Illinois Senate Executive Committee Vote Imminent on Firearm Owners Identification Card FOIA Exemption Bill!

Please Call Committee Members Today and Urge Them to Support HB 3500!

House Bill 3500 has been sent to the state Senate Executive Committee for a hearing and will be voted on soon.  Sponsored by state Senator Kirk Dillard (R-24) and introduced by state Representative Richard Morthland (R-71), this legislation was originally introduced as a firearms preemption bill, but was amended to incorporate a necessary reform to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to ensure that the personal information of people who have applied for or received a Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID) shall not be disclosed unless it is necessary as part of a criminal investigation. 

The FOIA amendments contained in HB 3500 became necessary following an opinion issued by anti-gun Attorney General Lisa Madigan in which she stated the Illinois State Police (ISP) must release the personal information of every law-abiding gun owner in Illinois to the Associated Press (AP).  Since the mid-1960’s, the ISP has maintained a database with all FOID information, and has considered this material to be confidential and not subject to release. The AP had previously filed a FOIA request for this very information.  Passage of HB 3500 would protect your rights as a gun owner and ensure that your personal information would stay confidential, and not in the hands of those who have no right to possess it.

A vote on this bill could take place at any time. Members of this committee are under extreme pressure from the anti-gun opposition which wants this bill weakened or killed.  Please contact members of the Senate Executive Committee TODAY and urge their support of HB 3500!

Senate Executive Committee:

Senator Don Harmon (D-39), Chairman
(217) 782-8176

Senator Ira Silverstein (D-8), Vice Chairman
(217) 782-5500

Senator James Clayborne, Jr. (D-57)
(217) 782-5399

Senator M. Maggie Crotty (D-19)
(217) 782-9595

Senator John J. Cullerton (D-6)
(217) 782-2728

Senator Kimberly Lightford (D-4)
(217) 782-8505

Senator Antonio Munoz (D- 1)
(217) 782-9415

Senator Jeffrey Schoenberg (D-9)
(217) 782-2119

Senator Donne Trotter (D-17)
(217) 782-3201

Senator Dale Righter (R-55), Minority Spokesman
(217) 782-6674

Senator Bill Brady (R-44)
(217) 782-6216 

Senator John Jones (R-54)
(217) 782-0471

Senator David Luechtefeld (R-58)
(217) 782-8137 

Senator Matt Murphy (R-27)
(217) 782-4471

Senator Christine Radogno (R-41)
(217) 782-9407