Windhorst Weekly – March 7, 2020

Dear Friend,

When I was first elected to serve as 118th district State Representative, one of the first bills I introduced was HB 913, legislation that would eliminate the state’s firearm owner’s identification card (FOID). Illinois is one of only four states to require a FOID card, and I believe it is unconstitutional.

Every 10 years, law-abiding citizens are required by the State of Illinois to send in money and renewal paperwork required under the FOID act.

Helping constituents navigate the difficult and lengthy process involved with renewing FOID cards has taken up more of my staff’s time and energy than any other single issue since I was elected.

This week, I joined my fellow House Republican colleagues in Springfield for a Capitol press conference where we stated very plainly that the FOID card should be eliminated.

If the majority party refuses to pass my bill, HB 913, and eliminate the FOID Card altogether, then I am calling for my bold pro-2nd Amendment agenda to be passed. The goal of the legislative package is to reduce costs and regulations for law-abiding citizens that only wish to exercise their Constitutional right to bear arms.

See below for my press release and the video from the House Republican FOID press conference.

House GOP Members Address FOID Renewal Delays, Call for Passage of Bills to Reduce Cost and Regulations for Law Abiding Gun Owners

SPRINGFIELD – State Representatives Mike Marron (R-Fithian), Charlie Meier (R-Okawville), and Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) held a press conference in Springfield Wednesday alongside fellow Republican legislators and 2nd Amendment supporters to discuss solutions to end delays in FOID card processing, and discussed their shared 2nd Amendment focused legislative agenda. The lawmakers expressed their concerns that fund sweeps of $28 million from the Illinois State Police fund have led to delays in processing FOID card applications and renewals.Marron says his office is overwhelmed every week with calls from constituents experiencing long delays for FOID renewals.

“My office receives dozens of constituent calls regarding FOID renewals every month,” 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. The delays are not due to a lack of funding, but because money that was supposed to be used to provide service to Illinois’ two million FOID cardholders was used for spending in other areas.”Rep. Charlie Meier says the fund sweeps have led to long delays for gun owners to get their FOID cards renewed.“The FOID program has been used as a piggy bank to fund other programs,” Meier said. “If the State is going to require the fee, and require the FOID, then we owe it to our citizens to run an efficient and effective program. If we can’t do that, the program should be eliminated.”

Rep. Patrick Windhorst said he is sponsoring a legislative package that would eliminate the FOID altogether (HB 913). Barring its passage, Windhorst says his agenda reduces costs and regulations for law-abiding citizens. “Illinois is one of only four States that still requires a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID),” Windhorst said. “Though I believe the FOID card is unconstitutional, that issue will ultimately be decided by the courts. Until the courts decide, there are steps we can take as a legislature to address FOID renewal delays and decrease high costs and burdensome regulations on law-abiding gun owners.” Windhorst says his legislative package aims to reduce fees, eliminate long waiting periods, and allows for automatic FOID renewal if a concealed carry license is still in effect.

“We are here to say, either void the unconstitutional FOID card, or stop the fund sweeps and pass our legislative package to ease the burden on law-abiding gun owners, reduce costs, and improve renewal times,” Windhorst said.Multiple House Republican members are sponsoring legislation that would reduce costs and regulations for law-abiding gun owners and protect FOID and CCL funding.

HB 4391 would ban local government units from imposing taxes or fees on firearms and ammunition.
HB 4392 would eliminate the 72-hour waiting period for individuals that have been granted a valid license to carry a concealed handgun under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act.
HB 4393 would lower the fee to obtain a concealed carry license from $150 to $100.
HB 4397 grants exclusive power to the State of Illinois in regard to the regulation of the ownership and possession of firearms and invalidates existing and future local ordinances or resolutions that require local registration, or local reporting of the sale or transfer of a firearm, and bans municipalities from maintaining any kind of firearm registry.
HB 4398 allows any individual that has received a permit to conceal carry a firearm to do so on public transportation.
HB 4447 states that any renewal application shall be accepted by the Illinois State Police if submitted within 180 days before the expiration of the applicant’s FOID card or concealed carry license.
HB 4448 would require the Illinois State Police to automatically renew any concealed carry license holder’s FOID card as long as their conceal carry license is in good standing until the time that the concealed carry license expires.
HB 4450 spells out the process by which any appeal of the denial of a FOID card or concealed carry license must be handled and provides specific guidelines for the State Police in regard to the time it takes to process any such appeal.
HJRCA 40 would amend the Illinois Constitution to place fees collected from FOID and CCL applicants in a ‘lock box’ fund that would be protected from future fund sweeps.

HPV Vaccine Mandate Bill – UPDATE – Moved to New Committee

After nearly 14,000 people filed witness slips opposing House Bill 4870, the HPV vaccine mandate, House Democrats have transferred the bill to a different committee thereby eliminating the record of the witness slips filed online in opposition to the bill.

Keep your eye on the House Human Services Appropriation Committee. You will not be allowed to file witness slips until HB 4870 is posted for a hearing in the new committee.

I will keep you updated the best I can if the bill gets posted for a hearing. You can monitor all committee hearings and bill postings here at my.ilga.gov

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FFA Fish Fry

FFA Day in Springfield

I had a great visit with FFA students from Harrisburg and Eldorado this week in Springfield as part of FFA Day at the Capitol! Thanks for coming!

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Stay Connected!

My office in Harrisburg is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. You can reach me any time by calling 618-294-8703 or contact me via my website at www.ilhousegop.org/contactwindhorst or by emailing Windhorst@ILHouseGOP.org

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