Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) | repcaulkins.com
Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) | repcaulkins.com
As the coronavirus has caused closures across the state, Illinois state Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) is worried about legal gun owners being victimized even more and urged the state police to extend deadlines for firearms identification cards and concealed carry licenses.
“With Illinoisans encouraged to practice social distancing to combat the spread of the coronavirus, law-abiding gun owners may find it more difficult to renew their Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID) and Concealed Carry License (CCL),” Caulkins posted on his website.
With that in mind, the veteran lawmaker is urging state police to implement “emergency rules” to extend the expiration deadlines until further notice for FOID and CCL holders. The proposed actions would be similar to those enacted by Secretary of State Jesse White when he extended the expiration of Illinois driver’s licenses.
“Given the circumstances we are faced with today, I am urging the state police to extend the expiration dates for FOID and CCL until further notice,” Caulkins added. “With the state and federal government advising residents to stay home to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, some law-abiding gun owners will find it difficult to attend a mandatory face-to-face CCL renewal course as a result of social distancing. Same goes for individuals with no internet, they will have a difficult time locating a library that is open in order to complete the FOID application online.”
Caulkins reasons such action would also allow state police the opportunity to get up to speed on the renewal backlog they face. By some estimates, Illinois State Police is now operating under a three-month delay and the Firearms Service Bureau is swamped by nearly 20,000 firearm purchases and/or firearm transfer requests.
“The fact of the matter is the state requires a three-hour in-person course to renew a CCL which generally includes a large group of people,” Caulkins added. “At this time, we shouldn’t expect our most vulnerable to put themselves at risk just to renew their CCL.”
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