ALTON, IL -- State Senator Bill Haine (D-Alton) called the U.S. Court of Appeals decision in Moore and Shepard v. Madigan on Tuesday a victory for the Second Amendment and advocates of concealed-carry.
"With this ruling, the Court has affirmed the right of law-abiding, responsible gun owners to defend themselves and their families, a right that does not stop at one's doorstep," said Haine, a former prosecutor and Madison County State's Attorney.
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In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals stated that Illinois' ban on carrying a concealed weapon in public was unconstitutional and a violation of the Second Amendment. In the decision, the Court issued a stay of its mandate for 180 days to allow the Illinois legislature
adequate time to craft a new gun law that takes into account reasonable limitations congruent with public safety needs and the Second Amendment.
"I have worked with a bipartisan coalition of legislators for years to try to get a concealed-carry bill passed, an effort that was often blocked by a small coalition of Chicago legislators," stated Haine, who had signed on as an amicus curiae in support of overturning the state's ban on
concealed-carry in State v. Aguilar, a similar case pending before the court.
"The Court's decree makes it clear that we must address this issue in the upcoming legislative session and that no longer will responsible gun owners have to check their Second Amendment rights within Illinois' border," Haine added. "I will work to ensure that the concealed-carry bill enshrines the constitutionally-protected liberties of lawful citizens while making sure responsible limits are in place, such as forbidding criminals from obtaining carry permits."
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