Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for January 26, 2008 AND THEN THERE WAS ONE

Keeping with our "Whodunit" theme...

Under the guidelines, wonder if working at Cairo High School for 39 years will disqualify me?

New Illinois Firearm Legislation

By: Lisa Liszewski

WSILTV -- There is new legislation in the Illinois General Assembly that would allow people to carry concealed firearms.

It's called the Family and Personal Protection Act. The bill would establish statewide standards for issuing concealed carry permits, and county sheriff's would be responsible for administering the program.

"The Family Personal Protection Act is simply a consent to carry...conceal," said Union County Sheriff Dave Livesay.

Proposed legislation in Illinois would permit private citizens to carry concealed firearms. However, not just anyone could hold this privilege.

"Some guidelines are you cannot be convicted of a felony in Illinois, and you are to possess a state of Illinois firearm owners ID card," said Livesay. "You cannot have been in a mental institution."

Livesay also says making sure those guidelines are followed and people are properly trained lies solely in the sheriff's lap.

Chuck Doan with the Southern Illinois Criminal Justice program says there are hours of training that go along with this choice of protection.

"It is important if you are going to use a firearm, you need to be able to control the projectile or the bullets," said Doan.

"Carrying a firearm and using it in defense of your life are two totally different things," said Livesay

The proposal still has a ways to go before becoming a law, but Livesay says he believes it would be a good thing.

"I feel crime would go down because essentially the criminal wouldn't know who was carrying a firearm or who isn't," said Livesay. "He would think twice before he goes and tries to rob some place."

Illinois is one of just two states without a concealed carry law on the books. Gun control advocates say such laws provide a false sense of security, and gun violence continues to be a serious problem in the United States.