US Appeals Court Upholds Illinois Gun Ban, Denies 2nd Amendment Protection for Assault Weapons

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld an Illinois state ban on assault-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, which was enacted after a mass shooting in 2022. The ban includes the sale and distribution of various high-powered semiautomatic "assault weapons" and large-capacity magazines. Opponents argued that the ban violated the Second Amendment, but the court ruled that gun rights are subject to certain limits imposed by the government. The decision cited a U.S. Supreme Court opinion from last year that established a new legal test for gun restrictions. The Illinois Supreme Court had previously upheld the ban, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled to keep California's assault weapons ban in force.