Concealed-carry deadline extended

By Jamey Dunn

A new deadline for concealed carry of firearms has been set in Illinois, giving Gov. Pat Quinn a month to review the legislation lawmakers sent to him last week.

The state now has until July 9 to have carry legislation in place after Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s request for an extension of the court-mandated deadline was approved today. In December, a federal appeals court ruled the state’s ban on carrying firearms in public unconstitutional and gave lawmakers until June 9 to pass a law regulating carry. Both chambers of the legislature approved a bill on Friday, the last day of the spring legislative session. Madigan said Quinn needs more time to look over the bill.

“The current stay of the court’s mandate expires in less than one week, which significantly shortens the time set in the state Constitution to allow the governor to review legislation,” Madigan said in a written statement after requesting the extension. “This request for an additional 30 days would allow the governor a reasonable amount of time to fulfill his state constitutional duties. Further, if granted, this additional time would help prevent a situation in which there is no state law in place governing the carrying of handguns in public, which the court sought to avoid in setting the original stay.”