Concealed Carry Supporters Flood Illinois State Capital

Illinois gun advocates took to the streets in Springfield on Wednesday to

, amongst forwarding other pro-firearm goals, show support for a proposed concealed carry law sitting before the state legislature. Illinois is famously the last state in the union which bans the concealed carry of pistols by its citizens, but it took a first step toward changing that on Tuesday when House Bill 5745 passed the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee. HB 5745 would mimic the carry laws of many states by requiring a citizen to take a safety course before obtaining a license from his or her sheriff and ultimately carrying a handgun.

The march, called the Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day for 2012, was organized by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), started at the Prairie Capital Convention Center and worked its way to the State Capitol to lobby senators and representatives to support HB 5745 and strike down bills like HB 5167 which would levy a tax on ammunition sales in the state. The stated number of participants at the rally varied widely, with some claiming numbers in the low hundreds to 1,500, and some believing it to be much higher, such as one rally-goer who said, "As I was there it was estimated that this years crowd was one of the largest ever. It was a march that took 5 blocks to hold and was estimated at near 7,000 people." ISRA states that early estimates place the number at 7,500.

This video covers the ISRA's history and overarching mission:

As firearms owners took to the capital building, however, the offices of several concealed carry law opponents were found empty, though it is unclear if this was intentional or merely a coincidence. Remaining representatives' responses to ralliers ranged from handshakes from supporters to rationales against the law from opponents, such as Rep. Mike Zalewski, who was quoted in The Quincy as saying, "People feel that (concealed carry) is their universal right that has been affirmed by the Supreme Court, but until we address compelling crime prevention issues in Chicago and suburban Cook County I do not believe it's the right policy for the state of Illinois."

In truth, some supporters have been worried about a clause in the bill that allows universities to choose their concealed carry policies while simultaneously holding the institutions liable if a student with a CPL is harmed or killed because they were prevented from carrying on campus. Some feel this may ultimately stymie the already hotly contested bill, such as Rep. Don Moffit, who said plainly, "That [clause] may not be building support. We want to improve the odds that we can actually get there."

Nevertheless, the ISRA considers the rally a victory, as executive Director Richard Pearson noted, "In short, IGOLD 2012 was a great success an effort of which the organizers should be proud. We are already planning IGOLD 2013, and expect it to be bigger and more effective than ever."

by: douyo03rza

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