Illinois gun owners just had the courthouse door closed on them. SCOTUS declined to hear Schoenthal v. Raoul this week, which means the appeals court ruling upholding Illinois' transit carry ban is now the law of the land — and there's no more runway on that specific case.

"We are very disappointed by the Court's decision, especially since law-abiding public transportation riders in Illinois are less safe as a result of the law."

That's not just a press release line — that's the practical reality. A permit holder who goes through the training, the background check, and the whole process is now legally disarmed the moment they step onto a bus or train. The people who don't bother with permits aren't changing their behavior at all.

The semi-auto conversion ban angle is worth watching too. The ISRA's Pearson makes a fair point — if the legal standard becomes "any firearm that could be machined into something else," you've just described almost every gun in your safe. That kind of language in legislation has a way of expanding in ways the drafters claim they didn't intend.

Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day is Wednesday, April 15 in Springfield if anyone has travel in mind. Showing up matters more than posting about it.

If you carry in Illinois or travel through it — how are you thinking about the transit piece? Do you just leave the gun in the car, or does this change how you plan a trip into Chicago entirely?

Read the full article in The Handbook → | By Steve Duskett