Illinois Senate to consider bill that will only give police discretion over who gets permits

The new proposal could be voted on as early as Friday.  From the Peoria Star:

An Illinois Senate panel approved a measure Thursday allowing the carrying of concealed weapons, but the committee's move followed sharp questioning from Republicans concerning whether packing a gun in Chicago should require special permission and how authorities would determine who is fit to carry. . . .
The most vociferous opposition to the measure has been over a provision that would require gun owners who want to carry in Chicago to get not only a statewide permit from the Illinois State Police, but from the Chicago police. Raoul has repeatedly said the density of Chicago creates greater "sensitivities" to guns and requires an extra layer of scrutiny.
But the NRA has rebutted Raoul's contention that the legislation creates a "shall issue" permit system, requiring police to OK public gun possession for anyone who obtains the proper training and passes a background check. That's because it contains language requiring police to find that an applicant is "of good moral character" and has a "proper reason" for carrying a gun. . . .

All one has to do is look at NYC to see how discretion is used in granting permits to limit issuance to only wealth whites.  I suspect that few people will get permits with this discretion.

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Something gun control advocates should really fear: So-called "constitutional carry" for Illinois

If right-to-carry concealed carry laws are deemed so dangerous by gun control proponents, letting anyone who is not a criminal carry a gun with no other regulations should be really bad, right?  Well, on June 9th, if Illinois hasn't adopted a concealed handgun law by that point in time, it will be legal to carry a concealed handgun in Union county and probably effectively in the rest of the state.  The problem for gun control advocates is the same as it is each time that states pass right-to-carry laws: they have made predictions about impending disaster that never occur.  In this case the damage could be worse since the claims of doom have been particularly loud and the change in laws in Illinois could be particularly extreme with all regulations ended on June 9th.

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Prediction: Texas will see a big increase in the number of concealed handgun permits

At the end of last year Texas had 584,850 permit holders.  Reducing the number of training hours to obtain or renew a permit from 10 hours to 4 to 6 hours will dramatically increase the number of permit holders (a copy of the bill is here).  The exact increase in permits depends on how the final regulations on training are drafted, but it could increase the number of permits to over 750,000.  Reducing the number of hours will reduce the cost of permits, and that will increase both the number of permit holders but also the share of permits held by poorer individuals.  The $140 fee for permits will still make Texas' permits among the most expensive in the country. Texas is still relatively unique in requiring retraining for renewal -- eliminating that would have a dramatic effect on the number of permits.

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Portland man with concealed weapon takes down criminal

Another concealed carry permit holder who uses a concealed handgun permit to stop criminal (video link here).  Oregon had about 5% of its adult population with permits in early 2011, though I suspect that it has increased substantially since then.

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Illinois may soon become a "constitutional carry" state like AZ, AK, WY, VT, and virtually of of MT

Some information from the Canton Daily Ledger

Q: What happens if no law is enacted by June 9?

A: Gun-rights advocates use the term “constitutional carry” to describe a state in which, with an obsolete, discredited law on the books, Illinoisans could carry any type of weapon anywhere, at any time, concealed or not.

Technically, only those defendants directly affected by the 7th Circuit’s ruling — the attorney general and Union County law enforcement officials — would be prevented from enforcing the law. But it’s likely anyone arrested for illegal weapons possession would have a strong case for having a conviction tossed out based on the 7th Circuit’s ruling.

Phelps wants to avoid that scenario.

“A lot of gun owners don’t want a lot of restrictions so they want to go off the cliff,” Phelps said. “I’m worried about that because of the uncertainty that it brings.” . . .

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Illinois House fails to get supermajority to pass concealed handgun law

"May Issue" law receives only 31 votes compared to the "right to carry" law that received 64 votes.  Unfortunately, a supermajority was required of 71 votes to pass.

Presumably this means that the State Attorney General will try appealing the Circuit Court decision that struck down Illinois' ban on concealed carry.

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Gun rights advocates fell silent in the Illinois House on Thursday night after falling seven votes short of approving the public possession of firearms statewide despite a federal court order that gives legislators just weeks to put such a law on the books. 

The proposal creating a method to permit qualified gun owners to carry concealed weapons failed 64-45. The measure needed a supermajority of 71 votes because the legislation would trump the right of the state's larger cities to set up their own laws. 

For the second time in as many days, a House vote on concealed carry demonstrated the chasm between gun rights advocates and those who want tighter restrictions on them. . . . 

Called a "may issue" concealed-carry law, Cassidy's measure was modeled on the New York law that survived a potential challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court this week. It received only 31 votes. That's far fewer than those willing to support Phelps on his "shall issue" proposal, which would allow anyone who meets the training and background check requirements to carry. . . . 

