Concealed Carry: What it Could Mean for Cook County, the Suburbs

Patch Editor Shannon Antinori contributed to this article

While a proposal to allow larger "home-rule suburbs" to put stricter restrictions on concealed carry weapons was discussed, the bill approved last week by state lawmakers did not include such stipulations, according to media reports. 

It also did not include an earlier proposal that would allow Cook County to ban concealed weapons, according to the Daily Herald. If signed by Gov. Pat Quinn, the law would allow Cook County to keep its $25 gun tax and its "so-called assault weapons ban," according to the article. 

The bill calls for banning concealed weapons in government buildings, casinos, stadiums and on public transportation, such as on CTA and Metra buses and trains, but would allow concealed carry in establishments that serve alcohol but where at least 50 percent of sales come from food, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

Under the plan, the Illinois State Police would be required to issue a concealed carry permit to gun owners with a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card who pass a background check, pay a $150 and undergo 16 hours of training.

Other provisions required gun owners to:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Not have any convictions for violent misdemeanors in the past five years
• Not have two or more DUI convictions in the past five years

A federal court ruled late last year that Illinois’ ban on conceal carry was unconstitutional and mandated that the state institute a program by the June 9 deadline, according to Palos Patch. 

On Monday, attorney general Lisa Madigan filed paperwork with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals requesting a 30-day extension on that court-ordered deadline, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Illinois is the last state in the country to not have a concealed carry law, according to the Sun-Times. 

What do you think about the concealed carry proposal? Do you think Illinois needs to pass it or are you against it? Tell us in the comments section.