January 28, 2023

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Gun News

Local sheriffs say they won't enforce new Illinois gun law

Days after Illinois passed a law banning assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines, dozens of county sheriffs say they won't enforce the measure, claiming it is unconstitutional.

Displeasure appears strongest around the Chicago area, where top law enforcement officials in McHenry, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, La Salle, Grundy, and Kankakee counties have publicly stated they will not enforce the new legislation, WLS-TV reported.

DuPage County and its 920,000 residents is the largest so far to defy the law.

Lawmakers passed the "Protect Illinois Communities Act," on Jan. 6, banning the sale, manufacture, delivery and purchase of assault weapons across the entire state.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill which also prohibits most individuals under age 21 from buying any type of firearm in the state.

The legislation became effective immediately, although to what level individual counties enforce the rules remains to be seen.

Opponents argue the law violates the 2nd Amendment's right to bear arms.

"I, among many others, believe HB 5471 is a clear violation of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution," LaSalle County Sheriff Adam Diss wrote in an open letter, posted on the Illinois Sheriffs' Association Facebook page.

"Therefore, as the Custodian of the Jail and Chief Law Enforcement Official for LaSalle County, that neither myself nor my office will be checking to ensure that lawful gun owners register their weapons with the State, nor will we be arresting or housing law-abiding individuals that have been arrested solely with non-compliance with this Act," he wrote.

Several other sheriffs have posted similar letters on the page, which were crafted by the association. At least 74 different sheriff's departments say they will not enforce the new legislation.

Local law enforcement agencies do not have the power to determine constitutionality, supporters of the law counter.

"Their job is to enforce the law, it's not to interpret the Constitution. We leave that up to the courts," Ed Yohnka of the American Civil Liberties Union told WEEK-TV in Peoria. Ill.

Featured Firearm

AR-15 Rifle

Light, precise and with little recoil, the Colt Armalite Rifle-15 Sporter hit the market in the early 1960s as the first civilian version of the military's M16 rifle. What set it apart was, much like its military counterpart, the inventor Eugene Stoner's patented gas operating system, which allowed for rapid fire and reloading. The weapon could easily handle a 20-round magazine, was easy to disassemble and was marketed, in one of Colt's early advertisements, to hunters, campers and collectors.

Billed as "America's rifle" by the National Rifle Association, the AR-15 is less a specific weapon than a family of them. When Mr. Stoner's rights to the gas system expired in 1977, it opened the way for dozens of weapons manufacturers to produce their own models, using the same technology. The term AR-15 has become a catchall that includes a variety of weapons that look and operate similarly, including the Remington Bushmaster, the Smith & Wesson M&P15 and the Springfield Armory Saint.

Did you know?

How does a gas operated AR-15 work?

The gas piston operating system uses a portion of high-pressure gas from the cartridge to dispose of the spent case and insert a new cartridge. Let's see exactly how it works in this detailed animation.

Click here to watch the video.


Thanks for reading,

The Editor

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