Federal appeals court upholds Illinois semiautomatic weapons ban

A federal appeals court has upheld Illinois' law restricting assault weapons and largecapacity magazines, reversing a lowercourt ruling that had found the ban unconstitutional. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the state’s limits on AR15style rifles and 30round magazines fit within the country’s tradition of firearm regulation. The law makes it illegal to manufacture, sell, deliver, buy, or possess the covered weapons, while allowing existing lawful owners to keep items they already had. Chief Judge Michael Brennan dissented, arguing that the ban goes too far and conflicts with the Second Amendment protections for commonly owned firearms used for selfdefense. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and state Attorney General Kwame Raoul praised the ruling as a public safety victory, while the National Shooting Sports Foundation said it plans to seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court.