Illinois To Allow Paper Concealed Carry Applications

State officials have changed their minds about the kind of applications they'll accept from people who want new concealed carry permits.

The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reports that after saying the Illinois State Police would only accept online applications, the Quinn administration says that beginning in July paper applications will also be accepted.  The online application process begins next month. 

The reversal comes after some state lawmakers complained that only allowing people to apply online would not be fair to some residents of rural areas who either don't have access to computers or aren't comfortable using them.  

Earlier this year, Illinois became the last state in the nation to make it legal to carry concealed weapons. An estimated 400,000 applicants are expected to apply for permits in the first year alone.