McHenry County Blog

When the Public Access Division of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office ruled that the names of Firearm Owner’s Identification Card holders under the Freedom of Information Act, gun owners hit the roof.  I admit to not knowing what the problem was.  It seemed to me that when the crooks found out where the guns were, they would rob the neighbors’ houses instead.  I have a FOID card.

The Illinois State Police said that it would fight Lisa Madigan’s ruling, but passage of legislation prohibiting the FOID card names being release would avoid a court fight.

Today State Rep. Mike Tryon reports below on House passage of the bill pushed by the Illinois State Rifle Association and the NRA.

Legislators Protect FOID Card Holders’ Rights through Passage of HB 3500

Springfield… State Representative Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) joined many of his colleagues on Friday in protecting the privacy rights of Firearm Owner’s Identification Card holders across Illinois.

House Bill 3500 adds an exemption to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) protecting the personal information of Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) Card holders. The bill prohibits State and local governments from publicly releasing the names or other private information of FOID card holders or applicants. HB 3500 passed the Illinois House of Representatives on a vote of 98-12.

“This is a major victory for law-abiding gun owners in Illinois,” said Tryon, a co-sponsor of the bill. “Those who choose to exercise their second amendment rights are entitled to a certain level of privacy and today’s vote helps to ensure that these people’s names and personal information may remain confidential.”

 

House Bill 3500 was filed in response to a ruling by Attorney General Lisa Madigan that declared the names of FOID Card holders to be public information that must be disclosed if requested through a FOIA request. The Illinois State Police and the National Rifle Association both opposed Madigan’s ruling.

“Releasing the names and addresses of people who have firearms in their homes would make it easy for criminals to target locations where they could steal guns,” said Tryon. “Making that list public would also let criminals know which homes they could break into without fear of encountering an individual who protects himself with a gun.”

The bill will now be considered by the Illinois Senate.

“No Guns Within”

That’s the sign that I’ve suggested those opposed to people being allowed to protect themselves with guns should stick in their front yards since I ran for State Comptroller in 1982.

 

Now Attorney General Lisa Madiagn’s Public Access Division has taken a step toward allowing burglars to learn houses it is likely to be safest to rob.

Her office has ruled that the names of those with Firearm Owners Identification cards should be made public.

While names would be made public, addresses won’t be.

It won’t take too long before some “public spirited” group will do a cross-match and come up with the addresses.

And post the results on the internet.

That list will be useful to crooks because they will know they should try robbing other homes in the neighborhood.

Ah, the unintended consequences of the actions of government.

I have a FOID card, by the way.

The Illinois State Police is planning to fight the disclosure.

Capitol Fax Blog will probably have a spirited discussion on the subject.

The State’s Attorney’s Office reports the sentence for Kirk Locher, who shot the family lab in the press release below:

KIRK LOCHER SENTENCED TO PROBATION,

60 DAYS JAIL FOR AGGRAVATED CRUELTY

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Kirk Locher was sentenced to 18 months of probation and 60 days in the McHenry County Jail for the offense of Aggravated Cruelty.

An additional term of the sentence was that Locher obtain a psychological evaluation and that he complies with all recommendations contained in that evaluation.

The defendant was also ordered to own no firearms or animals while on probation.

As a result of his felony conviction, his Illinois Firearm Owner’s Identification Card will be revoked.

Kirk Locher was previously found guilty by a jury on June 30th, 2010.

The evidence at trial revealed that the defendant had been drinking alcohol outside during a power outage on May 30, 2008.

Later, in the early morning hours of May 31, 2008, the defendant woke up his wife complaining that the family dog had bit him.

His wife got out of bed, and sat at the kitchen table.

It was at that point that the defendant brought a revolver out of his bedroom, and leaned over the kitchen table to shoot the Labrador retriever in the head.

Two investigating officers testified that the defendant was under the influence of alcohol on May 31, 2008.

This case was investigated by

• Ofc. Matthew Harmon,
• Det. Frederick Spitzer and
• Sgt. Charles Amati

of the Woodstock Police Department, and prosecuted for the State by Assistant State’s Attorneys Sharyl Eisenstein and Ryan Blackney.

I received my new Firearm Owner’s Identification Card and discovered something I don’t think I have seen before.

There’s a

“CAUTION: This card does not permit bearer to UNLAWFULLY carry or use firearms.”

But, there’s more:

“This does not authorize the carrying of a concealed weapon.”

Really.

As if most gun owners in Illinois that Illinois is one of the few states in the Union that does not grant that privilege to its law abiding citizens.

The new card does have a nifty little hologram in the lower right hand corner. It is much more colorful in the photograph than when I look at it. It must be the flash.

I received my new Firearm Owner’s Identification Card and discovered something I don’t think I have seen before.

There’s a

“CAUTION: This card does not permit bearer to UNLAWFULLY carry or use firearms.”

But, there’s more:

“This does not authorize the carrying of a concealed weapon.”

Really.

As if most gun owners in Illinois that Illinois is one of the few states in the Union that does not grant that privilege to its law abiding citizens.

The new card does have a nifty little hologram in the lower right hand corner. It is much more colorful in the photograph than when I look at it. It must be the flash.