Obamacare
House Republicans demand answers after thousands of Illinois residents report losing health insurance.  The implementation day of the federal Affordable Care Act, October 1, 2013, imposed complex and costly new mandates upon private health insurance policies sold, or provided by employers, to Americans citizens and residents.  A large segment of previously profitable health insurance policies have become unprofitable.

In the weeks following the “Obamacare implementation date,” a significant number of Americans have reported to their lawmakers that they have recently received letters from their insurers,

Illinois lawmakers overrode Gov. Pat Quinn's veto of concealed carry legislation on Tuesday, but it will likely be 2014 before any firearm owners are permitted to pack handguns in public.

The last state to adopt a concealed carry law, Illinois now has to set about building a bureaucracy to process applications — which could number in the hundreds of thousands in the first year — screening out people with prohibitive criminal records or conditions of mental illness that police believe could make them dangerous if armed.

While gun owners may have questions about how soon they'll be able to carry guns in public, other state residents may also have questions about where they can expect to find people armed with deadly weapons. And where guns will still be banned.  Read more of the story  in the Chicago Tribune where David Heinzmann, Monique Garcia and Jeremy Gorner put it all together for you.

The latest concealed carry legislative proposal being considered by Illinois lawmakers passed the House Judiciary committee this morning and is headed to the House floor for consideration by the entire body. The major components of  SB2193 HA1 include:

• Statewide shall-issue licensing standard; 
• Strictly preempts authority of local governments to regulate firearms; 
• No special "endorsement" or permit required for licensee to carry in Chicago or Cook County;
• Grants licensee broad right to carry in a vehicle, including within a vehicle in the parking lot of a prohibited area; 
• License to be issued by State Police; 
• $150 Fee; 5-year license; 
• 16 hours of training (Including Live Fire Exercise),
• Up to 8 hours of training completed in another state can be counted toward this requirement.
• Renewal application requires 3 hours of training, plus re-qualification on the firing range. 
• Carrying prohibited on public transportation, in State and local government buildings, and in other areas defined in this legislation, including but not limited to schools, childcare facilities, stadiums, courthouses and airports.
• Effective immediately; 
• Applications to be available within 180 days; 
• Allows law enforcement to object to an application on Basis of “clear and present danger to self or others, or threat to public safety,” which triggers review by Concealed Carry Licensing Board (created by this legislation); 
• Denial of application by ISP is subject to administrative review, pursuant to the Illinois Administrative Review Law; final administrative decision is subject to judicial review; 
• Denial of application by Concealed Carry Licensing Board is subject to judicial review; Application to be processed within 90 days (unless subject to review by Concealed Carry Licensing Board). 
• The time for processing a license application subject to the maximum amount of scrutiny allowed under the provisions of this bill would be approximately 180 days. 
• While applicants are not required to submit fingerprints, the State Police would be allowed an additional 30 days to process the application if the applicant does not submit a set of fingerprints.

Highlights from committee hearing.

Details of SB2193 HA1

Follow highlights of the concealed carry debate from House Committee on Judiciary right here, starting at 9:30 a.m. today.

SB2193, House Amendment #1 is the concealed carry legislation introduced by Rep. Brandon Phelps (D).

On March 12 of this year House Republican members introduced the "Protect our Children" initiative, a package of legislation designed to keep children and families safe from gang and gun violence.

Yesterday, Illinois State Representative Jim Durkin passed out of the House of Representatives, HB3009 a piece of legislation from that package. His legislation increases the criminal penalties for gang recruitment and changes the current requirements for proving coercion and physical force, making it easier to convict gang recruiters.

“In order to address the root of the problem and deter gang recruitment, we must be able to prosecute those who are poisoning our streets and killing innocent kids,” said Durkin. “A zero tolerance attitude on gang violence must be in place and this bill is a step forward.”

 The bill now moves to the Senate for further debate.

In December, the US Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the State of Illinois' ban on carrying a weapon in public as unconstitutional. The court gave the state 180 days to pass a new law imposing "reasonable limitations." If the General Assembly does not pass legislation within this timeframe, the lower courts will be mandated to implement concealed carry in Illinois.

Speaker Madigan has put a new process in place this session in the form of the Weekly Order of Business where he has allowed members to add amendment after amendment to the court-mandated legislation concerning concealed carry. These amendments have been introduced without a public hearing that would typically occur in committee. The result of this approach is a bill that both supports and severally restricts concealed carry, essentially a bill destined to fail.

House Republicans continue to object to this process.
 

Check back here at noon today for live coverage of Session and Weekly Order of Business on Guns. Expected to be debated are Amendments to HB1155, HB1156 & HB1157.

Speaker Madigan has scheduled a "Special Order of Business" on Guns today. Follow live coverage of the Illinois House of Representatives here at 11:30AM.

Speaker Michael Madigan announced his intention to introduce and debate 27 different gun amendments (all on one bill) on the Floor of the Illinois House of Representatives today. The amendments have not been heard in committee and will be introduced for the first time today.

We will live blog the process and debate here, starting at 12:00 p.m. today