Just 0.08% of Illinois gun owners register banned firearms in Week 3 of
registry
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[October 26, 2023]
By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Fewer than a tenth of a percent of the state’s
Firearm Owners ID card holders have registered with Illinois State
Police their semi-automatic firearms that are now banned by state law.
Of more than 2.4 million FOID card holders, the total for Week 3 of the
registry shows 2,046 individuals have disclosed more 3,880 firearms,
more than 2,100 accessories. There's also been almost 40 ammunition
disclosures. That’s 0.08% of FOID card holders, up from 0.07% the prior
week and up from 0.04% for the first week
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, isn’t surprised by the low
turnout.
“The folks that own guns in the state of Illinois know that this
initiative is unconstitutional and I’ve been clear all along that
noncompliance with something that is non-constitutional is an
appropriate stance to take,” Wilhour told The Center Square.
State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, who supports the gun ban and
registry, reacted to the low compliance rate three weeks in.
“With any policy that we pass in Illinois, education and public
awareness is a critical component of that,” Hirschauer told The Center
Square. “I’m really impressed with the way that the Illinois State
Police has been working with the public and also taking some time to
make sure that the information they’re putting out there is correct and
clear.”
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Illinois State Police have not yet mailed out to FOID card holders
official announcements of the requirement. A spokesperson for ISP
couldn’t immediately say if a letter would be sent to FOID card
holders when reached Wednesday by The Center Square.
If the gun ban is not struck down by pending litigation in federal
courts, those found not complying with the registry could face
criminal penalties with the deadline to register Jan. 1, 2024.
Wilhour said ISP has been put in a tough spot with a law he said was
rushed, poorly crafted and unconstitutional.
“There’s all kinds of federal precedent that points that direction
but in the meantime, you’re putting everyone in a lurch here
basically because we just want to play politics with this issue,”
Wilhour said.
Illinois State Police will hold the first of three public hearings
at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, inside Room D1 of the Stratton
Building at the capitol complex in Springfield.
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