Illinois has some interesting ideas on what to do moving forward in their state. Well, what they call moving forward, anyway.

It seems that the Firearm Owners Identification Card that all potential gun buyers have to possess in the state is about to undergo a few changes, at least if some folks in the state get their way. In fact, the changes include a doubling of the price as well as cutting the time such a card is good for in half, thus amounting to a four-fold increase for having a FOID for the same period of time.

Needless to say, gun rights activists in the state aren’t taking this by sitting on their duffs.

One Illinois gun advocate is speaking out against the proposed changes to the gun control bill, Senate Bill 1966.

David Kemp is the owner of Tombstone Gun Range and Training Center in Marion, Ill. For seven years, he has serviced thousands of gun owners in Illinois. Kemp is critical of the proposed changes to current gun laws.

“I’m very frustrated, it never seems to end. It’s always one thing on top of another it’s always targeted at law abiding citizens,” Kemp said.

In a news conference last week, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly calls for the passage of SB1966. The measure would increase the Firearm Owners’ Identification card fees from $10 over 10 years to $20 over five years, along with requiring fingerprinting of gun owners.

“And you think – what’s 20 bucks or 40 dollars, but then you also talking about cost of possibly paying for your own background check and all of a sudden paying for other things,” Kemp said.

Of course, it’s noted that Moms Demand Action likes this proposal. Shocking, I know.

However, let’s also note that despite the existence of the FOID requirement for quite some time, Chicago continues to be a national embarrassment due to the rampant gang violence taking place on its streets. The card hasn’t made a dent in the violence, so clearly the answer is to cut the time such a card is valid in half and charge twice as much for it?

Why? Honestly, I want a good reason just why in the hell the Illinois State Police director feels this is somehow essential for public safety. Give me a good reason.

I’ll wait.

Of course, I’ll be waiting a long damn time, too. That’s because there isn’t anything he can say that’s not going to be pulled out of his southern-most body orifice and we all know it.

This is the same Illinois State Police that misdirected funds garnered from those FOIDs to pay for other things than what they were supposed to use those funds for, so I can’t help but feel like this is nothing but another money grab by Kelly. If he can get enough money coming in regularly enough, he doesn’t have to worry as much about what the legislature gives him to work with.

Meanwhile, the people being screwed over are law-abiding citizens. The people committing all the violence, though, aren’t going to even notice a difference and Kelly damn good and well knows it.