The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday gave the state of Illinois an extra 30 days to lift its ban on concealed weapons.
The court acted on Attorney General Lisa Madigan's request to allow Gov. Pat Quinn more time to review legislation passed last week. However, on issuing its ruling, the court said it would not issue another extension of its mandate past the new deadline of July 9.
Madigan said the Sunday deadline would have shortened the time set in the state constitution to allow Quinn to review legislation. The constitution says after the Legislature sends the governor a bill, the governor gets 60 days to decide whether he'll sign it.
"I'm reviewing that," Quinn said Tuesday of the gun bill. He said he agreed with Madigan filing the petition.
Quinn wouldn't say whether he'll sign the bill and declined to say what parts, if any, of the proposal he backs.
State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, who sponsored the legislation in Senate, told Lee Enterprises newspapers there are enough votes to override any changes Quinn might make to the bill.
Local
"His games are not going to work," Forby said. "He needs to work on a pension reform bill and leave the gun bill alone. He just needs to do his job."
Illinois was the last state in the union banning the concealed carrying of guns when, in December, the appeals court panel struck down the ban. However, the court ordered its ruling stayed to "allow the Illinois legislature to craft a new gun law that will impose reasonable limitations, consistent with the public safety and the Second Amendment as interpreted in this opinion, on the carrying of guns in public."
The gun law passed Friday would prohibit the possession of guns in such places as schools, taverns and parks, but would allow a gun to be kept securely in a car. It did not include an earlier proposal to eliminate all local gun ordinances, including Chicago's current ban on assault weapons, but would curb local control on handguns and lawful transportation of firearms.
It would require the Illinois State Police to issue a concealed carry permit to any gun owner with a Firearm Owners Identification card who passes a background check, pays a $150 fee and undergoes 16 hours of training — the most required by any state.
