Current:Home > BackUS judge tosses Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons, governor pledges swift appeal-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
US judge tosses Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons, governor pledges swift appeal
View Date:2024-12-23 18:54:17
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday overturned Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons, leaning on recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that strictly interpret the Second Amendment right to keep and bear firearms.
U.S. District Judge Stephen P. McGlynn issued the lengthy finding in a decree that he said applied universally, not just to the plaintiffs who brought the lawsuit challenging the ban.
The Protect Illinois Communities Act, signed into law in January 2023 by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, took effect Jan. 1. It bans AR-15 rifles and similar guns, large-capacity magazines and a wide assortment of attachments largely in response to the 2022 Independence Day shooting at a parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park.
McGlynn’s order doesn’t take effect for 30 days.
“Sadly, there are those who seek to usher in a sort of post-Constitution era where the citizens’ individual rights are only as important as they are convenient to a ruling class,” McGlynn, who was appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, wrote in his opinion. “The oft-quoted phrase that ‘no right is absolute’ does not mean that fundamental rights precariously subsist subject to the whims, caprice, or appetite of government officials or judges.”
Pritzker and Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul pledged to swiftly appeal the ruling.
“Despite those who value weapons of war more than public safety, this law was enacted to and has protected Illinoisans from the constant fear of being gunned down in places where they ought to feel secure,” Pritzker spokesman Alex Gough said.
The Illinois State Rifle Association, in a post on its website, said, “Our legislative team tried to warn lawmakers about the unconstitutionality of Pritzker’s scheme.”
“Today’s ruling affirms our legislative position and shows our dedication to fighting on behalf of the millions of law-abiding Illinois firearms owners,” the association said.
___
Williams reported from Detroit.
veryGood! (579)
Related
- Veterans face challenges starting small businesses but there are plenty of resources to help
- Today’s Climate: May 19, 2010
- Today’s Climate: May 6, 2010
- Lee Raymond
- McDonald's Version: New Bestie Bundle meals celebrate Swiftie friendship bracelets
- El Niño’s Warning: Satellite Shows How Forest CO2 Emissions Can Skyrocket
- Patrick Mahomes' Brother Jackson Mahomes Arrested for Alleged Aggravated Sexual Battery
- Look Back on King Charles III's Road to the Throne
- Who will be in the top 12? Our College Football Playoff ranking projection
- Cleanse, Hydrate, and Exfoliate Your Skin With a $40 Deal on $107 Worth of First Aid Beauty Products
Ranking
- Karol G addresses backlash to '+57' lyric: 'I still have a lot to learn'
- Trump-appointed federal judge rules Tennessee law restricting drag shows is unconstitutional
- Maria Menounos Shares Battle With Stage 2 Pancreatic Cancer While Expecting Baby
- Once-Rare Flooding Could Hit NYC Every 5 Years with Climate Change, Study Warns
- Natural gas flares sparked 2 wildfires in North Dakota, state agency says
- A rapidly spreading E. coli outbreak in Michigan and Ohio is raising health alarms
- 10 Senators Call for Investigation into EPA Pushing Scientists Off Advisory Boards
- Kevin Costner and Wife Christine Baumgartner Break Up After 18 Years of Marriage
Recommendation
-
The Masked Singer's Ice King Might Be a Jonas Brother
-
Go Behind-the-Scenes of Brittany Mahomes’ Met Gala Prep With Her Makeup Artist
-
Poisoned cheesecake used as a weapon in an attempted murder a first for NY investigators
-
Today’s Climate: May 12, 2010
-
Louisville officials mourn victims of 'unthinkable' plant explosion amid investigation
-
Harold N. Weinberg
-
U.S. Unprepared to Face Costs of Climate Change, GAO Says
-
Hunger Games' Alexander Ludwig Welcomes Baby With Wife Lauren