Thanks to Tony Troglio for the link.

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Decorated war veteran arrested for "rudely displaying" (carrying) guns while on walk for protection

From Todd Starnes at Fox News:

Army Master Sgt. C.J. Grisham told Fox News he was illegally disarmed by members of the Temple Police Dept. – even though he held the proper permits to carry his weapons.Grisham and his son were on a 10-mile hike in a rural area populated by wild boars and cougars. He was carrying an AR-15 rifle and a .45 caliber pistol.
He was charged with resisting arrest – even though video his son filmed of the incident clearly showed that Grisham did not resist arrest. Police later reduced the charges to interfering with a peace officer while performing a duty – a class B misdemeanor.
“I’m still frankly and honestly 100 percent confused about what I’m being charged with,” Grisham said.
Temple Police told local media that the Fort Hood soldier refused to hand of his weapon – leading to his arrest. However, the video shows that Grisham complied with their demands.
One of the officers told Grisham that anyone holding a gun is considered dangerous, according to a 15-minute video obtained by Fox News. . . . .

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Concealed carry permit holder stops robber at Burger King

From the Washington Times:

A father who was trying to eat with his family at Burger King was able to defeat an armed robber by pulling his own weapon and shooting at him, Miami police said.
It was at the height of lunch time, about 1 p.m., when a would-be robber walked into a Burger King, flashed his gun at one of the family diners, and demanded the diner fork over money and valuables, police said in a CBS report. The robber was exiting when the father, who feared for his and his family’s life, CBS said, took out his own gun and shot the suspect in the leg. . . .

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Concealed carry permit holder defends himself against five men

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

A concealed-carry permit holder exchanged gunfire on a St. Louis street Monday night with men who tried to rob him.
No one was hit by any of the shots, police say.
It happened at about 9 p.m. Monday in the 5200 block of Goodfellow Boulevard.
Police say a man was approached by five men who tried to rob him. When he refused to turn over any of his property, one of the would-be robbers fired a shot at the victim but missed.
The victim pulled his own handgun and fired several shots at the suspects. None of his shots hit anyone either, police said.
The suspects ran off. . . .

Thanks to Tony Troglio for the link.

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"Florida firearm violence hits record low; concealed gun permits up"

I wouldn't put very much weight on time-series data from one state and obviously other factors aren't being controlled for, but it is consistent with what I would expect.  The story is interesting if only for it shows that there is some positive news about guns in the media.  From a TV station in Naples, Florida:

In the so-called Gunshine State, home to the most gun permits in the country, firearm violence has fallen to the lowest point on record. 

As state and national legislators consider gun control laws in the wake of last month's Connecticut school shooting, Florida finds itself in a gun violence depression. The firearm-involved violent crime rate has dropped 33 percent between 2007 and 2011, while the number of issued concealed weapons permits rose nearly 90 percent during that time, state records show.  

"We're happy to have facts and statistics put into these debates, because every time they do, we win," said Sean Caranna, executive director of Florida Carry Inc., a pro-gun-rights advocacy group. . . .

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Marine Corps Veteran saves a woman from being beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend

The person who stopped this crime makes a strong case for the benefits for concealed carry laws.  This dramatic case is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

A Marine Corps veteran was able to stop a man early Tuesday, March 12th from nearly kicking a woman to death. It happened near 102nd and Lincoln, and Wisconsin’s concealed carry law made his efforts possible.
Charlie Blackmore was driving home from work at 4:00 a.m. along Lincoln Avenue when he saw something on the sidewalk. Blackmore didn’t realize it was a woman on the ground being kicked in the head and stomach until he got closer.
That’s when he jumped out of his car and sprung into action.
“I said ‘stop’ and he starts coming towards me and that`s when I drew on him. He started getting closer and I said ‘get down on the ground,’” Blackmore said.
Blackmore held his gun on the suspect and called West Allis police. He says several times while waiting for police to arrive, the attacker moved toward him.
“I mean I’ve already made it up in mind that if he came at me I was going to have to take him down and I told him that. I warned him multiple times not to come towards me because he was a big guy and I wasn’t playing around and he didn’t seem like he was playing around,” Blackmore said.
Blackmore says police eventually showed up and had to force the suspect to the ground. They then asked to see Blackmore’s concealed carry permit. . . .

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Will Illinois appeal the 7th Circuit's decision on Concealed Handguns?

