For some time now, Illinois has been the last state in the union with no provision in law for the ordinary citizen to carry a loaded gun in public to protect self and loved ones. The Seventh Circuit, in an action brought by the Second Amendment Foundation, has issued a decision that may finally bring Illinois in line with the rest of the country. Read it here: http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/fdocs/docs.fwx?submit=rss_sho&shofile=12-1269_002.pdf

An excellent analysis from SAF’s own Dave Workman may be found here: http://www.examiner.com/article/court-issues-huge-ruling-for-right-to-carry-outside-home?cid=db_articles

Famed Federal judge Richard Posner, writing the majority decision, cited this Backwoods Home article: http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob103.html

I discussed the decision this week with Rich Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association. He and his people inside the fight on the ground in Springfield anticipate a tough legal battle still a head of them in the state legislature.

Anti-gunners and Chicago politicians are expected to throw up all kinds of barriers: ridiculously high permit fees, unreasonably long training requirements, and very likely a “may issue” format that will allow the issuing authorities to reserve carry permits for the wealthy and politically connected, as has been the case from Los Angeles to New York City for so many years. On the other side of the fight, some pro-gunners read it this way: since 180 days from the decision laws making concealed carry illegal become unconstitutional in Illinois, if no permit is in place it reverts to the Vermont Model of permitless carry becoming legal. Sometimes called, with semantic incorrectness, “Constitutional Carry,” this prospect alone should be enough to make anti-gun Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel awaken in the middle of the night with cold shivers. And of course, it’s still illegal to carry in Illinois for at least another six months.

Gonna be interesting. Would love to hear all y’all’s opinions on this, particularly the Illinois gun owners who’ve been living through the fine points of their state’s gun laws for so many years.

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