NW Illinois News

State Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) spoke out against what he sees as anti-gun amendments to House Bill 562, the FOID overhaul.

Chesney dubbed the FOID bill as a scam that disproportionately impacts people of color and people in urban communities.

“I always get a little bit nauseated when we talk FOID cards and the reason I get nauseated when we talk FOID cards is, first I can't name a constitutional right that has a tax or fee,” he said. “I don't think you can name one in the entire country that has a tax and fee on a constitutional right."

He argued that the amendment is futile.

“I don't believe that the FOID card addresses public safety and we all know that a criminal is not going to willfully partake in these firearm transfers. We know this but I do think, Leader Hoffman, that this does give people a false sense of hope,” Chesney said, addressing the bill sponsor, Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville). “I understand why we have violent problems in our state. The majority party has endorsed efforts to defund the police and cash bail, vilify our police departments and absolutely disarm our community, this is what we do in the majority party.”

Chesney further told Hoffman that his bill infringes on his constituents' rights.

“Over 40% of residents in my district have FOID cards,” Chesney wrote in a statement. “Why in the world should we want state government collecting fingerprint data on law-abiding residents just for the exercising of their God-given Constitutionally-recognized rights?”

Chesney said it was wrong that applicants who provide their fingerprints can 'cut in line' ahead of law-abiding applicants who choose to preserve their rights, who do not want to have the state government collect their biometric data.

House Bill 562, as amended by Senate Amendments 1 and 2, passed the House by a vote of 75-40.

According to Chesney, his bill repealing the Illinois FOID system, House Bill 1770, “was never allowed an opportunity to be voted on in the House Rules Committee.”