Remember Howard Ludwig, the Daily Southtown columnist who got a FOID card for his baby? Well, Ludwig’s hilarious column describing the process has created a bit of a stir…Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
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Remember Howard Ludwig, the Daily Southtown columnist who got a FOID card for his baby? Well, Ludwig’s hilarious column describing the process has created a bit of a stir…
A Southland lawmaker will draft legislation to revoke the exemption in Illinois’ trigger lock law that allows homeowners to keep unlocked, loaded guns in a home if the children have Firearm Owners Identification cards.
The little-known aspect in the state’s gun law was revealed this week by Daily Southtown columnist Howard Ludwig, who legally obtained a firearm identification card for his infant son. […]
Ludwig, the Southtown’s Stay-at-Home Dad columnist, wrote in Sunday’s paper about getting such a card for his 11-month-old namesake son, better known as “Bubba.” The baby’s grandfather gave him a shotgun as a gift, and Ludwig wanted to see if the state would issue him the $5 ID card. […]
“The issue today that Bubba Ludwig got a FOID card, that’s a minor problem compared to the issue that gun owners who want to avoid the law can pay a $5 fee and then they don’t have to comply with gun safety laws,” Scully said. “I don’t think requiring people to use gun locks is an unreasonable intrusion on gun owners’ rights.”
The loophole was discovered when Ludwig got an e-mail from John Birch, the former president of Concealed Carry Illinois…
In his e-mail, Birch included pictures of FOID cards for his two children. His son was 15 months old when he got a card. His daughter was 8 years old.
Anyone owning a firearm or ammunition in Illinois must have a FOID card. The card is also needed to legally transport an unloaded weapon.
However, Birch had a different reason for getting his kids FOID cards. He wanted to “keep a loaded gun (or two) for self defense around the house.”
Illinois law requires parents with children younger than 14 years old to keep guns in a locked safe or use a gunlock that makes the weapon inoperable.
Meanwhile, there’s a move afoot to close other loopholes in the state’s gun laws…
Invoking the memory of last month’s massacre at Virginia Tech, a panel of Illinois lawmakers unanimously approved a proposal to “close loopholes” in the state’s gun laws.
If approved, the measure would force the state to contribute information to a federal gun database. Further, it would extend the list of people prohibited from buying a firearm to include mental outpatients judged to be a threat to themselves or others.
Ann Spillane, chief of staff in the Illinois attorney general’s office, said the state’s current database, which is maintained by Illinois State Police, includes only those patients who have received in-patient mental health treatment. […]
Todd Vandermyde, the National Rifle Association’s Springfield lobbyist, was on hand for the vote but offered no opposition during debate before the Senate Public Health Committee.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, May 18, 07 @ 9:45 am
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Not to appear callous or indifferent to those who suffer from mental illnes, but why not start with prohibitng all persons who are or have been treated for mental illness of any type from owning a gun. Then put in a specialized procedure they have to comply with in order to obtain one (not intended as a comment approving gun sales, just operating under the current status).
Or in the spirit of the second amendmnet, allow the sale of single shot black powder rifles and pistols, no rifiling on the barrels, and ban everything else. Sure slows down a drive by shooting if yah have to stop, load in your powder, paper, and ball, tamp it down, etc….
Comment by Ghost Friday, May 18, 07 @ 10:56 am
I have no doubt that additional regulations of any type will cut down on gun violence perpetrated by a) criminals, b) the insane, and c) infant children. After all, who is more conscientious about meticulously following the letter of the law than crooks, mad men and babies.
– SCAM
Comment by so-called "Austin Mayor" Friday, May 18, 07 @ 11:27 am
Rich,
Is the Bubba Sparxxx pun in the headline intentional?
– SCAM
Comment by so-called "Austin Mayor" Friday, May 18, 07 @ 11:33 am
Colbert Report had this last night…
http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_colbert_report/index.jhtml
Comment by anon... Friday, May 18, 07 @ 12:07 pm
This will probably tick off my fellow pro gunners, but I actually agree with the concept of both of these, so long as the execution is proper and on point.
Comment by Ken in Aurora Friday, May 18, 07 @ 12:23 pm
I would like to know how the recent CTA bus shooting is having on gun control right now. Mind you I’m not totally for gun control. I also find it disturbing that people would use a loophole to give their young children FOID cards.
Comment by Levois Friday, May 18, 07 @ 1:43 pm
The “loophole” doesn’t provide the mechanism to get a minor a FOID; it exempts households from gun locks when the minors have a FOID.
I suspect the FOID statute was written that way to take families with teenage hunters into account.
Why they didn’t put a minimum age on FOID is a mystery - maybe because minors aren’t required to have a FOID when they’re with a parent or guardian. Dunno.
Personally, I wish they’d scrap the whole FOID thing and put a strong instant check system in place. FOID is a 1960s era attempt at a solution, and it’s pretty weak.
Comment by Ken in Aurora Friday, May 18, 07 @ 2:44 pm
Did you not read above that the NRA and the ISRA are offering no opposition to this “good sense” measure contrary to what the anti-gun crowd might think.
Comment by Pro-gunner Friday, May 18, 07 @ 3:14 pm
I don’t personally see anything wrong with these measures either so long as they are narrowly crafted and applied. With regards to gun locks and security there are biometric safes that allow instant access of the gun to the owner (such as at the beside) while still preventing unauthorized access.
I think a lot of ‘gun control’ advocates would be surprised to learn that most gun owners support common sense controls and restrictions. I can’t see a problem with allowing law-enforcement to have the information they need to prevent sales to individuals like the VT shooter. On the other hand, most of us will completely oppose gun grabs, meaningless bans and registration schemes.
Comment by NRA Endowment Member Friday, May 18, 07 @ 3:51 pm
Ken -
Good point…the ironic thing is that the state police already has what is in essence an instant check system in place. When you buy a gun from a dealer in IL they are required to call the ISP and receive a transfer authorization before the transaction can take place. The FOID seems rather anachronistic by today’s standards.
Comment by NRA Endowment Member Friday, May 18, 07 @ 3:55 pm
Exactly. I don’t see any purpose for FOID in this day and age. It should be scrapped!
Comment by Ken in Aurora Friday, May 18, 07 @ 4:04 pm
Anti-gunners know that most gun owners support common sense controls and restrictions. However, this knowledge is not useful to them when they are demonizing guns and gun owners.
Comment by Pro-gunner Friday, May 18, 07 @ 4:11 pm
Gun prohibitionists are anti-war. Guns are “instruments of war.” They believe if we get rid of all the guns there will be no wars.
Comment by Patriot Friday, May 18, 07 @ 4:30 pm
That kid Bubba looks like he’s already more qualified to run Cook County government than the Toddler we have in there now! Bubba in 2010!
Comment by fedup dem Friday, May 18, 07 @ 8:25 pm
Jay Leno just talked about it on his Tonight Show monologue. His punch line was, “In the father’s defense, it’s never too soon to teach you kid to protect himself from Michael Jackson.”
Comment by Randall Sherman Friday, May 18, 07 @ 10:48 pm