How do you reduce gun violence in a city like Chicago? You allow some people to legally carry concealed firearms in public. (At least, that’s what most right wing gun rights advocates believe.)
Members of the Illinois House of Representatives on Friday approved a concealed carry law, largely in response to a January federal appeals court ruling that struck down the ban, saying it violated the Second Amendment, Reuters reports.
Opposition to the proposal is stiff. Lawmakers representing Chicago, where gun violence is at epidemic levels, say the proposal is wrong for the state. Its full passage, especially in Barack Obama’s home state, would run counter to the president’s stalled gun control efforts in the wake of last year’s Connecticut school massacre.
“We need strong gun safety laws that protect the people of our state. Instead, this measure puts public safety at risk,” said Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, who has vowed to fight the measure.
Illinois has been the only state in the nation banning most residents from carrying a concealed weapon outside of their homes.