Kathleen Willis’ “Gun Control Working Group” Meets Again… More legislation coming

So, Kathleen Willis, the former librarian turned gun control crusader in the Illinois House of Representatives is at it again.  She brought her little gun control working group together.  She’s tweaked her House Bill 96 “Amendment #1” and has a new bill set to drop Wednesday or Thursday this week.  And we’ve got our hands on it.

What’s in it?

First off, it’s 126 pages long.  Filled with all manner of radical gun control that’s not going to affect a single violent criminal actor or gang banger in Chicago.  It’s aimed squarely at Illinois law-abiding gun owners.  And it seeks to slice off as many eligible gun owners at every turn as it can.

Because the crazy cat woman from Addison, Illinois hates gun owners.

Alright, let’s dive right in.

1.  It’s a gut-and-replace.  Ignore House Bill 96 and Amendment 1.
2.  Creates a “Prohibited Persons Portal” for police to access those with a revoked, suspended FOID card.  We expect that “expired” would also be listed.  For LEO use only.  It will include reason for the revocation, whether or not the person has surrendered their FOID card and their guns.  Yeah, just like registered sex offenders.
3.  Something about “including any act that is intended to cause or create a risk and does cause or create a risk of death or great
   bodily harm to one or more persons.” Not sure what this is about, but I can’t imagine it’s good for gun owners.
4. All firearms transfers MUST go through an FFL.  Want to give your wife a gun for Christmas or Valentine’s Day?  Not without going through a dealer.  Can you say “creating a registry?”  I can.  And that’s exactly what this does.  NO PRIVATE GUN SALES, period.
5. Sale between two people:  The gun must go through an FFL at a cost of $10 per transfer.  If the recipient does not receive an approval, the dealer shall then to another background check on the seller.  If that is denied, the gun is confiscated.
6. HEY GOOD NEWS!  Kathleen Willis exempts gun buybacks from these background check requirements!
7. Mail order ammo sales are allowed (how nice of her) but can only be shipped to the address on your FOID card.
8. She removed the “must apply in person” language.  Seems that was a bridge too far for most legislators. 
9. Fingerprints must be submitted with applications and renewals.  Electronic fingerprints run about $75 to $100 depending on where in the State one gets their prints taken.
10. Applicants get to pay the (currently) $32.50 criminal history background check fee charged by the Illinois State Police.
11. FOID Application fee set at $50 for a 5-year card.  That’s a 1000% increase, ladies and gentlemen.
12. Go green!  A provision to allow email communications about FOID cards.
13. Cancellation of FOID cards.  “The Department of the State Police may cancel a FOID card if a person is not prohibited by State or federal law from acquiring or possessing a firearm or firearm ammunition and the sole purpose is for an administrative reason.”  In other words, big state government can cancel your gun rights at any time “for administrative reasons” to be determined later.
14. If your FOID is suspended or revoked you have 48 hours to surrender your guns.
15. (14a?) You can transfer the firearms to another person who has a FOID card within that 48 hour window.  At a cost of $10 per gun. 
16. Fail to submit the required forms within 48 hours means Johnny Law will come out with a warrant and search your property from top to bottom and seize all firearms and firearm ammunition.  Without provision for their return.  EVER.
17. A condition of bond in a criminal case requires you to surrender your firearms to a law enforcement agency.  If convicted of the charge and the person is forever ineligible to possess firearms, the state seizes those firearms permanently.  Have a nice day.
18. Upon indictment for a felony charge, you must surrender your firearms to the police.  You get them back only when your FOID card is reinstated.
19. Ditto for misdemeanors that would make a person ineligible to own a firearm.
20. Those under age 21 convicted of ANY misdemeanor other than a traffic offense shall surrender their firearms to the police.

There you have it.  FOID cards at ($100 (prints) + 32.50 (background check fee) + $50 (five-year license) = $182.50ish.

I’ll add that this particular meeting of Willis’ gun control working group saw only one person from the pro-gun side of things present.  We’ll see in coming days how that organization handles that as to whether or not we out the individual and the organization they represent.