Illinois To Become #ConstitutionalCarry State?

Personally, I think every state should have “Constitutional Carry”, but that’s just me.

In December of last year, a federal appeals court struck down a law that forbid citizens in Illinois from carrying a firearm. Check out this gif to get an idea of the evolution of concealed carry laws in the United States. Illinois is currently the only “no issue” state in the union.

So, what does this mean? Well, if the legislature doesn’t move quickly to enact some type of concealed carry law, the state will default to “Constitutional carry” on June 10, 2013. Republicans are taking the position that if they don’t get exactly what they want (some form of “shall issue”), then they’re content to let the deadline pass. Democrats looking for some new restrictive gun control law don’t have a leg to stand on.

Concealed carry “will be a ‘shall issue’ permit, there will be no discretion by some bureaucrat as to whether you get to exercise your right,” he said.“It will be a statewide permit, there will be no carve-out for Chicago. There will be no carve-out for Cook County,” Vandermyde said.

State Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, who has authored several concealed-carry laws during his time in Springfield, said the federal court ruling goes even further.

“The clock is still ticking. June 10 is the deadline,” Phelps said. “We filed a bill, a lot of people didn’t think we were going to because we don’t have to. Constitutional carry will set-in if we don’t do something.”

If the deadline should pass, Illinois would become the fifth Constitutional carry state behind Vermont, Alaska, Wyoming and Arizona.

Hopefully, my state, South Carolina, will be bringing up a Constitutional carry bill this legislative session.