CHICAGO (AP) — A federal appeals court has rejected Illinois' request to reconsider a ruling that found the state's concealed carry weapons ban unconstitutional.
State Attorney General Lisa Madigan had asked for the entire 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to consider the case after a three-judge panel in December gave lawmakers until June 8 to legalize the concealed carry of firearms.
Madigan argued that the ruling conflicts with decisions by other federal appellate courts and goes beyond what the U.S. Supreme Court has held.
Illinois is the only state that still bans concealed firearms.
Gun-rights advocates say the prohibition violates the Second Amendment. In the December ruling, Judge Richard Posner agreed, saying there's nothing to suggest that crime in Illinois is different enough to justify its ban.
