As the spring legislative session closed Friday, the Illinois Senate voted to approve a law allowing Illinois residents to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons—a law essentially mandated by a December federal appeals court ruling that the state's unique prohibition was unconstitutional—but failed to send any pension-reform bill to the governor's desk.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the Senate voted 45-12 in favor of the concealed-carry bill with bipartisan support; the "shall-issue" bill includes several prohibitions against carrying in certain places like bars, schools and government buildings, and requires 16 hours of training for a permit to be issued. (A statewide ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines was voted down, 28-31.)
“We all know but for the Constitution and the federal court, we might not be here today,” the paper quoted Sen. Bill Brady, (R-Bloomington) saying. “I think what’s most important is like 49 other states in the nation, the citizens of Illinois will enjoy a right and will become comfortable with because we crafted a good law, at least as a start.”
Meanwhile, the paper said, the Senate handily shut down Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan's pension-reform bill, with 42 against and only 16 in favor; the session drew to a close with no concrete progress on reforming the pension system that many believe is crippling the state budget.
“The people of Illinois want the General Assembly to put comprehensive pension reform on my desk," Gov. Pat Quinn was quoted stating in the Chicago Sun-Times. "They do not want legislative leaders to play a $17 million-a-day game with the future of our state, our children and our economy.
“There is something wrong in Illinois when the speaker of the House and the president of the Senate [John Cullerton] could join together to propose a pension holiday for Chicago, yet they could not send a comprehensive pension reform bill to my desk."
Read more at the Chicago Tribune website: concealed carry / pension reform.
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