FOID bill strengthening enforcement for revoked cards will head to Pritzker
By JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois
jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House on Wednesday passed a Firearm Owner Identification card law change that would strengthen law enforcement’s ability to retrieve guns from those with suspended or revoked FOID cards and allow for voluntary fingerprinting to expedite renewals.
Renewals
FOID card applicants would not be required to submit fingerprints, but if they do, or they share with the Illinois State Police the fingerprints they filed to receive their Concealed Carry License, they would be eligible for the automatic renewal process, which is to be established by ISP by 2023.
That process would allow applicants who submit fingerprints to be automatically renewed without a renewal fee, provided they purchased a gun sometime within the 10-year period between renewals and passed the ISP background check in the process.
Otherwise, the application fee for renewal would remain at $10 every 10 years, but the bill would direct $5 of each renewal to State Police Firearm Services Fund and $5 to the State Police Revocation Enforcement Fund.
Under current law, only $3 went to the Firearm Services Fund, with $6 going to the state Wildlife and Fish Fund and $1 going to the State Police Services Fund.
The law already passed the Senate on May 31 by a 40-17 vote and it passed the House Wednesday by a vote of 75-40. Its Senate sponsor was Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, and its House sponsor was Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea. While a lawmaker put a procedural hold on the bill, Hoffman said Wednesday night he expects it to soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker for a signature.
FOID card renewal delays have been an ongoing problem in Illinois, with gun rights groups filing lawsuits regarding the delays and lawmakers frequently citing the issue as the main reason they are contacted by constituents.
The State Police supported the FOID bill, House Bill 562, and has long advocated for the redirection of funds from the renewal fees to fund a more targeted approach to renewals and enforcing revocations.
Revocation enforcement
The bill also strengthens enforcement mechanisms for removing guns from the hands of those who have had FOID cards revoked.
That includes creating a “prohibited persons portal” to track people who have had their cards revoked or suspended. Law enforcement agencies would have access to that portal, and the bill requires ISP to have it online within 90 days of the bill’s effective date, which is January 2022.
The bill also requires ISP to establish the Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force to aid in enforcement of FOID card revocation or suspension enforcement. The task force would “conduct enforcement operations” for those with suspended or revoked licenses, with a priority on individuals “presenting a clear and present danger to themselves or to others,” according to the bill.
The task force would be a law enforcement entity, not a legislative task force, and the ISP director would have the authority to execute intergovernmental agreements with other law enforcement agencies to create it. Any agency that is part of the task force could apply for grants through the State Police Revocation Enforcement Fund, which receives half of the FOID fee money.
Another portion of the bill would require ISP, by July 2022, to create a publicly searchable database that contains the serial numbers of weapons that have been reported stolen. Anyone purchasing a gun from a private sale could search the database to ensure it was not stolen.
The measure also requires the State Police to monitor state and federal databases for residents charged with firearm-related crimes and to correlate the measure with FOID and Concealed Carry Licenses to identify individuals that should not be allowed to own a gun.
Floor debate
The bill was backed by Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly. Its passage came more than two years after a shooting at an Aurora warehouse left five people dead and others injured. In starting a push for new FOID laws in 2020, Kelly said that shooter should not have had a gun because there was a 1995 felony aggravated battery conviction on his record.
During floor debate, Rep. Keith Wheeler, R-Oswego, said he had issues with some of the language in the bill, but he would vote for it because of its increased enforcement mechanisms. Wheeler said he had family connections to two people killed in the Aurora Shooting at the Henry Pratt Company warehouse.
“And just so it’s clear to everyone, that (shooter) had his FOID card revoked, almost five years before that horrible incident occurred. Five years before the shooting, but law enforcement had no tools to be able to recover that (gun),” he said.
Trevor Wehner, who was killed in the shooting on his very first day as an intern, Wheeler said, was the son of his high school classmate, Tom Wehner. Wheeler said he voted for the bill per Tom Whener’s request.
“There are a lot of things in this bill that I don’t love, that I don’t think are going to work the way they may be intended,” Wheeler said. “And I commit to all my friends in the (Second Amendment) community that we will work on getting those corrected before this bill takes effect… But this bill gives law enforcement the actual chance that necessary tools to prevent another tragedy.”
Otherwise, the floor debate mirrored much of the public discourse on guns, with Republicans challenging the constitutionality of the FOID card in general and Democrats citing the need for enhanced safety measures.
Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, said the bill does not do enough to target those who own guns illegally without a FOID card.
“It’s not going to fix the outstanding problems that people are experiencing when it comes to actually getting their FOID cards,” she said. “It’s also not doing anything to increase the penalties on individuals who are arrested for gun crimes without a FOID cards. It’s not doing anything to mandate prosecution of people who are arrested for gun crimes without possessing a FOID card.”
Other measures
The bill also creates a FOID Card Review Board to consider appeals on denied or revoked cards.
Also per the bill, anyone engaging in a private sale or transfer of a gun – including the buyer and the seller – would be required to maintain records of the sale for a period of 20 years, unless it was done through a Federal Firearms Licensee.
The bill also authorizes ISP to produce an electronic FOID and Concealed Carry License, allows the agency to provide a single card for FOID and CCL, and would update FOID and CCL renewal dates to be the same for one cardholder.
