Illinois Democrats are trying to make it legally very risky to carry a concealed handgun

Forget your concealed handgun permit card or your FOID card and it isn't just the loss of your license.  If Illinois Democrats get their way, you could face years in prison.  What legitimately would be accomplished by that?  Obviously, the point is to scare people into not getting concealed handgun permits.  From Fox News:

. . . The bill, sponsored by Democratic state Rep. Mike Zalewski, calls for more time behind bars for possessing illegal weapons. It increases penalties for unlawful use of weapons, including by felons or gang members. It would make probation less likely, imposing minimum prison sentences of three years in many cases. It would also require that offenders serve at least 85 percent of their sentences, up from 50 percent. 

The NRA's Institute for Legislative Action wrote in a website post that the bill will jeopardize concealed carry in Illinois by imposing tough penalties for individuals who carry a firearm without a concealed-carry permit or firearm owner's identification card. 

"This specific provision incorrectly targets otherwise law-abiding citizens, rather than deterring violent criminals with harsher penalties," the group said in an Oct. 10 statement. . . . .