The Supreme Court declined to take up several new cases on the right to bear arms, including a challenge to an Illinois law banning assault-style weapons. The court also sent back several gun cases to lower courts for further review based on a recent ruling upholding a federal law preventing accused domestic abusers from possessing firearms. The court’s decision not to hear the Illinois case means the ban remains in effect, but other cases on gun restrictions are ongoing and may return to the justices. Conservative justices expressed a desire to provide more guidance on which weapons can be restricted under the Second Amendment.
The Illinois law, enacted after a 2022 shooting, bans assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. The ban does not affect handguns or those who owned the firearms covered by the law before its enactment. Gun rights activists have challenged the law, arguing it violates their Second Amendment rights. The legal landscape around gun rights has shifted since the court’s 2008 ruling recognizing an individual right to bear arms and subsequent pro-gun rights rulings. Despite this, efforts to revive a nationwide ban on assault weapons, similar to the one enacted in 1994, have been unsuccessful. The court’s handling of these gun cases suggests a cautious approach to the issue of gun restrictions and a desire for more clarity on the types of weapons that can be regulated under the Second Amendment.
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