concealed carry

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A Round-Up On The Compromise CCW Bill In Illinois

May 24, 2013 by 8 Comments

Facing a June 9th deadline, it looks like the Illinois State House might be able to pass a compromise bill. They have already shot down Rep. Brandon Phelps’ (D-Harrisburg) shall-issue bill as well as a may-issue bill. The compromise bill is just that – it doesn’t really satisfy either side but it may be the best one can get given the bifurcated nature of Illinois politics.

The Illinois State Rifle Association released the following alert this afternoon. It is important to note that they are neutral on the bill.


CCW BILL ALERT – SB 2193 – VIABLE PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE

After many years of working to advance a Right to Carry bill, there is a viable proposal on the table. This bill, SB 2193, sponsored by Representative Brandon Phelps, is not a perfect bill but it does have several good points, for example:


  • Shall issue

  • Statewide pre-emption of all gun laws

  • Commercially available training

  • Vehicles will be a safe haven

However, the bill does call for:


  • 16 hours of training, although some previous training will count toward those hours

  • $150.00 license fee, for five years

  • Carry on mass transportation prohibited

This bill, if passed, will bring Right to Carry to Illinois, but due to the restrictions in the bill we are neutral on the bill.

While many people have been involved in this effort, Representative Brandon Phelps has demonstrated superior leadership and should be commended for his resolve.

The actual bill is being offered as an amendment to SB 2193. The language of the amendment can be found here.

According to the Rockford Register Star, the National Rifle Association has not taken a position on the bill.

“It’s a combination, a balance of both sides,” Phelps said, adding that he believes pro-gun groups such as the National Rifle Association have not taken a position on the bill. The NRA endorsed previous versions sponsored by Phelps.


Todd Vandermyde, chief lobbyist for the National Rifle Association in Illinois, declined to comment Wednesday and deferred all questions to the organization’s national headquarters. NRA officials could not be reached for comment.

 The biggest plus of the bill is that it does away with home-rule by Chicago and Cook County on firearms laws. This would mean that items like the Chicago’s rules for issuance of firearms license would be gone as would Cook County AWB. This post from Illinois gun rights group GunsSaveLife.com does a good job in pointing the full impact of getting rid of home-rule on firearms laws. They contend that by agreeing to this House Speaker Michael Madigan has thrown Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle under the bus.

Thirdpower who is an Illinois resident finds it to be a particularly unappetizing sandwich.

Miguel at GunFreeZone gives his opinion here. He believes we’re getting shafted by the bill.

Sebastian thinks it might be the best we can get right now.

My feeling is that it’s a shall-issue bill, with preemption. It’s the
final offer from the leadership. I’d take the deal and then work to
improve the bill through legislation, and I’d re-litigate over the steep
fees and argue that many of the places you’re prohibited from carrying
are not “sensitive places” per the Heller decision.

The Rockford Register Star article details the prohibited places referred to by Sebastian.

Weapons would be prohibited from special events open to the public, schools, amusement parks, zoos and museums, libraries, property owned by park districts, playgrounds, universities and colleges, state and federal buildings, sporting events, residential mental health facilities, and police stations. Guns would be barred from parking lots under ownership of these places.


If riding public transit, an individual’s gun would have to be unloaded and stored away in a backpack or other carry-on bag.

One other thing about the bill – it has no provision for reciprocity with other states. The argument given by Rep. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) is that other states’ mental health reporting laws are weaker than that of Illinois. If you want to carry in Illinois and you aren’t a resident, it will cost you $300 plus you have to meet their training requirements.

If the pro-gun proponents of this bill are correct, future changes to the firearms laws will only take a simple majority instead of a 3/5’s majority since home rule provisions will be eliminated. If correct, I think you might see more changes in the Illinois gun laws in the future. There has been a majority to liberalize the state’s gun laws but not a super-majority.

Regardless of what happens in the State House, the bill will still have to pass the State Senate.

