A press release from State Rep. Mike Tryon:

Illinois House Approves Compromise Concealed Carry Bill with Bipartisan Support

SPRINGFIELD….. In a landmark vote in Springfield today, members of the Illinois House approved a “shall-issue” concealed/open carry bill for the citizens of Illinois.

Senate Bill 2193 creates the Firearm Concealed Carry Act and establishes statewide standards for the issuance of licenses to carry concealed firearms in Illinois.

It allows the Illinois State Police to issue concealed carry licenses to persons who are at least 21 years old, have a valid FOID card or meet the requirements for a FOID card, complete 16 hours of training (including live firing exercises) and pass criminal background checks.

According to State Representative Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake), the bill is the result of true democracy in the legislature.

“As is the case with any successful negotiation, Senate Bill 2193 includes compromises from lawmakers on both sides of the gun control issue,” Tryon said. “There are components of this bill that concealed carry advocates like and dislike and there are parts of this bill that gun control advocates like and dislike.”

Among State Representatives whose districts cover part of McHenry County, all five voted in favor of the bill.

Tryon said the main principals for which Second Amendment advocates have been fighting for years are all included in the version of the bill approved in the House on Friday.

“First of all, we have a ‘shall-issue’ bill, which many said would be impossible in Illinois due to the influence of Cook County and the City of Chicago,” Tryon said.

“This bill also has no home rule exemption, which means that the same concealed carry rules that apply in southern Illinois are also the rules that govern the State’s largest cities like Chicago. This was a huge concession on the part of gun control advocates.”

Under the provisions of SB2193, those wishing to obtain a concealed carry permit would pay a $150 licensing fee for the five-year permit.

The renewal fee would be $150.

Law enforcement personnel would have the right to object to any applicant they feel poses a threat to themselves or others or to the safety of the general public.

A seven-member bipartisan panel would review those objections.

“There are elements of this bill that are difficult for me, like the amount of the fees and the number of areas designated as ‘no carry’ zones, Tryon said.

“But in the interest of compromise and creating a bill that was able to receive the required 71 votes to exempt home rule, they were necessary.”

Action in the Illinois House is the result of a December 2012 decision by the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which declared that Illinois’ ban on concealed carry was unconstitutional.

When that opinion was issued, a 180-day clock began ticking, which required lawmakers to approval some sort of concealed carry bill by June 9, 2013. Of the 50 states, Illinois is the only state that today prohibits concealed carry.