From The Center Square:
Illinois House votes to approve FOID bill
(The Center Square) – Fingerprints will not be mandatory for Firearm Owner’s Identification card applicants.
The Illinois House voted Wednesday to approve the Senate version of legislation that makes fingerprints voluntary and is designed to streamline the FOID card application process.
There has been a mounting backlog of FOID new and renewal applications since before the pandemic.
Many applicants have waited months well beyond the 30 days the state legally has to process the applications.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, said the existing application backlog may endanger an Illinoisan’s right to own a gun.
“We don’t want that to go away,” Hoffman said.
“If we do nothing, we’re in jeopardy of there being a constitutional challenge to get rid of the FOID card system because of this backlog.”
Instead of mandatory fingerprinting, the bill will allow for the Illinois State Police to enter into agreements with other state agencies that already have gun owner’s fingerprints on file.
With those gun owner’s permission, ISP will be able to access their fingerprints from agencies like the state Board of Education, which holds fingerprints for school staff.
Backing off mandatory fingerprinting, which will be voluntary, was a key to compromise with gun rights groups like the Illinois State Rifle Association.
State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, said the bill is incomplete and will end up in the Supreme Court.
“It is not going to fix the outstanding problems that people are experiencing when it comes to actually getting their FOID cards,” Mazzochi said. “It is also not doing anything to increase the penalties on individuals who are arrested for gun crimes without a FOID card.”
State Rep. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, said Illinois should do away with FOID cards.
“We always talk about practices in the state of Illinois and we always want to talk about what other people are doing, and for whatever reason, nobody seems to care that over 90% of the country doesn’t have these things,” Chesney said.
The measure passed by a 75 to 40 vote and next heads to the governor’s desk for his signature.
“House Roll Call on House Bill 562. All local State Reps. voted against the bill, except Suzanne Ness, who did not vote on the bill.”
Not according to the roll call you posted.
It says Ugaste voted YES; Ness did NOT VOTE; Reick, Weber, and McLaughlin voted NO.
Either the roll call inaccurately listed Ugaste as a yes vote OR that sentence you wrote is wrong.
Ness has a deficit of political courage. She refused to vote on the ICE issue when she was on the county board and running for state rep, and now she refuses to vote on this. Everybody can see what’s going on… we aren’t stupid. We know why she does that. It’s gross.
Void the FOID.
Sentence wrong.
FOID is unconstitutional in the first place.
A better bill would have automatically issued the FOID card after 30 days unless the ISP affirmatively denies it for good cause within that period.
Other states, like Minnesota, have their CCW law written this way, and it forces the state to get their crap together.
Since there is no real accountability for the ISP in taking 6 months to issue a FOID card that should be issued in 30, why should they care how long it takes?
@ Billy Bob.
I like that.
It’s catchy!
All the makings of a good battle cry.
Hopefully, People v Brown will bring us some relief from this FOID nonsense when it is finally decided by the Illinois Supreme Court, but I don’t really expect much from the underqualified political hacks who sit on that court.
The case very well might end up in front of SCOTUS.
@Give us a break
Thanks, but I’m not the one who came up with it.
That phrase is fairly common on some of the 2nd Amendment boards, and I’ve also seen it on bumper stickers and t-shirts.
Accept no less than Constitutional Carry.
Remember how the seat belt law that was at first “VOLUNTARY” and how that turned out ?
This is nothing more than a small step in the direction of total gun control – WISE UP !
FOID nothing but a $$ suck for this chit hole state we live in… either put up or shut up FF.
You either fork over the cards or no mo $$ … to spend on your hotdog binges.. enough is enough time for a class-action law suit of gun owners time to take these chickens to the rooster house of law. +1 BB
“Gun control” bill – SUPPORTED BY THE ILLINOIS STATE RIFLE ASSOCIATION – passes.
Seems like you left a key part out…
Everybody knows the ISRA are a bunch of libtard sellouts.
They slurp scraps out of the trough like hogs.
nd, no, I’m not saying that sarcastically.
Those dorks bragged about the conceal carry bill like it was some big victory — one of the worst gun laws in the country. They’re the IRL version of the “if it pleases the crown” meme.
They are happy with the rights that the Democrats ALLOW to give them.
lmao.
They are the biggest cucks ever.
The NRA, and its state affiliates, just so happens to be the most well funded 2A group (because of name recognition), but they certainly are NOT the most principled.
HonestAbe1 is right that Constitutional Carry is the gold standard.
How about just allowing convicted black felons to own and use guns….. that Kim Foxx’s mantra.
Shaw Media columnist and Harry Potter lookalike Scott Holland writes, “FOID REFORM COMPROMISES LIKELY TO KEEP PROGRAM AFLOAT”
So this is what the hee haw ISRA thinks is good? Keeping the FOID program afloat?
Don’t most of their supporters want to void the FOID?
So why wouldn’t it be better to simply have the program get as bad as possible and have a better chance of challenging it in court?
Why are these people trying to preserve a system they want to abolish?
C’mon man
Try using your brain a little bit.
Why wouldn’t you want to accelerate its collapse?
Why would you want to keep it afloat?
Rather than get a chance to have the entire program (that you hate) voided, you chose to strengthen it?
I’m sure ISRA knows a lot about guns but they seem to be morons when it comes to political stuff.
You really can’t divorce the two if you are a political lobbying group that exists for gun rights.
Rather than saying “we will work with the enemy to find a moderate way to tread on me” they should be saying “go ahead and find out what happens if you tread on me.”
Funny how the ISRA backed this bill and it was nearly a party line vote with Democrats for it and Republicans against it.
What does that tell you about the ISRA?
(The answer is NOT that the Democrats are the pro-gun party and Republicans are the anti-gun party, if you need a hint.)
Not ONE PENNY from me to folks who love compromising with Democrats!
Holland isn’t a very bright guy either.
To argue against Chesney’s point about crime in Democratic vs Republican areas he chooses Freeport (bro really?) and points out that many people in Chicago do NOT get shot…
How do any of these people have jobs?
I look at the lobbying groups, the politicians, the columnists.
None of them strike me as impressive people, and yet they have tremendous power!
No wonder things are so wacky.
The United States of Weimerica is a kakistocracy.
It’s run by evil people, cowards, and idiots.