The optimistic argument for future improvement:
We had near super majority of votes plus extra in House for our proposed CC law. The full force of the Party leaders cut that super majority to a few votes shy. Now all we need for improvements is a majority vote, not super majority. Counting votes, we should have a strong hand to push through what we want after a year or so. The opposition to Illinois gun owners has been absolutely zero, while supporters show up to the middle of nowhere capital by the thousands. We are organized and we are loud, and it has been moderately effective.
The pessimistic argument for no future improvements:
Scout's pretty much right. The machine powers in this state is the standard for dysfunctional and disgusting. Regardless of the concealed carry, Illinois is a dying state. For example, we only had 1 exploratory hydraulic fracturing drill this year, and the legislature immediately passed the most restrictive regulation in the country. Another example, the company I work for is very publicly moving all of its production out of this state. Manufacturing in Peoria -> Texas, Decatur -> Arkansas, Aurora -> Texas, piece by piece we are moving out. Hopefully, one day I can get that move package out too. This is a State that has public pension burdens written into the Constitution.
Past performance on gun laws indicate a miserable future. Concealed carry only passed because the court forced it, it was not going to happen any other way. I don't expect concealed carry to have any statistical effect on crime, so the crime stats won't persuade the hard hearted.
In balance, I'm not sure what will happen. It could go either way. If we don't have the power to get improvements by simple majority later, then we were never even close to getting what we wanted by super majority, the "cliff" was a myth.
