A federal appeals court upholds an Illinois law that bans or restricts semiautomatic weapons, keeping the state’s restrictions in place. Multiple outlets report that the ruling affirms the earlier enforcement of the statute rather than allowing it to be struck down.
According to CBS News, the decision comes after a lower-court ruling, which the appeals court does not follow. CBS also links the Illinois ban to political and legislative efforts following a deadly Independence Day parade shooting, noting that the law was passed largely in response to that incident.
Fox News describes the ruling as contentious and states that a judge dissented. Other outlets characterize the appellate decision as confirming the ban on so-called assault weapons. Yahoo News also reports the appeals court upholds the Illinois ban and overturns the lower-court outcome, while The Independent similarly reports that the appeals court decision stands.
Overall, the sources agree that the federal appeals court decision maintains Illinois’s semiautomatic weapons ban and reverses the prior lower-court ruling, with at least one dissenting judge.
