The new proposal could be voted on as early as Friday.  From the Peoria Star:An Illinois Senate panel approved a measure Thursday allowing the carrying of concealed weapons, but the committee's move followed sharp questioning from Republicans concerning whether packing a gun in Chicago should require special permission and how authorities would determine who is fit to carry. . . .
The most vociferous opposition to the measure has been over a provision that would require gun owners who want to carry in Chicago to get not only a statewide permit from the Illinois State Police, but from the Chicago police. Raoul has repeatedly said the density of Chicago creates greater "sensitivities" to guns and requires an extra layer of scrutiny.
But the NRA has rebutted Raoul's contention that the legislation creates a "shall issue" permit system, requiring police to OK public gun possession for anyone who obtains the proper training and passes a background check. That's because it contains language requiring police to find that an applicant is "of good moral character" and has a "proper reason" for carrying a gun. . . .All one has to do is look at NYC to see how discretion is used in granting permits to limit issuance to only wealth whites.  I suspect that few people will get permits with this discretion.

Here is a partial transcript from Fox News' Special Report on May 10th:
CHRIS WALLACE: The bible of the pro gun rights movement is a book titled "More Guns, Less Crime." It's a title that has been endlessly mocked by gun control advocates. But tonight correspondent Doug McKelway tell us there are now some pretty impressive numbers to back up that premise. Good evening, Doug.
DOUG MCKELWAY, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Chris. Those numbers come from a Department of Justice report released this month that analyzed gun crime from 1993 to 2011. And it found homicides declined by 39 percent while non-fatal gun crimes dropped 69 percent. And it found that among prisoners convicted of gun crimes, only two percent of them bought their guns at a flea market or at a gun show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS COX, NRA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: The people who support this freedom know these truths to be self-evident. They know that law abiding gun owners aren't the problem. Our opponents are going to ignore the facts the way they've always ignored the facts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKELWAY: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi attributed the gun crime decline to the ten-year assault weapons ban that Congress passed in 1994.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA) HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Deaths have gone down in large measure because of the legislation that was passed. The problem is even though we have great laws in California and in Maryland and New York, Connecticut, you can name many states, as long as these those guns can cross state lines without having background check attached to them, we still need that legislation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKELWAY: A recent study by the liberal Center for American Progress backs Pelosi's point, finding, quote, "A clear link between high levels of gun violence and weak state gun laws." The Center points to New York City, for example, which has dropped from over 2,000 murders a year 20 years to 418 last year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARKADI GERNEY, CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: What happened in New York was tough laws including tough gun laws, really smart, tough policing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKELWAY: But the non-partisan DOJ study contradicts Pelosi's view. It found that handguns, not assault rifles, caused 90 percent of fun injuries. And the NRA rejects the Center for American Progress's finding of a link between high gun violence and weak state gun laws.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COX: The sales of the guns in this country have gone through the roof. The number of people with concealed carry permits has gone through the roof. And violent crime with firearms has continued to decrease. You certainly can't make an argument that more guns equal more crimes. And you can make a very serious argument that guns in the hands of law abiding people are a benefit to society.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKELWAY: Yet a separate gun study by Pew Research on May 7 finds Americans are unaware of the gun crime decline. A majority of American think it has gone up despite this new evidence to the contrary. Chris?
WALLACE: Doug, thank you.

Far too many ignorant and politically motivated observers wrongly attribute NRA's recent victories in Congress, as well as our past successes, to NRA's perceived financial might (which is dwarfed by that of billionaire anti-gun zealots like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg).  Of course, financial resources, when spent wisely, are certainly crucial to any organization's success.  However, what makes NRA successful is our extraordinary grassroots efforts--and more specifically, those of our members and volunteers who typically make the difference between legislative success or failure through their continued activism.

In March, we reported on the outrageous case of a seven-year-old Baltimore, Md. student who, according to a Daily Caller article, was suspended for two days for the "horrendous" act of shaping a breakfast pastry into what his teacher thought looked like a gun.

