Sheriffs in 80 Illinois counties say they won't enforce law banning assault weapons

More than two dozen sheriffs in the state asserted that the bill signed by J.B. Pritzker is unconstitutional.

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16 de enero, 2023

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More than two dozen sheriffs in 80 Illinois counties have stated that they will not enforce a new law banning assault weapons or high-capacity magazines in the state.

The Chicago area, reports UPI, is the area with the most people against this new law. Enforcement officials in McHenry, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, DuPage, La Salle, Grundy and Kankakee counties publicly stated that they will not enforce the new legislation.

Approved Jan. 6 by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the Illinois Communities Act prohibits the sale, manufacture, delivery and purchase of assault weapons statewide. In addition, most minors are prohibited from purchasing any type of firearm in the state.

"No Illinoisan shoud have to go through life fearing their loved one could be next in an ever-growing list of mass shooting victims," tweeted the Illinois governor minutes after signing the bill into law. In addition, he continued his tweet by assuring that, his intention in passing this measure is to continue "fighting to ensure that future generations only hear about massacres like Highland Park, Sandy Hook, and Uvalde in their textbooks."

A law against the Second Amendment

However, officials are not satisfied with this measure. As Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain explained to ABC, neither he, nor his staff, will arrest anyone for not yet registering their guns. In fact, they consider that the rule goes against the Constitution.

We are not going to be putting them in handcuffs and slapping a felony charge on them, maybe take it for safe keeping, but we don't want to ruin someone's lives on something they are confused about,

He is not the only one. In McHenry County, Robb Tadelman also assured ABC that they will not enforce the assault weapons ban: "This bill puts us in a bind on the oath we took as sheriffs to uphold the constitution and the constitution of Illinois."

Edwards County Sheriff, Darby Boewe, will also not enforce the new law. He said as much in a statement he recently uploaded to the Edwards Sheriff's Department Facebook profile:

Part of my duties that I accepted upon being sworn into office was to protect the rights provided to all of us, in the Constitution. One of those rights enumerated is the right of the people to KEEP and BEAR ARMS provided under the 2nd Amendment. The right to keep and bear arms for defense of life, liberty and property is regarded as an inalienable right by the people.