Representative Andrew Chesney On FOID Cards, Police Reform Bill

Yesterday on this website, I told you about the efforts of Illinois State Representative Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) to repeal the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Card Act.

The FOID card, for those who don't know, is something an Illinois resident who wishes to own a firearm, buy a firearm, or purchase firearm ammunition must have. The FOID card is separate from the Illinois CCL (Concealed Carry License), which Illinois residents must have in order to carry a weapon concealed on their person.

In essence, firearm owners and would-be firearm owners in Illinois are being forced to pay for access to a constitutional right. Illinois is one of only four states in the United States with this type of law (the others are Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New Jersey).

If Representative Chesney's bill goes all the way through to getting the governor's signature, Illinois will no longer be able to monetize your constitutional right to owning a firearm (assuming that you're of the proper age and have no criminal record)

Representative Chesney was kind enough to make some room in his schedule to join the WROK Morning Show on Thursday to discuss his bill (House Bill 1770). We wanted to know how the state has gotten away with the FOID card law for this long, how much support Mr. Chesney is getting from colleagues, and what he thinks the chances are of his bill actually becoming law here in Illinois.

We also got into House Bill 3653, the so-called police reform legislation that many, including Representative Cheney call the "punish the police bill." We asked him about the many groups and professional organizations that are overwhelmingly opposed to the legislation, and what it will mean to the safety of Illinoisans should it be signed into law by Governor Pritzker: