Gun Owners Rally In Springfield

John Gregory -- Illinois Radio Network

Gun owners used their lobby day Wednesday in Springfield to make sure they have a friend in the governor's office.

While at the Capitol, gun rights organizations handed out cards to all state legislators, as well as special cards addressed to Gov. Bruce Rauner specifically.

"There's a message that each of our attendees will be dropping off to the governor's office, basically just urging him to protect our rights," said Valinda Rowe, organizer of Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day and spokeswoman for IllinoisCarry.com. "He's our last line of defense against a bad bill and our first line of defense on a good bill."

Rowe says this year's "good bills" include efforts to remove restrictions on concealed carry at highway rest stops and on mass transit, along with establishing an appeal process for those who are denied a concealed carry license.