All of the candidates, except Hynes, said they opposed allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons. Hynes and Chico said states, not the federal government, should regulate the matter. "I consider this an issue for the states to decide, not the federal government," Chico said.
Obama disagreed. He backed federal legislation that would ban citizens from carrying weapons, except for law enforcement. He cited Texas as an example of a place where a law allowing people to carry weapons has "malfunctioned" because hundreds of people granted licenses had prior convictions. "National legislation will prevent other states' flawed concealed-weapons laws from threatening the safety of Illinois residents," Obama said.
