Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Illinois may well be the last state standing when it comes to saying "no" to citizens being able to carry guns on their person - right now Wisconsin is the only other - but one gets the sense that it will happen eventually.
Concealed-carry legislation came up just six votes short in the House last month, though it got a majority, 65-52. It did not pass because 71 votes, a supermajority, were needed after House leadership determined it would have interfered with the home-rule powers of municipalities. Reportedly contributing to the defeat was Gov. Pat Quinn, who threatened to veto anything that came his way. The bill enjoyed bipartisan support but geography ultimately prevailed, with Chicago legislators not budging.