SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

The ISRA is warning gun control advocates in the Illinois General Assembly against trying to hijack today's ruling by the 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals regarding the carrying of defensive firearms.  In making that ruling, the court struck down Illinois' prohibition against co-called "concealed carry" as being afoul of the 2^nd Amendment and, therefore, unconstitutional.  The court has given the state 180 days to provide relief to citizens who wish to carry defensive firearms.

The ISRA is fully aware that some members of the general assembly will attempt to thwart the intent of the court's ruling by introducing concealed carry bills that contain provisions so strict that few, if any, citizens would actually qualify for a permit.  Still other members of the general assembly will see this ruling as an opportunity to tack gun taxes, gun bans and other unacceptable forms of gun control onto the court-ordered concealed carry legislation.  The ISRA warns such legislators that attempts to undermine the court's intentions could result in renewed litigation.

"The notion of concealed carry is something new to many Illinoisans," said ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson.  "I can understand the apprehension some feel about people carrying defensive firearms in public.  If they have heard some of the misinformation about concealed carry that I have heard, then that apprehension would come naturally.  However, the truth of the matter is, studies consistently show that concealed carry has purely positive impacts on public safety."

"Public safety is the ISRA's number one concern," continued Pearson.  "That is why we helped craft HB148, the Family and Personal Protection Act.  In creating the bill, the ISRA drew upon the experiences of other states that had already enacted concealed carry.  In the end, we are confident that HB148 more than addresses public safety concerns while providing citizens with a practical means of defending themselves against violent crime."

"At the moment, HB148 is bottled up in legislative limbo," said Pearson.  "But, we expect that the court ruling will shake HB148 free and that the bill will be voted on soon.  I would like to make it crystal clear that we see HB148 as a benchmark from which we will not retreat."

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership.  For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

SOURCE Illinois State Rifle Association