Concealed Carry Bill Passes Illinois House; Quinn Vows To Stop It

By Chuck Sudo in News on May 24, 2013 9:20PM

The Illinois House overwhelmingly passed SB 2193, its version of concealed carry legislation, on Friday. The measure passed by an 85-30 vote, with one representative voting present.

The bill’s chief sponsor, Harrisburg Democrat Brandon Phelps, said “crime has gone down dramatically” in every community where concealed carry has been enacted. But the House’s version of the bill has been roundly criticized by gun control lobbyists as being too lax. The House’s version of the bill overrides home rule powers in Chicago and other Illinois cities and would grant potential gun owners the right to appeal a denial for a concealed carry permit.

Another sponsor of the bill, Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Smithton) said during the debate over the bill on the House floor, "I'm telling you, the governor would love to sign that bill, and, I believe, the city of Chicago would love to push that bill.”

Costello doesn’t know Gov. Pat Quinn or Illinois Senate President John Cullerton that well, apparently. Quinn’s office released a statement faulting the House for its overreach on SB 2193 .

“This legislation is wrong for Illinois. “It was wrong yesterday in committee, it’s wrong today, and it’s wrong for the future of public safety in our state.

“The principle of home rule is an important one. As written, this legislation is a massive overreach that would repeal critical gun safety ordinances in Chicago, Cook County, and across Illinois.

“We need strong gun safety laws that protect the people of our state. Instead, this measure puts public safety at risk.

“I will not support this bill and I will work with members of the Illinois Senate to stop it in its tracks.”

Cullerton, a strong gun control advocate, is said to be “violently opposed” to parts of the House’s version of the bill, especially the part that overrides Chicago’s home rule laws, and will not allow it to pass in the Senate as currently written.