Last Holdout State Legalizes Concealed Carry

Illinois lawmakers shoot down governor's veto
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 10, 2013 1:47 AM CDT
Updated Jul 10, 2013 4:13 AM CDT
Last Holdout State Legalizes Concealed Carry
Gun owners and supporters participate in an Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day rally at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.    (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

The final state with a ban on concealed weapons has dropped it—just in time to beat a federal deadline. Lawmakers in the Illinois House and Senate, fearing a firearms free-for-all if they failed to act, voted by hefty margins to override Gov. Pat Quinn's veto and pass a new gun law, the Chicago Tribune reports. Quinn had been holding out for changes including limiting carriers to one gun at a time and banning guns in establishment that serve alcohol.

Any Illinois resident with a Firearm Owner's Identification card can now get a concealed-carry permit for $150 if they have passed a background check and undergone 16 hours of safety training, the AP reports. "This is a historic, significant day for law-abiding gun owners," said Rep. Brandon Phelps, a Democrat who has been fighting for a concealed-carry law for a decade. "They finally get to exercise their second amendment rights." (Meanwhile, in Nevada, a family is suing over an alleged violation of its third amendment rights.)

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