Shorewood Reacts to Illinois' New Conceal Carry Law

Illinois officially legalized private carrying of concealed guns on Tuesday as both houses of the legislature voted convincingly to override Gov. Pat Quinn's veto: the House by 77-31, and the Senate by 41-17.

The new legislation requires a background check and 16 hours of firearms training to purchase a $150 five-year concealed-carry license; as a "shall-issue" law, Illinois State Police must grant the license to anyone with those credentials.

Illinois faced a Tuesday deadline to adopt a concealed-carry provision after a federal appeals court ruled in December 2012 that the state's ban on concealed-carry was unconstitutional.

Shorewood Patch readers took to our Facebook page to give their reaction to the legislation. Here's just some of what they had to say:

• Ben H. Big Mistake Not for this at all..... This will lead to more Accidental shootings and more Violence
• Larry H. Its about time Illinois got off their high horse and allowed us our right to carry
• Stephanie S. While I am not a fan of guns, the law will require people to have more than just a FOID card to have a concealed firearm. They are also requiring a special license for $150. I'm hoping that if a punk isn't sure if someone is also carrying a gun, they will be deterred.
• Michael S. About damn time, last state in the Country!