Supreme Court Upholds Illinois Assault Rifle Ban, Rural Residents Face Registration Challenges

The US Supreme Court has declined to block an Illinois ban on assault-style rifles and large capacity magazines, which was enacted after a mass shooting in 2022. The ban, signed into law by Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, prohibits the sale and distribution of certain high-powered semiautomatic weapons and magazines. The National Association for Gun Rights and a firearms retailer challenged the ban, arguing that it violated the Second Amendment. However, the Supreme Court's decision leaves the law in place pending an appeal by the plaintiffs. The court has previously taken an expansive view of the Second Amendment, but has declined to intervene in this case.