Frustrated with how the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card program has been managed, several House Republicans held a press conference asking for change.
"This is the number one issue we receive calls on at the district office in Harrisburg," Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) said in a press release. "I took some legislative steps to hopefully fix these issues we’ve heard."
Windhorst introduced House Bill 913, which he said calls for the FOID card to be repealed. He said there have also been several other bills introduced regarding FOID card issues.
"House Bill 4057 calls for the same repeal," Windhorst said. "You've heard there is a delay that is running three to five months and you can't even apply for renewal until 90 days before, so that's creating a gap."
Windhorst said House Bill 4447 provides that the state police will accept renewal applications within 180 days. He said other bills, like House Bill 4450, would make the state police have to respond within 60 days to people who appealed the process when their FOID cards were denied or revoked.
"And finally, House Bill 4448 deals with a gap in the system since we adopted conceal carry legislation," Windhorst said. "Because FOID card is 10 years and concealed carry is five years. This creates a situation for citizens if their FOID card expires while their concealed carry is still valid."
Windhorst said even though he and other House Republicans want the FOID card repealed, if that can't happen they want commonsense fixes to help citizens in their districts.
House Rep. Mike Marron (R-Fithian) said last summer his office began receiving calls from constituents who were unhappy with the process, but the number of complaints has grown exponentially.
"Since then we have inundated with calls—multiple calls every day," Marron said. "This is the main thing my district office spends their time on. At least 90% of their time is taken up with FOID card issues."
Marron said the process is taking law-abiding citizens who are trying to exercise their right to bear arms and making it into an issue.
"I’ve long thought the FOID card system was a violation of our rights, but, that’s another issue," Marron said. "The mismanagement of this system is causing real problems for law-abiding citizens."
Marron said the system has been chronically understaffed.
"Between fiscal years 2015 and 2019, almost $30 million in funding has been swept from the funds to manage these programs," Marron said. "This seriously lacks fiscal transparency. This is no way to manage a state program and you’re setting the system up for a catastrophic failure."
House Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) said calls about the program have also occurred in his office at a high rate.
"When I took office in 2013, there were slight delays in the FOID card processing, but my office now receives three to five calls a day now regarding this," Meier said at the press conference. "Wherever I go, I’m contacted by people who tell me they’re having trouble with their FOID cards."
Meier said he has veterans who can’t reach anyone at the state police to talk to about this.
"I have people who are terrified because they come home from being in the hospital—whether because of cancer or heart problems—and somehow they’ve missed sending in their FOID card and they’ve been notified the state police might come and take their guns away now," Meier said. "They don’t know what to do. Maybe that gun was their grandpa’s gun."
Meier said he's seen his constituents so upset that he has worried about their health.
"We need to fix the program and stop raiding the funds," Meier said. "We don’t need to hear any more excuses. We need to provide these services and provide them timely."
Marron also introduced several constituents at the press conference that were there to share their stories.
Kathie Porter of Danville said she has been frustrated with the time it has taken her to get her address changed on her FOID card.
"On Dec. 14, I went online to change my address for my FOID card," Porter said. "It’s been 81 days and it’s still under review."
Porter said she has tried numerous times to reach the state police by telephone, but no matter what time of day she has never been able to speak with someone about her issue.
Randy Brinegar, also of Danville, said he applied for FOID card renewal on July 8, 2019, and he did it through the licensing agency so that it was done correctly.
Several months later, I still hadn’t received it," Brinegar said. "I had heard about the backlog and kept waiting, but on Jan. 21, my wife and I came to Springfield since phone calls weren’t working."
Brinegar said he went to the State Police office and was immediately told that FOID card renewals couldn't be done by appointment and that someone would be out to help him shortly.
"A person took down my name and number and said I’d receive a call within two weeks," Brinegar said. "I still haven’t heard back."
As the former Vermilion County State's Attorney, Brinegar said he understands the importance of following the law.
"I don’t want to break the law, but now I can’t do anything," Brinegar said. "I have to be in compliance with the law and I don’t want to be not in compliance and here I am going on eight months."
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