Rising country music star Kevin Fowler was the opening act for the "NRA Country Jam" at this year's NRA Annual Meetings in Houston.  Fowler is an unabashed supporter of NRA and the Second Amendment, and he'll gladly let you know that, graphically and in no uncertain terms.  Fowler recently weighed in on the gun control debate during an exclusive interview with TheBlaze.

Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association is proud to support a lawsuit filed today in federal court by 54 Colorado county sheriffs, the firearms industry trade association, several firearms retailers, individuals with disabilities and other parties which challenges the State of Colorado’s recently enacted gun control laws.

As we reported last month, on April 2, the United Nations General Assembly voted 153-4 to pass the Arms Trade Treaty, with the United States voting in favor and several countries abstaining. The vote in the General Assembly pushed the treaty process forward after negotiations twice failed to deliver on the goal of developing the treaty by consensus. The Obama Administration is expected to sign the treaty soon after it is opened for signature on June 3. 

The NRA is proud to support a lawsuit filed today in federal court by 54 Colorado county sheriffs, the firearms industry trade association, several firearms retailers, individuals with disabilities and other parties, which challenges the State of Colorado's recently enacted gun control laws.

Hell hath no fury like an anti-gunner who doesn't get her way on gun control.

As an NRA leader who's worked there for over two decades told me, "I think our volunteers' passion and intensity cannot be matched. You can't pull a switch; your grassroots has to have sustainability and you have to train people. We might be happy with a recent legislative victory, but we examine why we won, we evaluate what we need to do better, and get our volunteers geared up for the next battle." But how do they foster that culture, that fervor?

We have just gone through a period when scorn was heaped on the NRA for opposing new gun rules out of the very same logic that compels reporters to react so strongly against the AP subpoena. The NRA will not abide an infringement on anyone's legitimate right to bear arms, and it fears what could come of enhanced state power. Like the reporters, it casts a jaundiced eye on the reassurances of government. What they are to the First Amendment, it is to the Second.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) hasn't given up on his bill to expand background checks for gun purchases, he said Thursday, signaling more willingness to return to the plan than he had publicly shown before."If we could find a way to bring some more folks on board, then of course it would be worth bringing it up again," Toomey said in an interview.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy stopped by City Hall Wednesday and held a closed door strategy session on gun control with Mayor Bloomberg.Following the meeting, Malloy said three objectives should be pursued to reverse last month's setback, when the Senate voted down a bill to significantly expand background checks for gun purchases.

A measure spelling out who can carry concealed handguns and where they can carry them emerged Thursday after months of contentious negotiations, a system with one set of rules for violence plagued Chicago and another for the rest of Illinois.Though the attempt at a compromise cleared its first hurdle in the Senate, it faces considerable opposition from gun rights advocates who derided it as an effort to greatly restrict where guns could be carried for self defense and argued that it gave too much leeway to law enforcement in denying permits."You put lipstick on a pig, and it's still a pig. That's what this is," said Todd Vandermyde, the National Rifle Association's Illinois lobbyist.

Gov. Martin O'Malley signed a gun control measure on Thursday to give Maryland some of the nation's tightest gun laws and the National Rifle Association plans to challenge it in court.

Legislation that would make California the first state to ban the use of lead ammunition in hunting has cleared the state Assembly.The bill from Democratic Assemblyman Anthony Rendon of Lakewood would require hunters to use non lead ammunition.

Today, the Missouri Senate concurred on Senate Bill 75 by a 24-5 vote.  This critical right-to-carry reform now heads to Governor Jay Nixon (D) for his consideration.

Today, Senate Bill 76, introduced by state Senator James Settelmeyer (R-17), passed unanimously in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.  SB 76 will improve the concealed carry weapon (CCW) firearms application process by requiring qualification with a revolver or semi-automatic pistol if a CCW holder wishes to carry either. 

After the Alabama Senate and House of Representatives approved competing versions of Senate Bill 286, this critical pro-gun reform was sent to a conference committee to finalize its language.  Last week, the state Senate approved the conference committee report for SB 286 by a 25-5 vote.  This Monday, May 20, the state House will consider this conference committee report.