on behalf of Rep. Bill Mitchell by Illinois House Republican staff]