Prairie State Wire

More lawmakers and public officials are speaking up on the shortfalls in the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Act and the delays Illinois gun owners are experiencing in getting their FOID Card. 

The Chicago Sun-Times reported in March that the state's already sluggish response time to FOID card requests was made even worse by the onset of the pandemic, the lockdown and months of civil unrest.

Head of the Illinois State Police Brendan Kelly said in an April 15 WREX report that a FOID modernization proposal could create an online portal for local, state and federal law enforcement departments to report and track revoked, surrendered or suspended FOID cards along with the reason for the suspension. 

"We’d like to shift part of the focus of revenue to actual enforcement against the greatest threats and to systems that continuously monitor the validity of the FOID card holder," Kelly said. 

The bill would also allow for automatic renewal of FOID cards and concealed carry licenses if the firearm owner has fingerprints on file. 

WREX said the bill, originally introduced by Democrats, has fostered bipartisan support from Republicans who just want the FOID card backlog to be over with. 

The number of FOID applications has nearly tripled in approximately a year's time, resulting in Illinois gun owners waiting up to 10 months for their place in the queue to be reached, according to earlier reporting from Prairie State Wire.

"[The FOID card] is simply a cash grab for the state," State Sen. Neil Anderson said in an April 15 video from the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus. He described the FOID card as redundant and a hypocrisy for responsible gun owners since the purchase of a firearm already requires an instant federal background check.

Last month Anderson introduced Senate Bill 1754 which would revoke the 1968 FOID Act that established the need for the cards. According to a March 8 article from Rock Island Today, SB 1754 would retain other requirements for purchasing a firearm, including strict federal background checks, while abolishing the FOID cards. 

Other House Republicans are frustrated with the FOID card system, too, according to an April 9 Prairie State Wire article. 

"This is the main thing my district office spends their time on," said House Rep. Mike Marron (R-Fithian). "At least 90% of their time is taken up with FOID card issues."