Several sheriffs in Illinois have pledged not to enforce a recently passed state gun law, describing it as a violation of people's Second Amendment rights, according to local media.
NBC Chicago reports that sheriffs from Kankakee, Boone, Winnebago, and McHenry counties have announced on social media that they will not comply with the requirement of the recently passed law, HB 5471, which mandates residents to register their guns with the state.
The law, known as HB5471, also prohibits the sale, manufacture, possession, and purchase of “assault-style” weapons, and limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds for long guns and 15 rounds for handguns.
Sheriff Mike Downey of Kankakee County shared a message on Facebook Wednesday, in which he stated that one of his duties is to protect the Constitution, including the right to “keep and bear arms for the defense of life, liberty, and property."
“As the custodian of the jail and chief law enforcement official for Kankakee County, neither myself nor my office will be checking to ensure that lawful gun owners register their weapons with the State, nor will we be arresting or housing law-abiding individuals that have been charged solely with non-compliance of this Act,” Downey continued, describing the law a “clear violation” of the Second Amendment.
Meanwhile, McHenry County Sheriff Robb Tadelman said that his office would also decline to register new firearms as required by the new legislation.
“Neither myself nor my office will be checking to ensure that lawful gun owners register their weapons with the state, nor will we be arresting or housing law-abiding individuals that have been charged solely with non-compliance with this act,” Tadelman said in a separate social media post, according to NBC Chicago.
A spokesperson for Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office slammed the cop's pledges as "political grandstanding at its worst," adding that the sheriffs are violating their oath of office.
“The assault weapons ban is the law of Illinois. The General Assembly passed the bill and the governor signed it into law to protect children in schools, worshippers at church, and families at parades from the fear of sudden mass murder,” the spokesperson told NBC Chicago. “Sheriffs have a constitutional duty to uphold the laws of the state, not pick and choose which laws they support and when.”
Meanwhile, gun rights groups are already preparing legal challenges over the “unconstitutional” law. The National Rifle Association (NRA) plans to challenge the law, telling the Daily Caller that it “will fight this unconstitutional ban" in federal court.
