On January 10, the general assembly and governor of Illinois acted gleefully in defiance of the United States Supreme Court on a civil-rights issue. Behold: the Protect Illinois Communities Act. But as bad as this massive gun-control overreach is, it likely represents the apogee of gun-control efforts in Illinois. Its disregard for the Constitution is so blatant that its defeat could lead to further rollback of gun-rights infringements in the Prairie State.
The act criminalizes the manufacture, sale, transfer, and possession of a host of firearms, parts, accessories, and magazines, including all versions of America’s favorite rifle, the AR-15. Magazines holding more than ten rounds (rifle) or 15 rounds (pistol) are also prohibited from sale. By October, the Illinois state police is to establish a registry for owners of the banned items. Residents will have until January 2024 to legally declare their pre-ban ownership of now-banned firearms.
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