Illinois residents who wish to purchase a firearm may be required to go through state-approved training and undergo three background checks, despite the fact that nearly four million background checks were conducted on gun owners in the state in 2023. This requirement is part of a proposed bill that is currently being considered.
According to a Second Amendment advocate, this new gun-restriction bill is being used as a strategy to prevent law-abiding citizens from owning firearms.
House Bill 3239, introduced by state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, aims to mandate that individuals in Illinois undergo eight hours of training and fulfill additional requirements before purchasing a firearm. The bill is currently under review by the House Judiciary Criminal Committee and is scheduled for discussion in Springfield on Tuesday. However, Representative Hirschauer’s office has clarified that she will not be bringing the bill forward for a vote this week.
According to William Kirk, the president of Washington Gun Law, under the new measure, individuals who wish to buy a firearm will be required to visit their local law enforcement department and undergo a background check with fingerprinting.
According to Kirk, once individuals receive the permission slip, they are allowed a 180-day period to purchase a firearm. They need to present this card to the federal firearms licensee (FFL), who will then issue a receipt. It’s similar to a punch-card system where they can buy one firearm per permission slip. Additionally, Illinois requires individuals to possess a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card, which entails undergoing a background check. Moreover, any FFL will conduct a federally-mandated background check, and individuals must also undergo a background check when obtaining the permission slip from local police.
In order to own or purchase firearms and ammunition in Illinois, residents must have a FOID card. The Illinois State Police has reported that there are over 2.4 million residents in possession of FOID cards, which accounts for nearly 19% of the state’s population of 12.7 million people. Cook County leads the way with the highest number of active cards, with over 730,000 issued by the end of 2023. Champaign County, on the other hand, has issued 34,144 FOID cards.
According to Kirk, Illinois residents will be required to undergo a background check in order to obtain another background check.
In terms of firearms, the people of Illinois already go through rigorous background checks. According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, there were a total of 248,767 background checks conducted in February. Out of these, 163,355 were “permit rechecks.” This places Illinois in second position, just behind Kentucky with a total of 321,300 checks, including 294,377 rechecks. Utah comes in third with 50,486 rechecks for the month of February.
In 2023, according to FBI data, Illinois had the highest number of total firearm background checks in the country, with a staggering 3,961,236 checks. This surpasses any other state and is nearly 300,000 more than Kentucky’s total of 3.6 million checks.
Kirk expressed his concerns about the mandatory eight-hour class that is required in the proposed Illinois legislation. Drawing from his experience in other jurisdictions, such as California, he noted that the classes often have to be state certified.
According to Kirk, the state law enforcement has the authority to certify and determine the instructors for firearms training. However, Kirk argues that this process limits the number of instructors and restricts private companies from participating. He believes that this government monopoly on certification is another way to disarm law-abiding citizens.
Illinois residents seeking to purchase a firearm would be required to complete eight hours of mandatory training, as per the proposed legislation HB3239. This training must be approved by the director of the Illinois State Police.
According to Kirk, this bill forces individuals in Illinois to obtain government approval before exercising their fundamental right. He believes that HB3239 and the FOID card are likely to be invalidated by the Supreme Court of the United States.
According to the latest statistics, the bill has garnered support from Students Demand Action of Illinois, with a total of 15 proponents backing the initiative. On the other hand, there is a significant opposition to the bill, with nearly 1,800 opponents voicing their concerns.
According to Hirschauer, gun violence is being referred to as a public health epidemic on social media.
In a social media post, Hirschauer emphasized the importance of addressing gun violence as a multifaceted issue that requires comprehensive policy solutions.
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