SPRINGFIELD - On the eve of an annual gun rights rally at the Capitol, a Senate panel Tuesday rejected a proposal to give Illinoisans the right to carry concealed weapons.

With hundreds of gun owners expected to spend Wednesday lobbying lawmakers, the Senate action sent a strong message that Illinois will likely remain one of only two states without a concealed weapon law on the books.

Senate Bill 1976 would enable Illinois sheriffs to issue firearm concealed carry permits to qualified gun owners.

But, members of the Senate Public Health Committee, which is dominated by Chicago-area lawmakers, voted against the proposal.

State Sen. John Jones, a Mount Vernon Republican who sponsored the proposal, said the end result wasn't a surprise, given the make-up of the panel. Concealed carry efforts have long been supported by downstate lawmakers, but opposed by Chicago-area representatives.

"They didn't want it to pass. They don't want the bill on the Senate floor," Jones said.

The move doesn't bode well for three similar bills making their way through the Illinois House. Jones said even if those proposals somehow manage to win House approval, they'd likely go nowhere in the Senate.

"I think they face a very stiff, uphill battle," Jones said.