CHICAGO (WLS) — A major ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court Friday reversed a ban on bump stocks.
Local lawmakers are reacting to the decision and what the ruling could mean for Illinois’s assault weapon ban.
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The high court ruled that bump stocks don’t turn rifles into machine guns. The bump stock ban started during the Trump administration after a deadly concert shooting in Las Vegas.
I do think it’s going to spur action at the state level, as well as the federal level, to try to once again ban bump stocks.
In the decision, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that congress can amend the law to re-write the definition of a machine gun, which could affect bump stocks. President Biden is now calling on them to do that.
In the deadly shooting in Las Vegas that left 58 people dead and hundreds more injured, the gunman used a bump stock, a rapid fire gun accessory that allowed him to fire more than 1000 rounds.
READ MORE | US Supreme Court strikes down Trump-era ban on bump stocks, gun accessories used in 2017 massacre
The Supreme Court’s decision Friday was hailed by gun rights groups as a victory for the 2nd Amendment, while gun control advocates decried it as a step in the wrong direction.
“I do think it’s going to spur action at the state level, as well as the federal level, to try to once again ban bump stocks,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said. “Here in Illinois, we’ve already done that. We do not need to take action here to fill in what the Supreme Court has taken away from other states.”
Some are asking what might the High Court’s ruling mean for Illinois’ assault weapons ban, which was put into law after the Highland Park July 4th parade shooting two years ago. That law is being challenged in several federal lawsuits, and one former NRA Lobbyist says Friday’s ruling is encouraging.
I think that’s a good indicator that once they make the ruling for us, that is going to be ruled unconstitutional.
John Cabello, Republican State Rep.
“Today they said emphatically that a semi-automatic rifle with a bump stock is not a machine gun by the federal definition,” former NRA lobbyist Todd Vandermyde said. “So how can a semi-automatic rifle without a bump stock be closer to a machine gun? It can’t.”
“I think that’s a good indicator that once they make the ruling for us, that is going to be ruled unconstitutional,” Republican State Rep. John Cabello said.
However, one of the architects of the assault weapons ban is confident it will stand.
“Those that are looking for hope and trying to strike down this law that has already saved countless lives in Illinois,” Democrat State Rep. Bob Morgan said. “I think they should continue their hope, but I wouldn’t be too optimistic. I think this law is going to stand in Illinois, and it’s going to stand and withstand any U.S. Supreme Court scrutiny.”
Gun rights and gun control advocates will be closely watching the Supreme Court next week to see whether the justices will take up a challenges to Illinois’ assault weapons ban. or allow the cases to go to trial starting in September.
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