Gov. J.B. Pritzker has stated that the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down a bump stock ban will not affect the state of Illinois. However, he acknowledged that other states may take action in response to the ruling.
In 2017, the United States witnessed its deadliest mass shooting ever, as 60 individuals were killed in Las Vegas. The perpetrator had used a bump stock, which subsequently led to the ban on such devices.
In a recent ruling, the highest court of the nation declared that utilizing bump stocks does not convert a firearm into an automatic weapon. The judges concluded that the ATF had overstepped their jurisdiction by categorizing bump stocks as machine guns.
Kathleen Sances, President and CEO of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC Illinois, issued a statement in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling to lift the ban on bump stocks is a setback in our efforts to prevent gun violence and safeguard the public from further mass shootings. It’s crucial that the Congress takes swift action to address the bump stock ban at the federal level and extend the protective measures already in place in Illinois to all citizens across the country.
The ruling has been praised by the National Rifle Association (NRA), who believe that it will play a key role in their efforts to challenge ATF regulations.
According to Pritzker, there is no need for Illinois lawmakers to take any action. However, the situation is different in other places.
According to Pritzker, the recent Supreme Court decision on bump stocks is likely to encourage both state and federal authorities to reintroduce regulations to prohibit their use. Despite this, Illinois has already banned bump stocks and therefore does not need to take any further action in response to the Supreme Court’s decision.
President Donald Trump instructed the Attorney General in 2018 to make use of all available resources to suggest a regulation that would prohibit the use of any devices that can transform legal firearms into machine guns. In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, his campaign released a statement.
Karoline Leavitt, the national press secretary of the Trump campaign, stated that the decision of the Court should be respected.