The bill also allows a card applicant to notify ISP that they would like to receive text or email notifications for renewal instead of mail reminders.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
Stickney’s St. Pius X Parish to merge with St. Leonard
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong St. Pius X Parish in Stickney will merge with St. Leonard Parish in Berwyn this summer, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, announced last month. The merger is part of the archdiocese’s ongoing Renew My Church initiative and will take effect on July 1. The new parish will have one…
La Grange twins are Chick Evans scholars
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Long hours spent in the La Grange Country Club’s caddie shack – killing time by reading books or playing cards as they wait to be called to duty – have paid off for a brother and sister. Through the past four years, Caroline and Casey Hart honed their skills, learned…
Fun from above
Spread the love While some folks see heavy snowfall and curse the skies, children in Clearing and Garfield Ridge seemed thrilled with last week’s winter windfall. Schools cancelled classes, and kids like Garfield Ridge sisters Makayla, 10, and 6-year-old Mia Hernandez grabbed their plastic sleds and rode ripples of white all afternoon on a large…
Brother Rice’s 11-game win streak ends with loss to Leo
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer In seemingly a blink of an eye, Brother Rice picked up as many losses as it had all season. The Crusaders headed into last weekend’s action with a 21-2 record and was 10-0 in the Chicago Catholic League Blue. But Friday night, they suffered a 56-50 setback to…
Area Sports Roundup: Six area girls bowling teams headed to sectionals
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer Six area girls bowling teams are headed to sectionals. Reavis and Stagg won IHSA regional titles last Saturday, and four other teams have advanced to this weekend’s action. Reavis won its own regional at Palos Lanes in Palos Hills with a 5,378 in six games, well ahead of…
Marist cheerleaders takes 2nd in state
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer After Marist’s cheerleaders watched a video of their state finals performance on Feb. 5, there were some long faces and tears as the girls filed out of the video room and into the cooling-off room. After a long meeting, there were more long faces. “I’ve had better days,”…
Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School packs meals for needy during holidays
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Wishing everyone to have the best holiday season, Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School students packed meals for those in need before they went on Christmas break. The school, 5345 W. 99th St., Oak Lawn, hosted its annual Feed6 Meal Packaging event on December 4, where students gathered together, while socially distanced, with…
McCord shows off Stagg student artworks
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Stagg High School art students proudly had their work showcased at a local gallery. McCord Gallery & Cultural Center, 9602 W. Creek Road, Palos Park, featured the art of Stagg’s most creative until January 28. “Having my work as part of an art show in an art gallery like McCord is significant to…
No injuries when Metra train hits school bus in Orland Park
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong No children were injured Friday afternoon when their school bus stalled on railroad tracks in Orland Park and the bus was hit by a Metra commuter train. The Orland Fire Protection District responded to an emergency call Friday when a school bus from American School Bus Co. carrying students from…
Neighbors
Titanic memories haunt Worth Library
Spread the loveBy Kelly White This year marks the 112th anniversary of the Titanic’s fateful ship crossing. Bringing the ship back to life was the Worth Public Library on April 15 with a program called, The Haunted Titanic, with local historian Bob Trzeciak, who walked patrons through the history, the lasting impact, and why it…
Spring cleanup day in Bridgeview set for Saturday
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Any Bridgeview resident with clutter to clear will be busy Friday night, May 10. That’s when they will be putting all kinds of things on the parkway as the village prepares for its annual spring cleanup day set for Saturday, May 11. All items must be at the curb by…
Family of man killed in McCook struggling with his absence
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch On what would have been his 37th birthday, the family of Morales Ricardo Lopez gathered at his grave in Evergreen Park Cemetery. Lopez, of Blue Island, was gunned down in McCook early Feb. 17, leaving behind a widow and three children. His family, other relatives and friends gathered at his…
Southwest Symphony presents ‘American Song Book’
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Southwest Symphony Orchestra will perform “The American Song Book” this weekend at Trinity College in Palos Heights. The performance will feature Grammy nominated Helen Welch under the direction of David Crane at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Trinity Christian College’s Ozinga Auditorium. Welch will perform some of America’s best loved classics.…
Shoppers welcome back Evergreen Park Farmers Market
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Rain was forecast for the morning of May 2, but nothing could dampen the spirits of customers who dropped by the Evergreen Park Farmers Market. The large crowd that attended were instead greeted with mostly sunny skies. Beth Novotney, director of the Evergreen Park Office of Citizen Services that oversees…
Evergreen Park recognizes police for valor
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle The Evergreen Park police have been cited for valor after several key arrests that occurred the past couple of months. Police Chief Michael Saunders requested commendations for the officers during the Evergreen Park Village Board meeting Monday night. Mayor Kelly Burke and the board applauded the efforts of the force.…
Hickory Hills police bid adieu and say welcome
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam The Hickory Hills Police Department bid a fond farewell to Lieutenant Glenn Tienstra and welcomed new Officer Daniel Balzhiser. On a memorable Thursday evening, April 25, city hall was filled with the warmth of community family, friends, officers, and council members, all gathered to joyfully celebrate Officer Balzhiser and respectfully…
Mother Mac unveils new lights and scoreboard
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Across the nation, women’s sports are on the rise in terms of viewership, enthusiasm, sponsorship and excitement. Mother McAuley is no stranger to the impact that women’s athletics has on the development of an individual, strengthening of a team and key skills and attributes developed along the way. South Side…
Cicadas in the park in Palos Park
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Cicadas are coming and the Village of Palos Park is ready. The village hosted its 31st annual Arbor Day Celebration on Sunday, May 5, themed, “The Wonder of Trees” at The Center in the Lodge, 12700 Southwest Highway, with featured speaker, Tricia Bethke of The Morton Arboretum who presented, “Cicadas…
Palos Heights SD 128 sees enrollment boom
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Over the past few years, Palos Heights School District 128 has experienced an explosive growth among incoming students. There has been a significant increase particularly at Indian Hill Early Learning Center, 12800 S. Austin Ave. Chippewa Elementary School, 12425 S. Austin Ave; Navajo Elementary School, 12401 S. Oak Park Ave;…