For those calling for pro-gun coalitions to form in Illinois...well, they've had them for some time. They've even won some court victories and made inroads in the legislature.
The Illinois House has a bill, HB140, that calls for setting up a license to carry. It was voted on in the House in May 2011, with 65 voting for, and 32 against. That's slightly better than a 2:1 margin in favor of legalizing carrying a pistol in Illinois.
However, it needed 71 votes in favor in order to pass because it also called for pre-emption of home-rule regulations. Illinois is one of those states that has home rule cities, apparently a lot of them, who have lots of independent authority. It takes a super-majority of the state legislature to override their home-rule power.
The bill, as I understand it, calls for shall-issue, sets a time frame for issuing the license somewhat like ours, licenses both concealed and open carry, removes license info from the state Freedom of Info act, exempts license holders from other statutes that would make carrying or having a gun illegal, makes legal storing a gun in a locked vehicle if the license holder has to enter a prohibited place, protects a license holder if he has to transit a prohibited place via public route, and, of course, pre-empts home rule regulation of the license holder, to include forbidding limits on numbers of guns and forbidding registration of guns.
I understand from other sources that there were a number of compromises in the bill to gain more supporters, but now that the court has ruled, the compromises are no longer on the table.
As I understand the court's ruling, the Leg has 180 days to come up with a new law, and if they do not, then there is NO law regulating carry of firearm -- so theoretically Illinois could go from having the most restrictive regime to the most open. A happy thought.
I am sure the anti-gun AG will appeal and ask for an extension of the stay, but we'll see.
Also recall that the governor tried to impose an "assault weapons" ban via a seemingly peculiar amendatory veto power he has that lets him write new verbiage into law. The Legislature passed a law to allow Illinoisians (or whatever you call them) to buy ammo from online companies IN ILLINOIS. (Apparently residents could buy ammo on line from any state EXCEPT their own). The anti-gun Gov "amended" the law by throwing out all that and putting instead a ban on semi-auto rifles, hi-cap mags, and .50 guns. The Senate overrode this 46-4 and the House 78 to something. Now that doesn't mean all those voting for the override were pro-gun -- some said they wanted an AWB, but the Gov was abusing his power (at their expense) -- but it's in the right direction generally.
There will be a fight, still, but there are a lot of pro-gun forces in Illinois. It really is a state held captive by a leftist Chicago mafia and a city full of utterly stupid voters. Unfortunately that model has now been transplanted to the national level. But there is a good chance for the 2A in Illinois now. The sound you hear coming from that "Stop Concealed Carry Coalition" is the sound of panic.
