Letter: Legal Gun Owners' Names Should Not be Made Public

I am very concerned with Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s decision requiring the Illinois State Police to make public the names of FOID card holders after the Associated Press requested the information.

The Illinois State Police oversees the program and determines who can receive a firearm owner's ID card.  It opposes the attorney general’s position and has historically kept the information about who has been issued a FOID card confidential.

We have a Second Amendment right to own a firearm if we choose, and the names of law-abiding FOID cardholders do not need to be released to the public. Releasing the names could be a public safety risk to those FOID cardholders and their families. I agree with the State Police that if the information is released, criminals will be selective on what homes they burglarize.

To that end, I have co-sponsored House Bill 7 that would protect the privacy of FOID cardholders by prohibiting state or local law enforcement agencies from disclosing their information. Unfortunately, HB 7 was stalled in the House Judiciary I Civil Law Committee March 2 on a 5-5 vote. However, I will continue to urge my colleagues in the General Assembly to pass legislation to protect the privacy rights of law-abiding FOID cardholders.

— State Rep. Dennis Reboletti (R-46th)