Despite rally, 'concealed carry' unlikely in Ill.

[davepc]

Not even gun-rights advocates think they can pull the trigger on a "concealed carry" law this year.

Excited by an important Supreme Court ruling and new support from law enforcement, thousands of gun owners gathered at the state Capitol Wednesday to rally for a law letting them carry concealed weapons. But their leaders say it will take time to build the support necessary to pass such divisive legislation.

While they gather strength, gun advocates hope to fend off new gun control measures, including attempts to limit who can sell a gun and how many people can buy.

"We're not just going to lay down and take this stuff. Illinois is bigger than Chicago," said Todd Vandermyde, a lobbyist with the National Rifle Association.

The battle over gun rights often boils down to geography.

Downstate lawmakers of both parties tend to oppose gun control, while their colleagues from the Chicago area tend to support it.

...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-xgr-concealedcarr,0,4080700.story

[Kittycat]

1. This was on our ballot in Kendall Cty this fall - it failed.

[AlinPA]

2. It might be easier to try for open carry. Hiding guns seems to create suspicion of some kind

among the people I've asked about it. I have spoken with a lot of people about concealing guns v open carry and a nearly all of them said they would rather see the guns out in the open rather than them being hidden. These are people are mothers who were raised in the country and understand gun use for hunting and men who would rather see the gun out in the open. When talking about hiding guns they say they don't trust the people that hide them and feel better about being out in the open about it. A very small majority didn't care or didn't like either approach. I belong to some groups where I come in contact with a lot of people who talk openly about issues of all kinds.

[DonP]

3. Over 5,000 turned out in Springfield this year!

Last year it was around 3,000 for I-GOLD (Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day).

The Governor and Chicago representatives "left town" again so they didn't have to meet with any of the folks that went downstate to meet with them. Pretty sad state of affairs when your government representatives leave town rather than meet with their own constituents about an issue that makes them uncomfortable.

Funny how they all stay there when Daley sends three little busloads of people (city workers) down there to lobby for more gun laws.

500 IGOLD women went to the governor's office and were turned away by Quinn's secretary who told them the governor was too busy to meet with them, even though they contacted the Governor a month ago..

The rift between the Chicago driven Daley meat puppets and the Downstate Dems (South of I-80 West of I-355) is growing over other issues too.

Daley demands an increasingly large and disproportionate share of mass transit funds and school funding that takes budget $ away from other counties and municipalities. As far as he's concerned there is no god but Chicago and anything else he chooses to rule, like Bensonville near O'Hare that he annexed.

[Indy Lurker]

4. It failed by 2% in Winnebago County, IL

CONCEALED CARRY PROPOSITION
108 of 108 Precincts Completely Reporting
Percent Votes
YES
Percent of total votes
48.88% 31,516
NO
Percent of total votes
51.12% 32,959

There was some confusion as to whether the county would try to issue CCW permits in violation of state law.

One method was to "hire" citizens as auxiliary deputies.

...until is was found out that they can only carry on duty under state law.


Law Enforcement and County boards support it in both Winnebago and Boone counties.





http://www.rrstar.com/communities/x121728302/Winnebago-County-Sheriff-upset-over-gun-plan

[Buck Laser]

5. I knew some Illinoisians have good sense!

[msongs]

6. if deterrent is the value, a displayed weapon would be more effective nt

[madrchsod]

7. traffic stops are bad enough here in illinois

and if this passes every traffic stop in illinois will be with guns draw just like on "Cops".

[davepc]

8. Yeah, that's how it is in the 48 other states with legal concealed carry

[spin]

9. Same old tired bullshit...

and of course Illinois will become just like the Wild West with shootouts occurring everywhere. (It sounds to me like some areas of Illinois (Chicago) are already like the Hollywood version of the Wild West despite all the draconian gun laws.)

Well let me tell you how things work in states that have concealed carry.

I got pulled over in Tampa for an expired license tag. When the law enforcement officer walked up to my window and asked, I handed him my drivers license, insurance card, registration and concealed carry permit.

He glanced at the permit as he checked out my other documents and handed everything back to me without any comment. The fact that I had a carry permit just wasn't a big deal to him. And yes, I was carrying a firearm at the time.

The situation ended politely and of course I got a ticket. I learned a valuable lesson. I no longer trust that the state will mail out my renewal notice or that the post office will deliver it. Now I have a reminder on my computer.

I know several police officers. None have any problem with citizens who have carry permits. They do have a major problem with people who carry firearms without a permit.

Of course, it is possible that Illinois and Chicago has managed to attract an enormous number of really bad guys because of their gun laws. If I was a professional criminal who used a firearm to commit crime, I would head to a state like Illinois to pursue my career in a safer environment. That may be the reason why traffic stops are already "bad" in Illinois.

The really unusual fact I noticed is that the Illinois Sheriffs' Association supports concealed carry.

Support for allowing concealed carry of firearms in Illinois — one of just two states that still outlaw it — is coming from what seems like an unlikely direction: the Illinois Sheriffs' Association.

The group, for the first time in its history, is taking a qualified stand in favor of the controversial practice.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/385D6275457E354286257554000E644A?OpenDocument

[paulsby]

11. you did the right thing, and so did the cop

i work in a state with 'right to carry', and in a carry where lots of people carry concealed.

cops , at least around here, are very much pro-ccw.\

i work with libertarian cops, democrat cops, republican cops, etc.

but one universal is that nearly all support CCW, and we know (from experience, as well as data), that CCW holders are about the most law abiding segment of society.

maybe not quite as good as 80 yr old mormon grandmothers, but close :)

[paulsby]

10. get real

i've done tons of traffic stops in an area where plenty of people carry concealed (WA state).

heck, i've been on COPS.
your prediction is about as realistic as those made that if concealed carry was to be passed in fla, that it would result in lots of road rage shootings, etc.

which never happened. crime, homicide, shootings went DOWN, and CCW holders committed a tiny %age of crimes, less than the general population.

god forbid facts should interfere with your dreams