UPDATE: Please see the comment below from David Lawson. He and his wife Colleen were co-plaintiffs along with Otis McDonald in the ground-breaking Second Amendment case of McDonald v. Chicago. The Lawsons have been at the forefront of the fight for gun rights in the state of Illinois for many years. His perspective on these issues is important and should be given heed.

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ISRA On Concealed Carry For Illinois

April 30, 2013 by

Playing fast and loose with your constitutional rights is just business as usual for some politicians in the State of Illinois. As this latest message from the Illinois State Rifle Association makes clear, the Madigans – father and daughter – are just the latest in a long line to do so.

THE MADIGANS ARE PLAYING POLITICS WITH YOUR FAMILY’S SECURITY

As most readers know by now, the appeals court has directed the Illinois General Assembly to pass a concealed carry bill by June 9th. As might be expected, the leadership of the House and Senate have been employing every trick in the book to avoid complying with the court order.

The first stalling tactic came when Attorney General Lisa Madigan asked for a review of the decision by the full appellate court. The court refused and told the legislature to get back to work and pass a concealed carry law by the deadline.

Once Madigan’s request was shot down, it was time for the General Assembly to work its own special brand of magic. Gun grabbers in the House introduced a “concealed carry” bill with a couple of dozen amendments containing foolish restrictions on concealed carry along with unacceptable gun control provisions.

After that came gun-hater Kelly Cassidy’s “concealed carry” bill which was so insanely restrictive that it only garnered 31 votes in the House.

A few days after Cassidy’s flop, the House voted on the ISRA-supported HB0997 carry bill. Unfortunately, the bill fell a few votes short of the supermajority requirement imposed by House Speaker Mike Madigan. Once again, the security of law-abiding Illinoisans took a back seat to the politics of gun control.

Meanwhile, over in the Senate, anti-gun Sen. Kwame Raoul was crafting a so-called “compromise” concealed carry bill. Under the provisions of this bill, applicants for concealed carry would pretty much have to surrender most of the protections they enjoy under the Bill of Rights. Furthermore, the bill would have given Cook County special powers to deny carry permits, even though the applicant had passed muster with the FBI and Illinois State Police. In other words, average citizens living in Cook County would be denied the right to defend themselves. Of course, it would be a different story for the county sheriff’s political supporters.

Just yesterday, Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that she has asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a 30-day extension for filing an appeal of the lower court’s requirement that Illinois pass concealed carry. Madigan’s latest stunt is purely political as she hopes to push back any action on concealed carry to a time where it becomes an issue in the 2014 elections. In essence, the political interests of the Madigan family trump the security of your family.

At the moment, we are not sure how all this will play out. There are numerous possibilities and, when your action is needed, we will alert you. So, keep an eye on your in-box.

You may rest assured that the ISRA will not waver in its commitment to deliver a “shall issue” carry bill. We will not accept any bill that denies people the right to self defense because of their ZIP Code. We will not accept any requirements that make it impossible for everyday law-abiding citizens to afford the cost of a permit in terms of either time or money. We will not accept any sort of “compromise” bill that bans semiautomatic firearms or limits magazine capacity or any of the other gun control garbage on the grabbers’ wish list.

We will not accept any sort of “may issue” carry bill. The ISRA and its fellow litigants in the McDonald and Shepard cases did not go to the expense of trial just to bring home a half a loaf or less. In fact, any politician who votes for a “may issue” carry bill will instantly earn a grade of “F” – regardless of past voting record. Yes, our commitment to your security runs that deep.

