SAF Lauds Illinois Lawmakers On CCW Bill Forced By Landmark Lawsuit

BELLEVUE, Wash., June 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Second Amendment Foundation said this evening that adoption by Illinois lawmakers of the state Firearm Concealed Carry Act is a "good step" toward bringing the Prairie State in line with the rest of the nation, and that it "would not have happened without our federal lawsuit in Moore v. Madigan."

"It is a shame that this had to go right down to the wire," said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, "but the important thing is that Illinois citizens will now have a law that makes it possible for them to exercise their right to bear arms outside the home for personal protection. This is why we went to court in the first place; to secure for Illinois residents the same rights enjoyed by citizens in the other 49 states."

Under the new law, both residents and non-residents may apply for Illinois carry licenses. The new license will be valid for a period of five years. There are provisions that do allow law enforcement agencies to object to the issuance of a license, but there is also a mechanism by which those objections are reviewed by a Concealed Carry Licensing Review Board.

The new law has a 16-hour training requirement for new license applications, and a three-hour refresher for license renewals. There are also prohibitions on carry into certain locations.

"While this new law is not perfect," he said, "it's one giant step protecting the human right of self-defense."

"This Act will give Illinois citizens a great opportunity to demonstrate to reluctant lawmakers that concealed carry can work as it has been working in other states," Gottlieb observed. "A bright new day is dawning for the good people of Illinois who have waited patiently for years to see this happen."

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. 

SOURCE Second Amendment Foundation