East Central Reporter

Chris Miller, the state representative for Illinois House District 101, has expressed criticism of Governor J.B. Pritzker's policies, accusing him of rewarding criminals and attempting to disarm legal gun owners. This statement was made in a Facebook post.

"Pritzker's mission is to disarm legal gun owners who want self-protection against thugs and at the same time, illegal criminals run amok in our communities and he rewards them," said Chris G. Miller, State Representative for 101st District (R), according to Facebook. "He should be fired and charged with Treason!"

According to Miller's post, the Illinois State Rifle Association has called on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate whether Illinois is infringing on citizens' gun rights. The DOJ recently initiated a similar investigation in California, where gun owners experience significant delays—up to 18 months—for obtaining gun permits, Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) cards, and retrieving firearms wrongfully seized by law enforcement. Attorney General Pam Bondi is leading a task force dedicated to safeguarding Second Amendment rights, with a memo outlining the DOJ’s commitment to using "its full power" to protect law-abiding citizens' rights.

Screenshot of State Representative Chris Miller's April 23 Facebook post | State Representative Chris Miller's Facebook page

The DOJ’s investigation in California will focus on the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. This follows a report from the Los Angeles Times dated March 27. The probe is part of a broader review of states' restrictive firearms laws, prompted by a lawsuit challenging an 18-month delay in issuing concealed carry licenses. In response, the LA County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the delay and cited a staffing shortage in its Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) unit, which currently employs only 14 people. Despite these challenges, the office reported approving 15,000 CCW applications and is working through 4,000 active cases while facing an unfunded mandate.

Miller is an Illinois native who was first elected to the Illinois State House of Representatives in 2019. He is also a third-generation cattle farmer and grain operator based in Hindsboro and holds an associate degree in agriculture from Lake Land College as well as a Bachelor of Science in Education.