Illinois has now joined 49 other states in permitting the carrying of guns in public. Illinois State Police have 180 days to create an application process, so it will be 2014 before people can carry guns in public. Once permits are issued, there are limits to where you can carry guns. They will not be permitted in schools, parks, government facilities, buses and commuter trains, bars or restaurants where more than half the business is alcohol sales, and several other public places will continue to be banned areas. After a background check and 16 hours of firearms training (longest of any state), the concealed carry permit will be issued after payment of $150.00. The permit is good for 5 years. As with everything else in Illinois, a whole new level of expensive bureaucracy will be created to manage the license process. Soon the fee will be $1,000 a year to cover the salaries of the bureaucrats administering the system. Remember this – over 1/3 of Illinois State Policemen are paid over $100,000 per year!

The Illinois State Rifle Association says gun owners shouldn’t have to wait nine months for the right to carry concealed weapons, and said Association has filed motions in Federal Court to allow concealed carry by July 16.