SCOTUS Declines to Block Enforcement of Illinois Gun Law
The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Wednesday denied a request by the National Association for Gun Rights and a firearms retailer to place an injunction on enforcement of a Democrat-backed state ban on assault-style rifles and large-capacity magazines in Illinois.
Facts
- The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Wednesday denied a request by the National Association for Gun Rights and a firearms retailer to place an injunction on enforcement of a Democrat-backed state ban on assault-style rifles and large-capacity magazines in Illinois and a similar ban adopted by Naperville, a suburb of Chicago.1
- Lower courts had also declined to block enforcement of the law, and it’s set to be heard in the months ahead by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The SCOTUS order was unanimous and had no noted dissents.2
- In January, Illinois passed the law prohibiting AR-15s and similar rifles after seven people were killed in a shooting in Highland Park. The bill was blocked by a judge in a different case, but the Seventh Circuit overturned that ruling.3
- In this case, gun store owner Robert Bevis joined with the Association in arguing that the Illinois laws violate the Second Amendment without “the slightest question.”4
- This decision comes almost one year after SCOTUS expanded Second Amendment rights with a 6-3 vote to overturn a New York state law that gave licensing officials wide-ranging discretion in issuing concealed carry permits. It also established a right to carry handguns in public for self-defense.5
Sources: 1Reuters, 2ABC News, 3Independent, 4Roll Call, and 5The Hill.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by The New Republic. This is some rare good news on gun control from the Supreme Court. Easy gun access has made the US a dangerous place to live, and more than 200 mass shootings in 2023 tell everything about the need to stiffen gun laws. This is a step in the right direction, and hopefully, it’s a sign that voting and advocacy for more gun restrictions will pay off.
- Republican narrative, as provided by FOX News. This SCOTUS decision is just a small bump in the road to ending Illinois’ unconstitutional ban on hundreds of types of firearms that are owned by law-abiding Americans across the country. Either the lower court or SCOTUS will eventually apply precedent to rightfully uphold the Second Amendment rights of Illinois’ gun owners and sellers.