In the mean time, here is what you need to do to help ensure that a “shall issue” carry bill passes:

1. Contact both your State Senator and your State Representative. Politely tell the person who answers the phone that you are a law-abiding Illinois gun owner and that you will not accept any “may issue” concealed carry bill or any bill that excludes Cook County or any other jurisdiction. Advise the person that you expect the Senator or Representative to vote for “shall issue” legislation such as that provided for in HB0997.
If you do not know who your State Senator is, the Illinois State Board of Elections has an interactive search page here:
www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx

Once you know who your State Senator and State Representative are, you can find their contact info here:
www.ilga.gov/senate/
and here:
www.ilga.gov/house

2. Pass this alert on to your friends and family; ask them to make calls as well.

3. Post this alert to any and all Internet blogs or bulletin boards to which you belong.

Remember – “shall issue” concealed carry will not get passed unless you are prepared to take action. Keep making those calls to your Senators and Representatives!

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Virginia Goes Private

March 24, 2013 by



This past week Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) signed a bill that would make information about concealed handgun permit holders in Virginia private. The new law forbids clerks of court from disclosing the name and other information concerning concealed handgun permit holders except to law enforcement.

Earlier legislation had forbidden the release of this information by the Virginia State Police. However, most concealed handgun permit information resides with the commonwealth Circuit Courts. That law was in response to the publishing of the names of concealed handgun permit holders by the Roanoke Times back in 2007.

SB 1335 was introduced by Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg). The bill was given two thumbs up by the Virginia Citizens Defense League.

Obenshain’s original bill was more narrowly focused. It would have shielded from disclosure personal information about permit holders who were under the protective orders generally granted to people threatened with domestic violence.

The bill easily cleared the Senate. It was then overhauled by a House of Delegates subcommittee, which broadened it to include all concealed-handgun permit holders. Obenshain expressed support for that change, which upset advocates for gun control and open government.

One of the things that spurred this legislation was the publication of the names and addresses of pistol permit holders in New York by the Journal News.

It is my hope that North Carolina legislators will now follow suit in this session of the General Assembly. The bills there appear to have good support and with Republican control of both houses are likely to pass.

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A Civic-Minded Police Chief Who Takes Self-Defense Seriously

March 20, 2013 by

After seeing the parades of big-city police chiefs testifying at gun control hearings, it is refreshing to see a police chief that not only believes in his citizen’s right to self-defense but is doing something to encourage it.

Thrall (TX) Police Chief Whitney Whitworth says he wants residents in his small Texas town to be able to protect themselves. He freely acknowledges that the police can’t always be there. So, to promote self-defense in his town, he is offering free Texas Concealed Handgun License classes to town residents. Chief Whitworth is a Texas certified CHL instructor and is offering the classes on his own time.

Now that is what I call a civic-minded police chief!

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More Interested Teachers Than Spots In Free CCW Class

March 11, 2013 by 2 Comments

The Rowan County Wildlife Association thinks the way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. To help increase the number of good guys they offered a free NC Concealed Handgun Permit class for teachers on Saturday in the Salisbury, NC area. The good news is that they had a lot of interested teachers show up. The bad news is that they had to turn some away because they didn’t have enough room.

Some of the teachers told Eyewitness News they were taking the class to help keep their students safe.


“That’s why we are teachers, because we love the children we work with,” interim teacher Jordan Waller said.

Waller joined dozens of other educators at the free concealed carry class in Salisbury.

She sat next to Susan Smith, a teacher’s assistant, who worries about her students who have special needs.

“Our children are not very mobile,” Smith said. “They would have a very hard time getting out of the way.”

Smith and Waller both support bills in the state Legislature that would allow teachers to carry weapons.

“If that’s what the world is coming to, I’d go along with it,” Waller said.

Of course as the report below makes clear, the gun prohibitionists at North Carolinians Against Gun Violence are aghast and resort to quoting junk research.

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NC Handgun Permit Modernization Act To Be Introduced

March 11, 2013 by

According to Grass Roots North Carolina, Rep. Jonathan Jordan (R-Ashe & Watauga) will be introducing this week the Handgun Permit Modernization Act. This bill if enacted would do three things: remove redundant mental health checks, stipulate that no additional fees or information could be required over what the state mandates, and reduce processing time from 90 days to 45 days.

