Central Illinois lawmakers call for local-option concealed-carry law
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[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.
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"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.
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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."
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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]
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