As you well know, the delays in handling FOID card applications has become a nightmare for Illinois gun owners. After months of negotiations, we have not been able to make any progress with the Illinois State Police, leaving us with little choice but to file a lawsuit.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey live in a gated community in St. Louis, Missouri.  They were suddenly thrust into the national limelight when a group of protesters broke through the gates of their neighborhood.  The startled McCloskeys saw a hundred or so protesters coming toward their house.  They grabbed their firearms and stood on their front porch to keep the protesters back.  Their lives were threatened, their dog’s life was threatened and they were told their home would be burned down.  The police were nowhere to be seen.  Apparently, St Louis police were told to stand down.

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) produced 3,951,607 for June 2020.  Illinois lead the way with 706,000 NICS checks.  In Illinois, every FOID card and Illinois Concealed Carry License holder must go through a check when applying for a new card or renewing an existing card.  This does not count the daily background checks Illinois gun owners must go through.  New FOID card applications hit the 40,000 mark in June, by the way.  Thus far, Illinois has accounted for 3,878,025 background checks in the first 6 months of 2020.  The total new firearm purchases for the United States in June are estimated to be 2,387,524 units with 1,511,714 being handguns, according to the Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting.  Right now, 2020 is on pace to be a record year for firearm purchases.

The Chicago Tribune reports that between June 1, 2020, and June 17, 2020, the Illinois State Police received 42,089 applications for FOID cards, with nearly 5000 of those applications occurring in one day.  This upswing in FOID card applications has been going on since last December.  

It is with great regret that I must inform you the Grand American Trapshooting has been moved to Missouri for this year.  The Grand American is one of the greatest events in the world.  The fact that it was forced out of the State of Illinois is a travesty.  It is time this ridiculous shutdown is over.

Gun sales are breaking records month after month.  The number of new firearm owners grows by the thousands not only in Illinois, but everywhere.  These new gun owners understand that what we are seeing in the streets may soon come to their front door.  Everyone needs to get their head out of the sand and get ready.  The new gun owners need training and so do a lot of the old gun owners, by the way.  Every instructor, NRA, USCCA, and Concealed Carry, needs to be offering and advertising classes right now.  These people need your help and you need to be stepping up to the plate.  The ISRA is developing a list of instructors throughout the state.  If you are an instructor and want to be on that list, please get you credentials together.  We will be calling for them around July 1, 2020. 

 The Minneapolis City Council is leading the way on defunding the Minneapolis Police Department.  There are a few other cities following behind.  These police departments will be replaced by some form of community public safety committee which will reflect the values of the community.  What does that mean?  That means the mob will run the show and, so far, they have only shown the willingness to destroy, not build.  They shout and complain but with no experience or even desire to maintain order.  This idea and these people are trouble and they want to be trouble; if they succeed we are headed for a dark future.  What will happen if the police are defunded is that a vacuum will be created.  The mob says the police roll will be filled by the so called Public Safety Committees and Social Workers.  What that means is that if you or someone in your family is robbed, beaten, raped, or murdered, the social worker will commiserate with you or tell you how sorry everyone is and the perpetrators will get a good talking to if they are ever caught.