In my home county it took me 85 days to obtain my NC Concealed Handgun Permit. This was in 2009 when sheriffs’ offices were swamped with applications. By contrast, the Complementary Spouse applied for her permit in Buncombe County. In addition to fingerprints, training, background check, and the fee, Sheriff Van Duncan (D-Buncombe) required applicants to mail a mental health records release to Mission Hospital and to another mental health agency. While the Complementary Spouse did receive her CHP sooner than I did, it came with extra fees. This bill would change that.

GRNC is asking people to do two things: contact the General Assembly leadership and to contact their own legislator to push this bill. Their alert with more info is below.


Remove Obstructions To Concealed Handgun Permits

Over the past two years, many of you have told GRNC that some sheriffs are obstructing concealed handgun permits by either delaying issuance or asking for intrusive personal medical information. Others are imposing extra requirements such as photos, character affidavits and fees for redundant criminal background checks.

1. GRNC has listened. Thanks to Representative Jonathan Jordan (R-Ashe, Watauga, GRNC ****), this week will see introduction of the “Handgun Permit Modernization Act,” which will:

Remove redundant mental health checks: Our CHP law predates the computerized National Instant Background Check System, which for several years has included mental health data. Yet NC CHPs continue to be delayed as sheriffs send forms to local mental health facilities. Worse, some sheriffs have begun requiring physicians to “certify” the mental health of applicants.

Stipulate that no additional information or fees may be required: Among the abuses we have seen, sheriffs have had applicants line up with sex offenders for mug shots, while others have required additional background checks (and fees), notarized character affidavits, and even contact information for employers.

Limit permit application processing to 45 days: At present, sheriffs are delaying permits for several weeks due to mental health check delays from local facilities.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

Help Rep. Jordan move this bill, which will be filed on Monday:

  • Email NC House Speaker Thom Tillis and Rules Chair Rep. Tim Moore and ask them for a favorable committee assignment for the bill


  • Immediately email and call your representative to the North Carolina House and ask them to co-sponsor this critical legislation

CONTACT INFO

Speaker Thom Tillis: Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net

Rules Chair Rep. Tim Moore: Tim.Moore@ncleg.net

To find your House rep, go to: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “Remove Obstructions To Concealed Handgun Permits”

To Speaker Tillis and Rep. Moore:

Dear ______________:

Please support Representative Jonathan Jordan’s “Handgun Permit Modernization Act” by giving it a favorable committee assignment. Too many obstructions prevent lawful North Carolinians from obtaining concealed handgun permits essential to protecting themselves and their families. Our law was drafted long before creation of the computerized National Instant Background Check System, and long before North Carolina began reporting mental health data to that system. Yet permits are being delayed as sheriffs make archaic, haphazard and redundant inquiries to local mental health clinics.

Some sheriffs are subjecting permit applicants to arbitrary requirements beyond those stipulated by the General Assembly despite the fact that our concealed handgun permit application system was intended to be a uniform statewide process. These extra requirements include “mug shots,” extra fees and even phone calls to employers.

Since inception of the law in 1995, concealed handgun permit-holders have spent eighteen years proving themselves sane, sober and law-abiding, with a rate of permit revocation of less than three tenths of a single percent. By reducing delays in permit issuance, this non-controversial bill may well save lives.

Respectfully,

To your House rep:

Dear _______________:

Please co-sponsor Representative Jonathan Jordan’s “Handgun Permit Modernization Act.” Too many obstructions prevent lawful North Carolinians from obtaining concealed handgun permits essential to protecting themselves and their families. Our law was drafted long before creation of the computerized National Instant Background Check System, and long before North Carolina began reporting mental health data to that system. Yet permits are being delayed as sheriffs make archaic, haphazard and redundant inquiries to local mental health clinics.

Some sheriffs are subjecting permit applicants to arbitrary requirements beyond those stipulated by the General Assembly despite the fact that our concealed handgun permit system was intended to be a uniform statewide process. These extra requirements include “mug shots,” extra fees and even phone calls to employers.

