Kendall County Times

Kendall County Republicans are applauding efforts to overturn a sweeping gun ban that is being challenged in court. 

House Bill 5471, also known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act, was signed into law earlier this month by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. 

“The Unconstitutional Firearms Ban (HB 5471) passed in Springfield Tuesday this week, by DEMOCRATS & Jim Durkin(R) and signed by the Tyrant Governor JB Pritzker!” Kendall County Republicans posted on Facebook. “The Illinois Sheriffs Association and 95 (so far) of 102 Illinois Sheriffs have issued Statements opposing the Bill, most openly stating they will NOT enforce it within their counties.” 

Many more are decrying the move. 

“In addition, many County Boards and States Attorneys have also specially enjoined the departments and resources who report to them NOT to engage in any activities supporting the Unconstitutional usurpations passed by the State Legislature on Illinois and Signed by the Governor,” Kendall County Republicans added. 

The Protect Illinois Communities Act HB 5471 classifies all semi-automatic weapons as assault weapons. The law requires certain firearms be registered. As many as five million firearms and ten million magazines in the state may be affected. Gun rights advocates have begun litigation against the state claiming it is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment, Chicago City Wire reported.

In Effingham County, the gun ban was stopped after Judge Joshua Morrison issued a temporary restraining order last week. That means the law will not be implemented in that county until the suit can be heard in court. “We will see if the state wants to appeal. If not, we’ll work on getting this pursued to a final ruling so we can get to the merits of these issues, sooner rather than later,” Greenville attorney Thomas DeVore, last year’s Republican candidate for attorney general, told The Center Square. In Effingham County DeVore is representing 860 residents, including gun store owners.

Another 1,690 plaintiffs joined a second lawsuit headed by DeVore after the Effingham County ruling. “How many plaintiffs in the second case? … I don’t want to give that away,” DeVore said. “I’m going to let the governor hang in suspense and he’ll find out … when we file this thing. I’m really pleased with the support because we’re going to go off into federal court and we’re going to get the governor's attention in a bigger way than we’ve already got.” Of the nearly 1,700 plaintiffs across 92 counties in the second case, 62 are gun stores.

The Illinois State Rifle Association, the Firearms Policy Coalition, Inc., and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), along with several gun owners from across Illinois have filed joint action in federal court against the State of Illinois over the gun ban enacted in early January.

 "The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a motion for preliminary injunction in its federal court challenge of the recently-signed ban on modern semiautomatic rifles and their ammunition magazines. The case is known as Harrel v. Raoul," SAF said in a news release. "Joining SAF are the Illinois State Rifle Association, Firearms Policy Coalition, C4 Gun Store LLC, Marengo Guns, Inc. and a private citizen, Dane Harrel, for whom the case is named. They are represented by attorney David Sigale of Wheaton, Ill. The motion was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois."