On Wednesday, a new administrative rule was brought before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) that strengthens the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card system and its use of clear-and-present-danger reports. In response to the promulgation of the new rule, State Senator and JCAR member Donald DeWitte (R-St. Charles) issued the following statement:
“Today, I supported the new rule that strengthens the FOID card review process to prevent dangerous individuals from legally purchasing or possessing firearms. The Pritzker Administration’s purported review of the FOID card process following the Aurora shooting in 2019 failed to recognize this gap in the interpretation and application of clear-and-present-danger reports submitted to the ISP. Had the Pritzker Administration done what they said they were going to do, which was to review and make sure laws already on the books were being implemented more effectively, the tragedy in Highland Park might never have occurred. Local police in Highland Park did their due diligence to alert the State Police of this individual, but because of the gap, which was overlooked in the Pritzker Administration, the report was discarded.”