Despite a temporary rule that extends the expiration dates for Firearm Owners Identification cards and concealed carry permits, many Illinois gun owners are still finding it difficult to buy weapons and ammunition. That was one of the issues that came up Wednesday during a meeting of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a legislative body that oversees the state’s regulatory processes. “The problem that that a lot of my constituents are having is firearms dealers and businesses are not accepting the FOID cards that are expired, even though they know … that the state of Illinois has said, hey, they’re still good beyond the expiration date,” state Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, said during the hearing. Schimpf was speaking to officials from the Illinois State Police, which recently renewed an emergency rule first adopted in April that extends the expiration date of FOID cards and concealed carry permits by 12 months, as long as the permit holder submits a renewal application. On Sept. 3, the agency extended that rule to 18 months. ISP, which issues firearm permits, had been struggling with a backlog of applications since long before the pandemic began. But the problem multiplied after the pandemic hit and again later amid the civil unrest that erupted following the May 25 murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. According to data that ISP provided in an email, 147,862 FOID card applications were received during the first four months of the disaster declaration, March through June. That was more than double the number received in the prior four-month period. From July through September, ISP said it received 135,798 applications for new or renewed FOID cards. There are currently more than 142,000 FOID card applications pending and more than 26,000 applications pending for concealed carry licenses.  [full article]