Concealed Weapons Now Legal in All 50 States

Gun-rights groups scored a major victory today: Illinois had been the last state where carrying concealed weapons was completely illegal, but a federal appeals court struck down that ban today. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has given state lawmakers 180 days to write a law legalizing concealed carry, reports the AP. Highlights from the majority opinion, per the Chicago Sun-Times:

• "We are disinclined to engage in another round of historical analysis to determine whether 18th-century America understood the Second Amendment to include a right to bear guns outside the home. The Supreme Court has decided that the amendment confers a right to bear arms for self-defense, which is as important outside the home as inside."

(More Illinois stories.)