Grundy Reporter

Republican state representative candidate Jed Davis is criticizing primary opponent and incumbent Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) for what he calls supporting restrictions of gun rights.

“My 19-year-old daughter is pursuing her 2A rights through the courts here in Illinois," Davis said. "In my opponent's world, if her mom and I passed tomorrow, she'd need two additional notarized references just to apply for an unconstitutional FOID card. How in the world is he considered friendly to gun owners?”

In 2021 Welter was the co-sponsor of a bill to outlaw noise suppressors on guns.

In 2020, the National Rifle Association gave Welter a 67 percent rating. Welter previously voted for a bill that would require a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases and voted to ban bump stocks as well.

Current members of the General Assembly drew criticism for not ensuring Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) cards were being processed in the state in a timely manner. Every gun owner is required to carry a FOID card. The backlog at one time spanned over 18 months, increasing the risk of once legal carriers being arrested for not having a permit to carry a firearm by no fault of their own.

Davis, of Newark, is the board president of Parkview Christian Academy in Yorkville. The 75th District includes all or portions of the counties of Grundy, Kendall, LaSalle, and Will, including the communities of Sandwich, Somonauk, Plano, Yorkville, Newark, and portions of Oswego.