On Friday a federal judge in Rockford issued a ruling in response to a 2022 lawsuit that claimed a section of Illinois law that prohibits Illinoisans with concealed carry permits from carrying guns on public transportation as unconstitutional. In U.S. District Judge Iain Johnston’s decision, he ruled in favor of the four plaintiffs in the case, freeing them from a decade-old law in the Illinois statutes. In response to the ruling, which only applies to the four plaintiffs in the case, State Senator Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) issued the following statement:
“It’s a shame people feel the need to arm themselves in order to feel safe on our public transit systems, but violent gun crime on the CTA has increased 14% over the last year alone. The issue is heightened by the recent report that four sleeping passengers were shot and killed in cold blood on the Blue Line in the early morning hours of Labor Day. Perhaps those responsible for these crimes would think twice about committing them if there was a possibility that the person sitting next to them on the train or bus was legally armed and trained to defend themselves.
“I have sponsored and co-sponsored legislation during my time in office that would allow law-abiding concealed carry license holders to carry on public transportation. It is a matter of personal safety, because those who follow the lawful screening and application process to obtain a CCL are not the ones shooting people on our trains and buses. I am not surprised at this ruling and am confident we will see many more challenges to this Illinois law now that the precedent has been set.”