Illinois becomes 9th state to ban assault rifles

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published 11 January 2023

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed a statewide assault weapons ban on Wednesday, making it the ninth state to adopt the measure, reports Axios.

"For a long time now, I and many other leaders in the Illinois General Assembly have prioritized getting the most dangerous weapons off our state's streets," Pritzker said in a statement. The push to remove assault weapons has been a long time coming, especially following the shooting at a parade in a Chicago suburb.

Other states have also put new restrictions on gun purchases including Minnesota, Virginia, and Washington, reports CBS News. California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Washington D.C. currently have bans on assault rifle sales in place. Almost all the laws in the states have been challenged in some capacity. Illinois Republicans have already said they plan to challenge it.

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"Almost the entire bill is a constitutional issue," said Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association. "The first step would be to get a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction, and then actually go after a permanent injunction." Many of the challenges are rooted in the Supreme Court's ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen (2022), where it held that requiring a license to carry violates the Constitution.

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Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.

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