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Expansion of CCW on the Way?


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http://www.rrstar.com/article/20160307/NEWS/160309553

 

SPRINGFIELD — Three years after Illinois allowed citizens to carry concealed firearms, legislators from both parties continue to try to fine tune the law.

 

Lawmakers have proposed new areas allowable to carry a concealed weapon including public transportation, interstate highway rest areas controlled by the Illinois Department of Transportation and public parks and athletic facilities under the control of a park district or municipality.

 

In addition, bills have been introduced to allow concealed carry within courthouses under certain conditions.

“It’s a work in progress in terms of making sure our Second Amendment rights are protected in Illinois,” said Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, who co-sponsored the original bill. “When you have something that big of a landmark and that important, you want to make sure you get it right.”

 

The Illinois General Assembly passed the concealed carry law in July 2013 under the pressure of a federal court deadline; it was the last state to do so. There have been tweaks to the law since, though there have been no changes to areas where concealed carry is allowed.

 

“There are many individuals throughout the state of Illinois who rely on public transit as their primary mode of transportation,” said Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Smithton, who is sponsoring House Bill 6047 allowing for concealed carry on public transportation. “I do not believe their Second Amendment rights should be infringed upon simply because they take a train or bus rather than driving their own vehicle.”

 

However, the Chicago Transit Authority, the second largest public transportation system in the nation, is questioning the safety of the proposal.

 

“Allowing people to carry concealed weapons on our buses and trains that provide more than 1.6 million rides every day would bring an increased and significant safety risk to both customers and employees,” said Jeff Tolman, Chicago Transit Authority spokesman. “It could also lead to increased insurance rates and higher security costs, which would undermine the safe and affordable service that we provide to the Chicago area.”

 

Costello said he will work with IDOT, mass transit authorities and all applicable agencies to ensure that their safety concerns are addressed.

 

Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, said that not allowing concealed carry within public transportation could discourage travel through Illinois.

 

A loss of visitors is also cited for lifting the ban at the 30 IDOT-controlled rest areas in the state where concealed carry is prohibited. IDOT did not respond to a request for comment on that proposal.

 

House Bill 5792 would allow a circuit or associate judge, state's attorney or assistant state's attorney to carry within a courthouse, but not inside the courtroom. When it is not being carried, the firearm is to be in a locked compartment in a secure area designated by the sheriff or chief judge.

 

Page 2 of 2 - House Bill 6040/Senate Bill 3332would extend concealed carry to public parks.

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Some people say it's too soon to get laws changed.I don't think so.Even if it is too soon,if you don't start trying now,people are going to think we're happy with the way the law is,and see no reason to change it,even if it is later down the line.
Another article http://www.sj-r.com/news/20160307/bills-seek-to-expand-where-concealed-carry-is-legal

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Public property and non sensitive goverment property should be the easiest place to Carry, the goverment should in practice celebrate our rights and freedoms and not be the means to restrict those rights.

$$ But.. But... But...

 

Don't you know? ALL Government properties are sensitive areas! $$

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In our dreams... :(

I remember saying that a few years ago too. Look where we are now. I'll keep fighting.

 

 

our fighting had little or nothing to do with it - a judge had everything

 

that said we keep on fighting

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uncross your fingers and write your rep

Done..

 

To Peter Breen

 

Synopsis As Introduced

Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Eliminates provision that prohibits a concealed carry licensee from knowingly carrying a firearm on or into any bus, train, or form of transportation paid for in whole or in part with public funds, and any building, real property, and parking area under the control of a public transportation facility paid for in whole or in part with public funds.

 

Mr Breen,

Please vote in favor of this Bill. In this State, our Second Amendment Rights continue to be restricted and circumvented at every opportunity by progressive politicians. With both the McDonald and Heller cases, SCOTUS ruled our Second Amendment Rights extended to defense in public. And yet those of us who carry concealed, are unable to carry in places funded by public taxes! If it’s paid for by citizens taxes, you don’t get much more public than that.

 

This is unacceptable.

 

Those who would restrict and if possible revoke our Second Amendment Rights, saw to it the fewest people possible would be able to attain their CCL. They hurt the poorest of those in our State by making the cost of the license- $150.00 – the highest in the Country. They made the hours needed for training – 16 hours – the most in the Country, guaranteeing the cost for those classes would be disproportionately higher. Add in that no one can carry on public transportation and you see the agenda of restricting as many as possible from carrying. After all, why would anyone (especially in Chicago & Cook county) spend $200.00 + for 16 hours of training (though those costs have been going down), $350.00 to $750.00 for an EDC (Every Day Carry gun) and several hundred dollars in ammo, range time, training and accessories, only to find they can’t carry to and from work, or too and from their home and the grocery, due to the restriction on concealed carry on public transportation?

 

Again, this is unacceptable.

 

Anywhere public funds are used should be accessible to all the citizens of this State, not just those who choose not to carry for defense. This Bill, though not as strong as I would like, does begin to break down obstacles put in place to restrict our Rights.

 

Thank you for the job you’ve been doing.

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I'd like to see some definitive language on signage such as which sign is compliant, where it is to be displayed, with penalties and possibly fines for incorrect posting. Of course, removing all force of law from the signs would be the best outcome.

the penalties should apply only to those that post incorrectly and falsely report an FCCA violation or those police that arrest someone for carrying in an improperly posted location.

 

Penalizing businesses that improperly post but do not attempt to enforce it would encourage places to properly post.

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I remember saying that a few years ago too. Look where we are now. I'll keep fighting.

 

 

 

our fighting had little or nothing to do with it - a judge had everything

 

that said we keep on fighting

 

 

 

Our fighting and educating our law makers had everything to do with getting statewide preemption and shall issue. When they were throwing all those amendments against the wall, they went with what stuck. If Illinois gun owners hadn't fought so hard, we would currently have the Chicago concealed carry law, the one Barbara Flynn Currie said would be so restrictive as to be non-existent.

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Are there enough educated lawmakers to force a pro-gun bill out of Executive Committee?

 

I'm thinking there are enough educated lawmakers to kill the inevitable AWB and other anti-gun bills, but unless there is a way to get pro-gun bills out of committee, the law is pretty much going to stay the way it is until someone challenges the constitutionality of the place restrictions, and a judge once again forces Madigan's hand.

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I will keep fighting. Molly B will keep fighting. My Representative will keep fighting. Todd will keep fighting.

Mauser will keep fighting.

 

$ So nice to Some of the positive posts.$

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I beelive Public transport MUST be the next frontier in concealed carry. Just watch the news. Seems every logical person I speak too agrees the CTA is one of the most dangerous places to be.

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As volatile as the political climate is, further expanding our rights is definitely in play.
Right now, it looks as if the legislature is doing nothing for anyone. They'll want to change that perception,
A high profile issue will do just that.
If it gets to the governor's desk, he'll sign it just to tweak the Chicago machine's nose.

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