HILLSDALE, Ill. - To make sure that area residents have uninterrupted and accessible assistance in light of the Illinois State Police's decision to eliminate paper applications for concealed carry permits, state Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, is offering free assistance to local residents looking who want one-on-one help completing online applications for a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card .

"Area residents may not own a computer or have the technological confidence to fill out the concealed carry permit online application," Smiddy said. "Law-abiding citizens should not be denied their constitutional rights over a bureaucratic decision to move toward paperless applications."

The Illinois State Police will stop accepting paper applications for FOID cards and concealed carry permit application; moving instead to an online process on March 16. Smiddy keeps his office open and accessible to help residents with any issues they have with state programs or services. Smiddy wants area residents to know that getting access to the internet or one-on-one help in applying online for a concealed carry permit is just one more way that his office can help. Residents can call Smiddy's office and make an appointment on weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The office is located at 201 N. Main St. Unit 2 in Port Byron. In order to apply, residents will need to bring with them their Illinois Driver's License or Identification card.

"I believe that a person's access to technology should not hurt their Second Amendment rights, and my staff will be available to assist anyone interested in applying for either a FOID card or a conceal carry permit," Smiddy said. "I encourage residents with questions about the change to electronic applications to contact my office for additional information."

For questions or to schedule an appointment or a complete list of the items required for applying for a FOID card or concealed carry permit, please call Smiddy's full-time constituent service office at 309-848-9098.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - All new state of Illinois vehicles could be assembled in North America under proposed legislation introduced by state Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale.

"Too many of Illinois' tax dollars pay for vehicles assembled overseas," Smiddy said. "This bill will mean that more of Illinois' fleet of vehicles are made by the highly skilled automotive workers in North America, and that will mean more of our tax dollars are kept at home, where they benefit us most."

Smiddy introduced House Bill 3438 to require every vehicle the state buys or leases to be assembled in North America. The bill does not prohibit buying vehicles from foreign auto companies. Instead, the measure simply must use a facility in the United States or Canada for the physical assembly of the automobile. The measure would only apply to new vehicles and all foreign built vehicles currently owned by the state could still be used.

"The auto industry employs thousands of Illinoisans, and we owe it to those workers and their families to buy vehicles from companies that don't ship jobs overseas in search of cheap labor," Smiddy said. "I'll continue to support ideas that support this country's excellent automotive industry and put American workers back on the job."

Smiddy introduced a similar measure during the last legislative session. That bill received bipartisan support when it passed the house in 2014 but was never voted upon on the senate floor.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - State Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, is part of a team of legislators that will work with mental health providers and law enforcement professionals to investigate the state of security and mental health care in Illinois to try to prevent incidents of mass shootings.

"The importance of treatment for those suffering from mental illness is too often ignored until violence occurs," Smiddy said. "Illinois' public safety system must address both the importance of adequate security as well as proactive mental illness intervention to avoid the tragedies that have recently been far too common."

The Violence Prevention Task Force was formed to work through the reports from recent tragedies and look for ways these disasters could have been avoided. Smiddy will serve on the bipartisan group and attempt to help keep those suffering from mental illness from falling through the cracks before tragedy occurs.

"As a Department of Corrections employee, I know that many violent offenders don't have access to the treatment they need. Getting them help can be crucial to preventing tragedy," Smiddy said. "The safety of our children and our communities is the most important part of my job, and I'm honored to have been selected for this task force with the goal of preventing senseless acts of violence."

The Violence Prevention Task Force is scheduled to deliver its preliminary report by July 1, 2015 and its final report by the end of the year.

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