Personally, I hope that Illinois appeals the 7th Circuit decision.  A complete ban on carrying guns would be the easiest case for the Supreme Court to deal with, and the fear of that might be what is really motivating Madigan's decision to delay moving on an appeal.  It also seems to me quite unlikely that any legislation will finally be adopted by the legislature and approved by the governor on concealed carry so her discussion of waiting to see whether a law is going to be passed strikes me as not very serious.  That said, her probable race Quinn complicates trying to figure out her motivations.  From Fox News:

Gov. Pat Quinn said Wednesday that he wants the state's attorney general to appeal a federal court ruling that Illinois' last -in the-nation concealed carry ban is unconstitutional, a move that would take it before the U.S. Supreme Court. . . .
"The only hope now would be to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court," [Quinn] told reporters after an unrelated event. "The attorney general ought to take look at that and pursue that."
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who had said she hadn't decided whether to appeal, said Wednesday that she disagreed with Quinn. She said she wants to wait for lawmakers to come up with and act on a concealed-carry proposal first -- even though she thinks that Illinois' law -- which prohibits the concealed carry of weapons in public -- is constitutional.
"If the Legislature passes a bill, then appealing would not necessarily be something we need to do, because it would become moot," she said. . . .

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"South Dakota governor signs bill allowing armed teachers in the classroom"

From Fox news:

South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard on Friday signed a bill allowing teachers to carry guns in school, making his state the first to enact such a law since the Newtown shooting tragedy. 

The bill was pushed by gun-rights supporters who say arming teachers could help prevent tragedies like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School . . . . The law, which goes into effect July 1, will allow school districts to arm teachers and other personnel. 

But the measure prompted intense debate in the capital, as several representatives of school boards, school administrators and teachers opposed the bill during committee testimony last month. They said the measure could make schools more dangerous, lead to accidental shootings and put guns in the hands of people who are not adequately trained to shoot in emergency situations. 

The issue of guns in schools has been a contentious one. The National Rifle Association, several days after the Newtown shooting, proposed installing armed officers or guards in schools across America -- an idea that was met with derision by gun control advocates. 

Democrats on Capitol Hill in Washington have since moved ahead on gun control legislation, including an anti-trafficking measure that passed out of Senate committee Thursday -- while at the state level, Republican-led states have tried to enhance gun-rights protections. . . . .

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Concealed carry permit holder saves Police Officer

Permit holder saves a police officer from what would certainly be serious injury if not worse.  From WAFB 9 News in Baton Rouge, Louisiana:

. . . East Baton Rouge Sheriff's spokesman Greg Phares says Officer Brian Harrision was escorting a funeral procession Friday when he pulled Temple over and wrote him a ticket for breaking into the procession.  According to Phares, that's when Temple attacked Harrison.  Police say Perry Stevens was walking outside of the Auto Zone on Greenwell Springs Road when he heard Harrison yelling for help.  Harrison was reportedly on his back with Temple on top of him.  That's when Stevens went to his car and grabbed his .45 caliber pistol.  

According to Col. Greg Phares, "[Mr. Stevens] orders Mr. Temple to stop and get off the officer.  The verbal commands are ignored and Mr. Stevens fires four shots, all of which struck Mr. Temple." 

Perry Stevens fired four shots into Temple's torso.  Officer Harrison had already fired one shot into Temple's abdomen.  With Temple still struggling with the officer, Perry continued to advance toward the scuffle. 

"He again orders Mr. Temple to stop what he was doing and get off the officer.  Those commands are ignored and he fires a fifth shot and that hits his head.  The incident is over with, and as you know, Mr. Temple is dead." 

Police are calling the shooting death justified.  Perry Stevens has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. . . .

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Illinois moves forward with what looks to be the most restrictive concealed handgun law in the country

Nationally, the average right-to-carry state requires 5 hours of training and a $65 permit fee.  Illinois will require 8 hours and $80.  Illinois will have neither the longest training nor the highest fees, but the state will have probably by far the most extensive.  The newspaper the Pantagraph has this:

Under the legislation, licensees would be barred from carrying weapons into nearly all government buildings, including schools and universities, as well as prisons, mental hospitals and amusement parks. Bars, taverns, sports stadiums and casinos also would be listed as no-gun zones.
Business owners also would get to choose whether to allow concealed weapons on their premises. . . .

The bans are much broader than the list would first appear from the list in the newspapers.  Bans not only encompass these places, but often include phrases such as "close proximity" or nearby or adjacent property or parking lots. As one member of the state House correctly noted:

"When they get done with this, you won't be able to carry anywhere," said Rep. David Reis, R-Willow Hill, expressing a frustration among many gun rights advocates as they watched restrictions get piled on. . . . 

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Concealed carry moving forward slowly in Illinois

You can watch the debate as the Democrats are loading the concealed carry bill with tons of amendments here.

