(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court this week declined to step in and block Illinois and Naperville’s “assault weapons” and magazine bans amid multiple pending lawsuits.
Robert Bevis of Law Weapons Supplies in Naperville sued the city over its gun and magazine ban last fall.
He amended his lawsuit earlier this year to include the state’s ban enacted on January 10.
A Northern District of Illinois federal judge in February sided with the city and state.
Bevis and other plaintiffs failed to get an injunction on appeal to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
They asked U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett last month for an emergency injunction.
Bevis said last week he was worried if the law was not blocked that it could take another year to get in front of the nation’s high court.
“By that time, you’ve got all the laws are in effect with the registration and everything,” Bevis said. “So, it’s very important that we continue to fight.”
The law requires those who purchased now-banned guns before it was enacted on January 10 to register those guns with the state.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied Bevis’ motion on Wednesday.
The Naperville challenge was recently consolidated with other lawsuits in the federal appeals court.
Briefs are due through next month with a June 29 date scheduled for oral arguments.
Defending the state, Attorney General Kwame Raoul declined to comment on the legal strategy.
“With regards to the federal cases, we’re going to litigate that in federal court, not before the microphones,” Raoul said.