Semiautomatic weapons ban upheld by Illinois Supreme Court In a 4-3 ruling Friday, the Illinois Supreme Court voted to uphold the state's ban on semiautomatic weapons.
Earlier this year, the House voted 68-41 to approve the ban, and the Senate passed the legislation in a 34-20 vote. Hours after state lawmakers' approval in January, House Bill 5471 was signed into law by Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker, the Associated Press reported.
The "Protect Our Communities Act" prohibited the "manufacture, possession, delivery, sale, and purchase of assault weapons, .50 caliber rifles, and .50 caliber cartridges." It defined so-called assault weapons as semiautomatic rifles, banning dozens of specific brands and types of firearms. The legislation limited magazine capacity to 10 rounds for rifles and 15 for handguns.
Republican state Representative Dan Caulkins and gun owners filed a lawsuit against the ban, claiming it violated the equal protection clause of the Illinois Constitution.
The bill allowed gun owners already in possession of banned firearms to keep them, which Caulkins argued violated the requirement for the law to be applied equally. ............
https://www.theblaze.com/news/semiautomatic-weapons-ban-upheld-by-illinois-supreme-court
