Illinois Swamped By Surge In Firearm Owner Applications

[hack89]

Illinois State Police say they’re trying to deal with a huge backlog of applications for Firearms Owner Identification cards.

The agency received more than 28,000 applications for cards during April alone.

That’s on top of an existing backlog of nearly 76,000 applications. The state police say they are dealing with a record number of applications

Every month since December has seen a record number of Illinois residents applying for FOID cards. Officials say 31,249 applications were received in December. In January, 61,172 people applied for a card, and there were 56,078 applications in February. About 70,000 applications were filed in March.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/05/09/illinois-swamped-by-surge-in-firearm-owner-applications/

The backlash continues.

[gejohnston]

1. what is the normal work load?

Just wondering.

[DonP]

14. Don't have the total state numbers but ...

... one local gun store I go to, that processes FOID applications (e.g. takes the picture, helps them fill out the form etc. and mails it to the state cops) said they "normally" did from 8 to 10 apps a day.

Since last Fall they've been running 80 apps and up every day on the weekends and from 15 to 20 a day on weekdays, and that's just one store..

Two weeks ago I saw a line of 18 people, including 3 couples, all applying for FOID cards. The guy running the camera said it was like that every weekend, all day.

The coming CCW law is probably driving a big part of it and a lot of people just want to learn to shoot. The same store does the NRA Basic Pistol class and has a 6 week waiting list for the class at $175+ ammo per person.

[rdharma]

2. Backlash?

Or irrational RW paranoia?

[krispos42]

3. You openly advocate for restricting guns...

..and when such a move seems possible, you call people paranoid for buying guns before restrictions set in?

[rdharma]

4. I didn't openly call for restricting guns.

As the "host" here, you should know that if you're paying attention.

You must be thinking of someone else.

[krispos42]

6. You as in "your side"

And why is host in quotes?

[rdharma]

9. Aha! The broad brush "you".

I thought you were talking directly to me .....since it was a direct response to my post above.

British English uses the impersonal or generic "one" to replace "you" in sentences like yours above. It is less directly accusatory.

And I use quotes with "host" since most sites use the term "moderator". "Host" would indicate a more neutral position in discussion ..... where "moderator" indicates more of an enforcement type of role.

[krispos42]

16. Okay, you have a point.

And I'm neutral in enforcement of OPs, at least.

[madville]

5. Kiss 2014 goodbye

Gun nuts are energized, all the anti-gun theme has done is knock us a step back

[hack89]

7. Must be irrational

we know that no one wants to take away our guns. Hell, even President Obama and Senator Feinstein think it is perfectly fine .for Americans to own AR15s.

[ileus]

8. People hunger for freedom...

[rdharma]

10. Huh? "People hunger for freedom?"

What does that have to do with the irrational rush on FOIDs?

[gejohnston]

11. maybe target shooting is the new

trendy sport. In a couple of years, many of them will discover that bows have reusable ammo and switch to archery. But then, maybe not.

[rdharma]

12. I enjoy both..........

But what does that have to do with the irrational paranoia and rush on FOIDs?

[gejohnston]

13. my point was that

you are making assumptions without evidence, just as I was.

[clffrdjk]

17. I know I know don't feed the trolls but I can't help it

First it was irrational to comply with Illinois state law?
Now it is irrationally paranoid to comply with Illinois state law?

How is complying with the laws of Illinois irrational or paranoid? I mean hell if you want to shoot you need the foid, if you want to hunt you need the foid, if you want to learn how to shoot you need the foid, if you want to buy ammo you need the foid.

[DonP]

18. This story is particularly irritating to the control "fans".

They keep telling us that .,... "gun ownership is unpopular" and ... "the NICS checks for the millions of new guns being sold are just existing gun owners building their personal arsenals".

Then Illinois comes along and spoils the meme.

In Illinois, with a growth of almost 20% in new FOID cards, in the last 4 months alone it shows a lot of entirely new people getting into the shooting sports for one reason or another. The people getting FOID cards never had a gun before and certainly don't have an "arsenal" since they can't buy a gun or ammo without a FOID, not as a store or a show.

So it's very important for them to ignore it and mock it when a deep blue state has such a sharp rise in new gun ownership. And when the Democrats in the legislature are proposing the new shall issue concealed carry law it's really annoying.

Otherwise people might think that maybe, just maybe, they have it wrong and are full of crapola.

[kudzu22]

15. My buddy's been waiting 3 months for his FOID renewal

By law the state has 30 days to get it into your hands.