The names of legal gun owners are not public record, the Illinois House said Friday with little debate.
The measure -- HB 3500 -- was drawn up after Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan ruled last month that the names of citizens carrying Firearm Owner Identification cards must be released under the Freedom of Information Act.
That ruffled the feathers of gun-rights advocates, who said allowing public eyes on such a list would tell criminals who was armed and who wasn't, as well as who had valuable guns worth stealing.
The House's bill passed 98-12 and now moves to the Illinois Senate. While it prevents public eyes on such a list, it maintains disclosure of names in criminal investigations.
Madigan's office maintains its ruling isn't meant to address gun control or gun rights, but rather to advocate tranparency in government. The ruling to release the records has been on hold pending a court challenge.
There are about 1.3 million FOID card-holders in Illinois.
