East Central Reporter

Illinois state Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) has a simple formula for determining efficiency and effectiveness in government.

“When government fears the people, it's at its best," Miller told East Central Reporter. "But when people feel the government, we have tyranny. Here in Illinois, with this Democratic supermajority, we’re moving closer to that all the time.”

Illinois lawmakers have reportedly steered roughly $30 million intended for the Illinois State Police to help facilitate gun registrations, concealed-carry licensing and other related services to other projects without ever replacing any of those funds. According to Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) Executive Director Richard Pearson, the revelations only came to light when ISRA officials decided to probe how FOID card and concealed-carry programs are managed through attempts by anti-gun groups to enact legislation that would have more than doubled FOID card fees. 

ISRA Executive Director Richard A. Pearson

Part of the reason given for the proposed fee increase was that the program was underfunded.

“The government has totally gone rogue on this but then with their supermajority, Democrats don’t care about the will of the people,” Miller said. “They said money was a problem for the program, but now we know that more than $30 million earmarked for it to run efficiently has been stolen.” 

Miller says he gets calls every week from constituents in his 110th District complaining about extended delays in reapplying for their FOID cards or obtaining their concealed-carry licenses. All that now strikes him as being highly suspect.

“There should be no delays like these, unless they’re just being used as intimidation tactics aimed at turning law-abiding citizens into criminals by not allowing them to get the validation they need to be legal gun owners in a timely manner,” Miller said. “With everything that’s happening, you have to wonder.”