Winnebago County Illinois Proposed Issuing Carry Permits

[junglebob]

I read something interesting on the Illinoiscarry.com forum. Some folks in Winnebago county are talking about having a county wide carry permit issued by the sheriff. There seems to be some question whether the state would allow it. Two county board members are proposing a 10 page resolution to allow concealed carry.

If this would be allowed on a county basis we might just end up with 3/4 of the counties (ones who passed the pro2a resolution) issuing carry permits.

[Bill of Rights]

Interesting. The counties could set up reciprocity with each other as well. Would be a nice turnabout, since the antis are the ones always advocating "home rule" in opposition to preemption laws. Wonder what lies they'd come up with to contradict themselves?

Blessings,
B

[junglebob]

There have been quite a few postings on the Illinoiscarry.net forum about this. One person there has started contacting board members, I think there are 28. So far 4 in favor, 1 definately opposed (he talked for an hour with her) 1 said no but would reconsider if constituents were in favor, 1 no but would read "gun facts sheet" and possibly reconsider. He listed names and phone numbers for the board members, so maybe Winnebago County folks will start calling their board members and sway some that "put their finger up to the wind!"

[junglebob]

Someone posted on the IllinoisCarry.com forum yesterday that so far 13 members of the Winnebago board have come out in favor of the concealed carry resolution, 14 needed he said. Who knows they may soon be packing in Winnebago county. Some question on whether they can do it. Hope they do and push the envelope.

[junglebob]

Well the board has 28 members, so 15 are needed to pass the resolution. Someone on the Illinoiscarry.com forum says that 15 are now commited to vote for the resolution.

There was a meeting of the board and a number ofIllinoiscarry members were there wearing "48 states have it" home made buttons, big green paper ones. The buttons seemed to draw attention. There was a woman who was a board member who asked "If you put more guns on the street, how is that going to lower crime. Another board member who supported the concealed carry resolution said "48 other states have proved that there aren't "wild west" gun battles, why should this be the first?

The same woman board member said,"How would they know who they are protecting themselves from. Sometimes you can make a fatal mistake. As someone on the Illinoiscarry.com forum said tell that to the 5 women killed execution style at the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park Illinois earlier this year. Some, maybe all might be alive if Illinois had concealed carry. I don't think they would have any question who they needed to protect themselves from. As far as I know the killer has not been caught.

The meeting made the news on WTVO Channel 17, Fox 39 News www.mystateline.com on May 19. Also WIFR Channel 23 www.wifr.com
There was also a poll on WIFR about whether to have concealed carry 65% voted yes.

[junglebob]

The next sub-committee meeting is June 10th at 5:30 at Memorial Hall (211 N. Main Street Rockford, Illlinois). They are going to open it up for a 1/2 hour of discussion after every meeting (which will be every other Tuesday at 5:30 at Memorial Hall)

A member of the Illinoiscarry.com forum says that the NRA and the Illinois State Rifle Association is willing to kick in some $ for running some ads on TV and in the newspaper. He's asking for good speakers to come and talk in support of concealed carry. He's been making buttons that say "48 States Why Not Here" and "Lower Crime Rates Vote Yes For Concealed Carry". He said some of the county board members have taken them.

Anyone here want to go to Rockford Illinois and speak in support of carry in a "right denied" state.

[junglebob]

Looks like progress is being made on the concealed carry resolution in Winnebago County, 13 board members have signed on as sponsors of the resolution and another 4 are saying they support it. Only 3 have come out in opposition to it. It looks like there are 8 members who haven't come out either way yet.

[junglebob]

I just got some information from the Illinoiscarry.com forum about one of the members of the county board who was opposing the concealed carry resolution, Pearl Hawks. She was interviewed by reporters and very vocal in her opposition. Someone gave her Gunfacts 4.2 a downloadable book debunking a lot of gun myths, its at www.gunfacts.info. The forum poster said "She appears to be climbing the fence" Maybe by the next meeting on June 10 she'll be on our side of the fence. Maybe there will only be 2 opponents by then or maybe less if the others follow her lead and at least look at the facts.

[Smokewagon]

Hang in there junglebob, this may be just the thing to get the ball rolling for you guys. :wink:

[junglebob]

Hopefull this is the start of something. It would be nice to have a bill in the state legislature and get Susanna Gratia Hupp come from Texas to testify. I heard her testimoney before the Minnesota Legislature when they had a concealed carry bill. (on the Minnesota Public Radio website) The Illinoiscarry.com forum does have a good spokesperson Valinda Rowe, hopefully she will be at the Winnebago meeting.

