Students may soon be allowed to pack concealed heat off campus.

A 2012 Supreme Court ruling deemed the Illinois ban on concealed carry unconstitutional. The repercussions of this action mean Illinois lawmakers have until June 9 to implement regulations for concealed carry before the federal government steps in to rectify the situation. Current gun laws allow for the transport of firearms only if the weapon is broken down in a non-functioning state, not immediately accessible, or is unloaded and enclosed in a case.

Sycamore attorney Riley N. Oncken is a local champion of the conceal carry laws in Illinois. Oncken attempted to pass legislation in DeKalb County legalizing conceal carry in May 2011.

“It is their [law-abiding citizens] right granted under them by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and their families,” Oncken said.

DeKalb-based attorney K.O. Johnson is familiar with state gun laws and has shown support for the upcoming conceal carry legislation.

“One of the official concerns of the anti-gun people is that if I’m carrying a firearm, maybe someone will take it from me,” Johnson said. “It’s not that I would violate the law with my firearm; it’s that someone who is inclined to violate the law might take my firearm from me and use it. This presupposes that someone knows that I have a gun and that I’m a wimp and would let someone take it from me. But if nobody knows that I have it, because it’s concealed, then in an emergency situation I would be able to use it for self-defense or in the defense of others.”

The state’s citizens have debated the pros and cons of concealed carry. Students are likewise weighing changes to the law.

“Protection. It’s the Second Amendment, why take that away?” said Johnny Mathena, junior mechanical engineering major. “Bad people will always be able to get their hands on any type of gun so there is no point in banning. Gun ownership is OK, but carrying would require more stringent requirements. Basically you can’t solve social urban problems with restrictive gun legislation.”

Forty-nine states have laws in place allowing for concealed carry. Some students see concealed carry as a safety precaution.

“If the government fails, I need a way to protect myself,” said junior hospitality major Jessica Hing. “I have a right to protect myself the way the government protects itself.”

The other 49 states have implemented laws for firearm owners to obtain a permit to conceal certain guns public. This is is done

“If you want one, you should be able to have one,” said Micah Wedekind, junior mechanical engineering major. “But you need to go through the proper channels to have one. You need to get a FOID [Firearm Owner Identification Card] card and you need to get a permit. That’s only there for everyone else’s safety.”

All states that allow concealed carry have a stipulation in the form of a mandatory gun safety class. These classes cover everything from when to shoot and when not to shoot, as well as emergency and household safety. These classes are designed to educate firearm owners on the basic safety and firing techniques, according to concealedcarryclass.net.

“There is no underlying evil in objects,” said junior biology major Aaron Street. “There is, however, a slew of uneducated people who base their opinions off of emotion instead of experience. If we continue to ignore the problems of pharmacology in our country, every facet of American life will be threatened. Fear stems from the unknown. It is your choice to be educated or afraid; in either case, don’t tread on me. Carry and conceal in Illinois is a great idea; however, the training needs to be more in depth and hands on than it currently is.”