It seems to me that proponents of the bill would like to see it defeated and have a judge write it up.

Having been ordered by a federal court to institute a concealed carry system for gun owners in Illinois, the state Legislature today has started debating a bill that would do just that – but with dozens of restrictions. 

House floor debate is underway over the concealed carry bill, HB1155 – or rather, over the first of 27 different amendments attached to the bill, most of them seeking to restrict carrying weapons in places like government buildings, hospitals, museums, amusement parks and on public transportation. . . .

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Is there a right to carry a gun? The 10th Circuit court of Appeals says no

The video is also available here.

A copy of the 10th Circuit's decision is available here.  The previous 7th Circuit decision is discussed here and here.

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7th Circuit Appeals Court will not reconsider decision to strike down Illinois' ban on concealed carry

The question now seems to be whether Illinois will appeal to the Supreme Court.  My own hope is that they do appeal.  This is the best case to create a precedent on concealed carry laws.

A federal appeals court won't reconsider an earlier ruling that Illinois' concealed carry ban is unconstitutional.
A three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Illinois' ban in December and gave lawmakers until June 8 to legalize the concealed carry of firearms.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan asked for all 10 judges to review the decision, saying it conflicted with decisions by other federal appellate courts and goes beyond what the U.S. Supreme Court has held. . . .

Thanks very much to Tony Troglio for this link.

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Corruption, favoritism and cronyism in the way Los Angeles County gives out concealed handgun permits

Government officials, people with important connections, and friends of the sheriff seem to get all the concealed handgun permits in LA county.  Unfortunately, the people who need the protection the most, the poor minorities who live in high crime areas aren't the ones who are able to get protection.  From the LA Weekly:

. . . As of May 2012, only 341 people had been granted them, according to sheriff's records. Compare that with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which had 1,754 permit holders in 2011, despite of a population of just 2 million people to L.A.'s 10 million. The Kern County Sheriff granted even more, with 3,564 permit holders in a population of 800,000 people. 

In L.A. County, records show, most of the permits go to judges and reserve deputies. But there is another group that seems to have better luck than most in obtaining permits: friends of Lee Baca. Those who've given the sheriff gifts or donated to his campaign are disproportionately represented on the roster of permit holders.  

Chuck Michel, a gun-rights attorney who has pushed for greater access to concealed-weapons permits, says practices in many "anti-gun" jurisdictions are "corrupted by favoritism and cronyism." 

Michel had not looked in depth at L.A. County's practices, but the Weekly did. Last year, theWeekly filed a public records request for all 341 active concealed-weapons permits granted by the Sheriff's Department — as well as a list of the 123 people who applied for concealed weapons over an 18-month period but were denied. (You can see the complete list of permit holders we obtained from the Sheriff's Department here.) 

Those lists contain many of the same names that appear on Baca's gift reports and contribution records. 

In fact, more than two dozen people who have given gifts or campaign contributions to the sheriff also have gun permits. More than one out of every 10 permits issued to civilians went to people on Baca's gift list. The permit holders include Michael R. Yamaki, an attorney and reserve deputy who is among Baca's best friends, as well as several people who attended Baca's 1999 wedding. . . .

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Texas: Two more school districts will allow armed teachers in schools

From the Dallas Morning News:

As two small Texas school districts announced during a Senate hearing Monday that they are moving ahead with plans to have armed teachers on campus, the police chief for the Dallas school district cautioned against the practice and said most law enforcement officials agree with him.
The superintendents for the Van school district east of Dallas and the Union Grove district in East Texas told senators they will soon become the second and third districts in the state to authorize teachers with concealed handgun licenses to carry firearms on campus to protect students. . . .
[Don Dunn, superintendent of the Van school district] said his school board approved a policy to use armed teachers for security on the district’s five campuses during a meeting last week. Teachers who are assigned such duties must have a concealed handgun license and will undergo special training to deal with potential threats to children.

“Our parents fully support it,” he said of the new policy, which is allowed under Texas law.
Similarly, Union Grove Superintendent Brian Gray said his district will assign certain school employees at the district’s two campuses to be armed during the school day. Gray said he is working with local law enforcement agencies to develop regulations and training requirements. . . .

Since 2007, Harrold Independent School District in Texas has had armed teachers and they have had no problems. 

In remote Harrold, the nearest sheriff’s office is 30 minutes away, and people tend to know — and trust — one another. So the school board voted to let teachers bring guns to school.
“We don’t have money for a security guard, but this is a better solution,” Superintendent David Thweatt said. “A shooter could take out a guard or officer with a visible, holstered weapon, but our teachers have master’s degrees, are older and have had extensive training. And their guns are hidden. We can protect our children.” . . .

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