Nice to see someone else from the Illinoiscarry.com forum here.

[Dogman]

Hey Junglebob, with all the trouble you all have over there it might be easier to get Indiana to annex Illinois in as another county. I don't understand it with all of the information available showing how conceaed carry and open carry reduces crime. But then with Chicago's crime being almost zero I can understand where they are coming from. I think the antis in Illinois start every day off with Once upon a time in the no crime land of Illinois. :roll: . Man I wish you all the best of luck.

[junglebob]

Every once in a while on the IllinoisCarry.com forum we get to talking about annexing Southern Illinois to Kentucky (some folks here did fight for the confederacy, no not anyone living now) or giving Chicago to Wisconsin. Wisconsin did want their southern boundary to be the southern edge of Lake Michigan way back when. We've also talked about making Chicago its own state, as they want to run the entire state. Of course there is always some guy in Chicago that wants to live in a "free state" and would like us to gerrymander the free state of Illinois boundary to include his house.

Seriously though I could see concealed carry coming to southern Illinois(south of I64) in the next legislative session if we were our own state. There are always legislaters submitting carry legislation and good gun legislation both republicans and democrats from down here.

[junglebob]

One of the Winnebago county board members was asking on the Illinoiscarry.com forum for people to go to his guestbook at his website www.fredwescott.com and to write e-letters in support of the concealed carry resolution. It doesn't ask your address only name and email address, so this is a chance for some non-Winnebago county and also non-Illinoisans help get this resolution approved and move Illinois into being a right to carry state.

Everyone go there and show your support, you can read letters already submitted at the website.

[junglebob]

A reminder to anyone who can go the Winnebago County board meeting is tonight at 5:30 at the Memorial Hall in Rockford at 211 N. Main St. Go and show your support if you can. Last night one of the board members Fred Wescott was on the radio and there were a lot of calls on the resolution only 3 opposed to it.

[junglebob]

Got some news about the Winnebago County Board meeting. About 150 people attended 40 people spoke at the meeting only 2 apposed the resolution. Two more board members are saying they will vote yes on the resolution. It looks like there will be no problem passing it. The county expects to get sued by the state after the first carry license is issued, and have a lawyer lined up. Hopefully the NRA will be helping if they do.

Sounds like there may be some very gutsy county board members in Winnebago county, if they pass it they are.

[junglebob]

The next meeting for input on the Winnebago CC resolution is June 24, this will be the last one where they will be taking input from the public. It will be voted on later this summer. If you can make it go and be a part of Illinois history in the making.

There have been so many postings on this at www.illinoiscarry.com/forum that they have made a sub topic for Winnebago County CC resolution under the Illinois Concealed Carry forum.

The sheriff is looking at applications for CC permits from other states, to see what is on theirs.

[junglebob]

Someone posted some Winnebago County CC resolution proposed application requirements and carry restrictions on the Illinois Carry Forum at www.illinoiscarry.com/forum It looked good to me not a lot of no carry places and training courses like NRA handgun safety and training courses, NRA Personal Protection courses, military training, and similar training qualifys. Also if you have a license to carry issue by a law enforcement officer it is accepted for training qualification. You Winnebago County folks with a Pa handgun license should qualify as it is issued by Sheriff Nau. It takes about 10 days to get normally, counting snail mail time. Cost is $26 for 5 years, including out of state processing. They do like a copy of your FOID card. Personal checks are OK. Get an application online at www.centre.pa.us/sheriff/license_application.asp If the URL given doesn't work go to www.illinoiscarry.com/forum and click on Illinois Concealed Carry and the Get a Pa Permit topic, there is a direct link there. You'll be able to carry in 22 states with the Pa license.

One thing I liked was names of CC permit holders won't be disclosed to other than law enforcement, except for purposes of issuing the permit.

The resolution proposes that all out of state permits would be valid in Winnebago County, this is nice for you out of staters as well as those of us in Illinois with a non-resident permit.

Hopefully when we get statewide CC legislation it will mirror Winnebago County's CC resolution.

[Bill of Rights]

...One thing I liked was names of CC permit holders won't be disclosed to other than law enforcement, except for purposes of issuing the permit.

The resolution proposes that all out of state permits would be valid in Winnebago County, this is nice for you out of staters as well as those of us in Illinois with a non-resident permit.

Hopefully when we get statewide CC legislation it will mirror Winnebago County's CC resolution.

This ROCKS!!

Blessings,
B