Poll: Illinois divided by geography on concealed carry

A new poll released by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University shows Illinois voters have very different views on the gun rights depending on where they live.

The poll surveyed 1,001 registered voters.

The survey also found:

Support for gun control softened in the year since the shooting at Sandy Hook. Last year, 59.5 percent said controlling gun ownership was more important than protecting the right to own guns. In the present survey, 53 pecent chose controlling gun rights over protecting gun rights. There are 56.7 [ercent who said there should be exceptions to concealed carry law — in such places as schools, college campuses and movie theaters — compared to 71.3 percent who feld that way in the 2013 survey. Support for the idea of armed guards in schools has risen in the past year, from 46.3 pecent in 2013 to 53.1 percent in the present survey.

“The poll illustrates just how evenly divided voters in Illinois are over gun-related issues,” David Yepsen, the director of the Institute said in a release. “It’s little wonder policy makers have had such a difficult time trying to resolve these questions. In this latest survey, both sides can find support for parts of their cause.”

h/t State Journal-RegisterRELATED: Bill would fix loophole in concealed carry law

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