The Supreme Court refuses to block an Illinois law banning some high-power semiautomatic weapons
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH-TV) – The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to put on hold a new Illinois law that would ban high-power semiautomatic weapons like the one used in the mass killing of seven people at a 2022 parade in a Chicago suburb, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
The law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, makes the possession, manufacture or sale of semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines illegal.
Last month, a three-judge panel of the 7th District U.S. Court of Appeals voted 2-1 in favor of the law, refusing a request by gun rights groups to block it, the AP reported.
The Illinois Supreme Court separately upheld the law on a 4-3 decision in August.
At least eight other states and the District of Columbia have some sort of prohibition on semiautomatic weapons, and several cases challenging those laws are making their way through the federal courts, reported the AP.
The Protect Illinois Communities Act bans dozens of specific brands or types of rifles and handguns, including the popular AR-15. No rifle will be allowed to accommodate more than 10 rounds, with a 15-round limit for handguns, according to the AP.
Current owners of those weapons will have to register them with the Illinois State Police.