Tired of concealed-carry debate yet?

Are you tired of the concealed-carry debate in Illinois yet? I know I am.

I remember the comment and laughter of a McHenry County Sheriff's deputy in 1996, when I called to ask how to get a concealed-carry permit application. He said, "You will never get a concealed-carry permit in Illinois."

We're close. If the Illinois House and Senate had respected the decision on December 11 of the U.S. 7th Circuit  Court of Appeals and acted promptly then to pass a good bill, they could have spent that last six months addressing the financial crisis that the State of Illinois faces.

Instead, they have fooled around and now, at the 11th hour, are posturing and grandstanding and wasting considerable and unnecessary time and energy (and money) to fight a last-ditch effort to craft a concealed-carry law.

Last Friday the House passed SB2193 and sent it to the Senate.

The Illinois State Rifle Association warns today that Senate President Cullerton and Illinois Senators "Teddy Bear" Kotowski and Kwame Raoul intend to detail SB2193 that "...would have so many exemptions that concealed carry permits would be impossible to get." (Source: ISRA)

If Pres. Cullerton refuses to allow Sen. Forby to call SB2193 for a vote, that will kill off that bill. Would the Senate then fall for the Kotowski/Raoul bill and send it to the House for a vote? Will the House vote against that Bill, or will it roll over and send a "bad" bill to Gov. Quinn?

Is the real solution to start packing (and I don't mean strap on the ol' six-shooter) and just get out of this state? What are the words in that song? "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em"?

So close, yet so far ...