Since inception of the law in 1995, concealed handgun permit-holders have spent eighteen years proving themselves sane, sober and law-abiding, with a rate of permit revocation of less than three tenths of a single percent. By reducing delays in permit issuance, this non-controversial bill may well save lives.

Respectfully,

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For Those In Northern Illinois

March 9, 2013 by

The Illinois State Rifle Association put out an alert this morning about a county board meeting in Joliet that will vote on a concealed carry resolution. They are asking people to attend and make their views known.


URGENT ALERT – YOUR ACTION REQUIRED:
WILL COUNTY BOARD TO VOTE ON CONCEALED CARRY RESOLUTION

PLEASE BE THERE TO SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT RESOLUTION

WHEN: Tuesday, March 12, 2013, 8:30 AM (please plan to be there by 8:00)
WHERE: Will County Office Building, County Board Room, 302 North Chicago Street, Joliet

Please pass this Alert along to your friends and relatives.

Please post this Alert to any and all Internet Blogs or Bulletin Boards to which you may belong.

You do not have to live in Will County to attend!

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ISRA Alert On Madigan’s CCW Bill

February 23, 2013 by 1 Comment

The Illinois State Rifle Association has sent out an alert warning about the plans of House Speaker Michael Madigan concerning concealed carry. It appears that he will try to force through his own CCW bill that will be the nation’s most restrictive carry law this coming week.

From ISRA:


Mike Madigan is ticked off…

Why is Mike Madigan so ticked off? Quite simply, he’s ticked off because the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has told him plainly that the legislature must bow to constitutional authority – not to the whims of Mike Madigan. And we all know what a control freak Mike Madigan is.

No, Mike Madigan is no longer in control of the concealed carry debate. The courts have said once and for all that Illinois will join 49 other states in allowing citizens to carry defensive firearms.

The court has really ticked Madigan off…

Mike Madigan is so ticked off that he plans to introduce his own version of a concealed carry bill early next week. Of course, under Madigan’s carry bill, the only people who would be allowed to carry would be… um… nobody.

Although the details of Madigan’s concealed carry bill (HB1155) have not yet been released, those close to Madigan are saying that it will be the most restrictive concealed carry bill in the nation.

One insider termed Madigan’s proposal, “…the closest thing to no-carry at all.”

WHAT YOU MUST DO TO STOP MADIGAN’S INSULTING BILL

1. Beginning first thing Monday morning, call your state representative and politely tell them that you are a law-abiding firearm owner and that you oppose Madigan’s insulting HB1155 and that you would like them to vote against the bill.

2. Pass this alert on to all your friends and family members and ask them to call their state representatives as well.

3. Please post this alert to any and all Internet blogs or bulletin boards to which you belong.

If you do not know who your state representative is, please click the link below and you will be able to identify your representative and get their Springfield phone number.

The Illinois State Board of Elections has a new interactive search page here:
www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx

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Interesting Report On Concealed Carry Hearings

February 23, 2013 by

Chicago’s ABC 7 had a report on the legislative hearings about concealed carry in Illinois in the wake of the 7th Circuit’s denial of an en banc hearing for Moore/Shepard v Madigan. You just have to shake your head in dismay about the hysteria and ignorance spouted by officials from the Chicago Transit Authority and from the gun control lobby. Fortunately, this was offset by Dr. Paula Bradich and Todd Vandermyde.

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Another Politician Named Joe

February 19, 2013 by

After watching the testimony of Colorado State Rep. Joe Salazar (D-Thornton) concerning concealed carry on campus and rape, I couldn’t help but think that the next thing out of his misogynist mouth would be, “and if it is gonna happen anyway, just lie there and enjoy it.”

Evidence and experience do not matter to these people. Colorado State University has had concealed carry on campus for years without problems. It is obvious that concealed carry on campus is only a problem when it impacts the flagship located in the People’s Republic of Boulder and not that “cow college” located on the Front Range.

H/T Firearms Policy Coalition