Deadline extended to appeal court's concealed carry ruling

CORRECTION: Madigan's request does not change the deadline for concealed carry to go into effect. It only gives her more time for an appeal. A previous version of this article said the deadline had been extended.

The deadline for legal concealed carry of firearms in Illinois has been pushed back once more. 

The U.S. Supreme Court granted Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s request to extend the deadline. The court moved it to July 22. A federal appeals court had already extended the deadline from early June to July 9. Madigan is still considering appealing the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that would require the state to enact concealed carry. Before the ruling, Illinois was that last state in the nation that did not allow some form of concealed carry. Gov. Pat Quinn has yet to act on a concealed carry bill approved by lawmakers on the last day of spring session.

As state officials hash out the issue, state’s attorneys in at least five of Illinois' 102 counties — Madison, Peoria, Randolph, Tazewell and White — have said they will not prosecute people for carrying weapons as long as they are legal gun owners and not breaking any other laws.