SPRINGFIELD – House Republican legislators held a Zoom press conference on Wednesday to address concerning delays in FOID card and Concealed Carry Licenses (CCLs) processing, and discussed their shared 2nd Amendment focused legislative agenda.
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State Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) named several constituents by name that have felt the strain and anxiety caused by the delays in processing FOID and CCLs.
"When it comes to our most basic rights, like the right to keep and bear arms, there is no room for error or delay," said Bourne. "I hear every single day from frustrated constituents who have been waiting months upon months to receive renewals or initial FOID cards and concealed carry licenses. The Pritzker administration is failing to lead on this issue. Illinoisans deserve better.”
State Rep. CD Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) argued state statute requires all FOID Cards be approved or denied in thirty days for first-time applicants and 60 days for renewals.
“If the State Police can’t get the FOID program to work within the allotted time, it should be suspended immediately,” said Davidsmeyer. We are required to follow the law, but they are not!”
State Rep. Mike Marron (R-Fithian) says his office handles dozens of calls from frustrated residents every month. Most of the time, Marron says, answers are hard to come by.
“Over the last year, my office has received hundreds of constituent complaints on the FOID card renewal process,” Marron said. “There has been a steady increase of approval delays leading to many frustrated citizens unable to speak with a live person when checking on their FOID renewal and approval status. This has been a problem for a long time pre-dating the Covid-19 pandemic. The Democrat majority swept $28,000,000 million dollars out of the dedicated fund that is supposed to administer the FOID program. We are sponsoring bills to eliminate the program and end the delays.”
State Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) is a former prosecutor, and member of the House Judiciary Criminal Law Committee. Windhorst says FOID delays can be fixed via legislation or full elimination of the requirement.
"Illinois is one of only four states in the Union that require citizens to obtain a FOID card," Windhorst said. "We should eliminate the FOID card requirement. While that might not be possible given the current makeup of the General Assembly, the legislature should immediately pass reforms to ensure Illinoisans can exercise their 2nd Amendment rights without unnecessary delays in the FOID and concealed carry card process. Let's get to work in Springfield to address these delays and provide appropriate service to our citizens."
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