In a press release, the Illinois State Rifle Association announced that it has filed an Injunction to compel the Illinois State Police to issue FOID cards within the 30-day timetable as required by law. The Injunction was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division. A hearing is set for Dec. 22.
According to the Illinois State Police, there currently are 145,000 pending FOID card applications and the average wait time is 121 days for a FOID card. In addition, there are 27,000 Concealed Carry applications pending.
“The FOID card delays are not getting better – they are only getting worse,” said Richard Pearson, Executive Director of the Illinois State Rifle Association. “We worked with the State Police to extend the 30-day requirement to 60 days and of course they are going well beyond 60 days in getting FOID cards out to applicants. Enough is enough. Now it is time to get the courts involved and that is what we are doing. These delays are inexcusable and if the State Police won’t fix it voluntarily then the courts will have to intervene and force them to fix the problems and expedite the FOID card process.”
As I remember, a news article from some months ago stated that of the $10.00 FOID card fee only $3.00 of it was retained to operate the system, the other $7.00 was confiscated and dumped into that bottomless pit of no accountability, the “General Fund,” never to be seen again.
“IF” ALL ten bucks had gone where it was SUPPOSED to go, would this outrageous delay even exist?