Supreme Court upholds Illinois assault weapons ban

The Supreme Court has declined to block an Illinois law banning assault-style weapons, leaving the measure in place while proceedings before a federal appellate court continue. The court's decision marks the second time they have declined to halt Illinois' statewide ban, which a gun rights advocacy group and gun shop owner argue violates the Second Amendment. The law restricts the sale and purchase of semi-automatic "assault weapons" and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices. The case is part of a larger fight over the constitutionality of firearms restrictions following the Supreme Court's decision 18 months ago that imposed a new framework for evaluating such laws.