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Monday, July 22, 2013
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KINGSTON REGATTA • LOCAL, A3
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DeKalb to pick up Irongate talks Two aldermen, mayor have changed since last discussion By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com DeKALB – The DeKalb City Council will once again discuss annexing the proposed Irongate development at today’s meeting, the first
time it has done so in four months. City staff members have been working on various issues related to the 1,273-unit development since March, interim City Manager Rudy Espiritu said.
“Overall, I think staff is looking at this as a positive development for the city,” Espiritu said. “The housing study, done in conjunction with the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University, identified a
need for higher-end housing. This development will provide that.” The City Council could vote on the annexation agreement if at least six aldermen are present. Annexation agreements require six alder-
Rudy Espiritu interim DeKalb city manager said Irongate development will provide higher-end housing in DeKalb. A recent housing study has identified a need for such housing in DeKalb.
men voting “yes.” Monday’s meeting will be the first time Mayor John Rey, 2nd Ward Alderman Bill Finucane and 4th Ward Alderman Bob Snow will discuss it as members of
See IRONGATE, page A4
LOCAL GUN OWNERS DECIDE WHETHER TO CONCEAL
Will they or won’t they?
Fate of Ill. income tax hike at issue Dems may propose ‘progressive’ tax By SARA BURNETT The Associated Press CHICAGO – Illinois lawmakers who approved a temporary income tax increase in 2011 knew it could lead them to a difficult decision: Allow the increase to roll back as scheduled next year and cut state spending by about $7 billion, or cast the politically risky vote to make the tax hike permanent. Now a third option has surfaced that could become one of the most contentious issues in the 2014 election campaign: It’s a proposal to change Illinois’ “flat” income tax structure, in which everyone pays the same rate, to a graduated or “progressive” tax, in which higher earners pay a larger percentage of their income than the less well-off. Influential Democrats sponsoring legislation in Springfield say the graduated tax – a system used by the federal government and 34 of 41 other states that charge an income tax – is the fairest form of taxation. They say a majority of Illinoisans would get a tax cut from the current rate, but the financially struggling state would take in more money because the wealthiest earners would pay more. “We hear it said that Illinois is a wealthy state, and it is, but there’s also this great disparity,” said Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, a Democrat from Champaign who’s sponsoring the measure in the Illinois House. “We should have done this a long time ago.” But Republicans say it’s a tax increase in disguise and accuse Democrats of going back on their word that the
Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Safer USA President Dave Lombardo loads an XDS Springfield Armory handgun at the Aurora Sportsman Club firing range Thursday in Waterman. This handgun is a potential concealed-carry weapon because of its small size.
Concealed-carry permits to be available by Jan. 5 By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Molly Martinson is not comfortable with the idea of carrying a gun. She has a Firearm Owner’s Identification card from the Illinois State Police as well as her own gun. But when the application for a concealed-carry permit becomes available in 2014, the 34-year-old Rochelle resident will pass. “I just don’t feel comfortable having a gun on me,” Martinson said. Gun owners statewide will decide whether getting a license to
carry a concealed weapon is the best decision for them. On July 9, the Illinois General Assembly overrode Gov. Pat Quinn’s amendatory veto of the concealed-carry legislation that was passed in the spring. With the override, Illinois joined the rest of the nation in allowing some kind of concealed carry. But carrying a concealed weapon is still illegal without a permit from Illinois State Police. On their website, officials with the state police said applications for the permit will be available by Jan. 5. A concealed-carry applicant must be at least 21 years old, have
a valid FOID card if he is an Illinois resident, undergo a criminal background check and complete 16 hours of firearms training. Active-duty police officers, as well as certain retired officers, are exempt from the training. Members of the U.S. armed forces would only have to take eight hours of training. But firearms instructors such as Dave Lombardo, president of Safer USA, are still waiting to see what kind of training is needed, and who is eligible to teach.
Voice your opinion Do you plan to seek a concealed-carry permit? Vote online at DailyChronicle.com.
On the Web For information about the permit to carry a concealed weapon, visit the Illinois State Police’s website at www.isp.state.il.us.
See CONCEALED CARRY, page A4
See TAX PLAN, page A4
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