© 2024 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Thousands ask Winnebago County to allow concealed guns

Members of the Rockford Tea Party hope they are a step closer to persuading lawmakers that Illinoisans have the right to carry concealed firearms.

Rockford Tea Party coordinator David Hale was one of the petitioners who turned over about 11-thousand signatures to the Winnebago County Board last night. They’re from county residents who support concealed carry and want a local ordinance to allow it. Hale says legislative leaders at the state level refuse to take up the issue, so they turned to county government.

They aren’t there by divine right of kings. They are there because we put them in office. They are there because they are supposed to do what WE would do if we were in office.

The Winnebago County Board IS a friendly target for the petitions: in the recent past, it has come out in support of changing state law to allow concealed carry. That’s in spite of a county-wide advisory referendum in 2007 where more than half of the voters opposed concealed carry.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan is unlikely to allow a county-level concealed carry law: Hale says if the petition doesn’t inspire change within 60 days, his group will work harder this fall to vote out state lawmakers who oppose concealed carry.

Susan is an award-winning reporter/writer at her favorite radio station. She's also WNIJ's Perspectives editor, Under Rocks contributor, and local host of All Things Considered.