(WAND) - Two gun rights groups are suing the Illinois State Police for not promptly renewing firearm owners' identification cards.
The Illinois Illinois State Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation filed the lawsuit last week.
Ryan Thomas and Goran Lazic say they've been waiting for their identification cards and concealed carry licenses since 2017.
The group said the state police transferred nearly $30 million from funds used for dispensing the cards, background checks and concealed carrying licenses into other accounts. This has caused the application and appeal process to slow down and come to a stop.
Attorney David Sigale said he tried working with the police to keep the process moving along, but in the end there was no other option but to sue.
ISP said in a statement that it doesn't have the authority to sweep funds.
The agency also has no deadline for appeal response. ISP has been known to take months, even years to issue a decision, according to documents.
Thomas lost his license when he moved out of the state. Lazic's licenses were taken away after he was arrested for domestic battery. The chargers were later dropped and the arrest was taken off the record.
