Illinois is the last state in the United States to have a ban on concealed carry. However, last December, a decision by the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided the state’s ban on concealed carry was unconstitutional, according to an article in The Chicago Tribune.

In the decision, lawmakers were given 180 days to pass a law allowing concealed carry. There are currently two bills that are both being held for a second reading and debate in the House of Representatives.

House Bill 997, sponsored by Rep. Brandon W. Phelps of the 118th District, outlines where a person cannot take a gun and the training that must be completed to obtain a concealed carry license.

The act would allow the Illinois State Police to issue a license to a person to carry a loaded or unloaded handgun in their possession or in a vehicle.

The qualifications for a license would require an Illinois resident to be at least 21 years old, have a firearm owner’s identification card, not have a pending arrest warrant or prosecution, not habitually abuse alcohol and have completed firearms training.

Applicants must complete various National Rifle Association firearms training such as live-fire training and learning basic marksmanship, care and cleaning of handguns, and the laws justifying use of deadly force.

The bill restricts a person to knowingly bring a concealed carry firearm into government buildings, courthouses, bars or a restaurant with less than 50 percent of its annual income from food, airports, any university, public library, etc.

House Bill 1155, sponsored by Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan, would amend the Criminal Code of 2012 concerning the unlawful use of weapons.

The bill outlines the unlawful use of weapons as selling, manufacturing, purchasing, possessing and carrying certain weapons with the intent to harm.

A section of the bill was left blank to allow amendments be added to it. Twenty-seven amendments have been added so far.  

House Bill 1155 has similar restrictions to House Bill 997 but has more places where the restrictions would apply such licensed truck stops and any form of public transportation.

Bill Culp, an NRA certified instructor in Charleston, said he hopes when legislation is passed, the state will use his class for training.

Culp instructs an eight-hour concealed carry firearm class for the Florida concealed carry permit that thirty-two states recognize.

Culp said guns are not at fault for the crimes.

“Guns don’t kill people, just like cars,” he said. “Cars don’t kill people; it’s the nut behind the wheel. It’s the same with guns. Guns don’t kill people. It’s the guy with the gun in his hand.”

Culp said he would encourage people who want concealed carry permits to still get a Florida permit because the Illinois permit may not be recognized in other states.

“A good example is Colorado,” he said.  “Colorado has concealed carry, but they only recognize people who live in Colorado. They don’t recognize anybody else to have a gun.”

Culp said he instructs the class for the Florida permit so people can conceal and carry in other states.

“When they go to Indiana, Florida, all throughout the South, Illinois not being one of them, an Illinois resident would be able to carry a gun in all those other states,” he said.

Culp said for the Florida permit, applicants must be at least 21 years old, have a firearm owner’s identification card, complete training and pass a background check.

He said in his class, he instructs when it is OK to use deadly force, how to clean, load, hold and fire a gun. 

Participants in the class also practice dry firing and live firing.

Coles County Sheriff Darrell Cox said including himself, 101 out of 102 sheriffs in Illinois approve some form of concealed carry.

He said he has heard arguments about how people will run into others with guns at the grocery store and be shot.

“We’re surrounded by 49 other states that have concealed carry, and I don’t think that’s ever happened,” Cox said.

Through personal experience of renewing his a firearm owner’s identification card with the state, he said, the process takes a while.

Cox said he applied for a new a firearm owner’s identification card in September and did not get one until January.

Culp said he makes sure participants in his class know one thing about using a gun.

“We’re not being ‘Rambos,’” he said. “We never pull our gun to get an advantage on someone.  We only pull our gun for one thing – when everything else has failed, and I’m going to have to kill this guy because he’s going to kill me.”

Second readings for House Bill 1155 and House Bill 997 have yet to be scheduled.

Amanda Wilkinson can  be reached at 581-2812  or [email protected].