Gun Rights Group Wants Supreme Court to Block Assault Rifle Ban in Illinois

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed into law Public Act 102-1116 on January 10, 2023.

The law went into effect immediately upon signing, so the sale of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and switches in Illinois is now banned.

The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), Illinois gun retailer Law Weapons & Supply, and its owner Robert Bevis are now hoping the Supreme Court will intervene and block the law.

Take Them to Court

According to the plaintiffs, the new law violates the Second Amendment, therefore, it should be invalidated.

They make this claim on the assertation that the new law will ban weapons and ammunition that “are possessed by millions of law-abiding Americans who overwhelmingly use them for lawful purposes.”

They want the Supreme Court to issue a temporary injunction against the law while this all plays out in the courts.

The group is citing a recent Supreme Court decision that struck down a gun permit law in New York.

The case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, set a precedent that most legal experts believed would result in a slew of lawsuits in states around the country where questionable laws regarding constitutional rights had been enacted.

The new law prohibits the sale and manufacturing of assault weapon attachments, .50 caliber cartridges, any .50 caliber rifle, and certain pistols.

The law defines an assault rifle as a rifle that is capable of holding 15 or more rounds of ammunition as well as a pistol that can hold more than 10 rounds.

Additionally, the law required those who currently own the weapons to submit an endorsement affidavit by January 1, 2024.

Pritzker, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, upon passing the new law, stated, “Gun violence is an epidemic that is plaguing every corner of this state and the people of Illinois are demanding substantive action. With this legislation we are delivering on the promises Democrats have made and, together, we are making Illinois’ gun laws a model for the nation.”