The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) has filed a lawsuit against Illinois, arguing the state’s firearm ID law infringes on both the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A lawsuit arguing that one of Illinois’s cornerstone gun control laws is unconstitutional has been filed against the state’s lawmakers. 📺 DETAIL: On Tuesday, The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), a non-profit public interest law firm focusing on constitutional freedoms, filed a lawsuit against Illinois state legislators. The lawsuit argues that the state’s Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Act violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. Under FOID, in order to own firearms and ammunition, you must apply for and carry an ID card. The lawsuit argues that, by requiring state approval to own a firearm and ammunition, the Act deprives United States citizens of their constitutional right to keep and bear arms, even for self-defense purposes, as well as violating the Due Process Clause, which ensures that no citizen is deprived of their rights in any state. The lawsuit specifically names Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly, and State Attorney of Cook County, Illinois, Eileen O’Neill Burke as the defendants. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “[It] entirely deprives everyone of the right to keep and bear arms – including the basic right to possess a firearm for self-defense in the home – unless and until they seek and receive the State’s permission.” – NCLA complaint regarding the FOID Act 🎯 IMPACT: If successful, the lawsuit could overturn FOID’s requirements to own a firearm, potentially setting a precedent for similar laws in other states. The FOID Act has been in effect since 1968, so overturning the law would mark a significant change for the state. Illinois is not the only Democrat-run state that has pursued questionable gun laws. In December last year, Democrat Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a batch of executive orders targeting gun owners. The outgoing Governor Walz has made several high-profile attacks on the Second Amendment. In one tirade against Republican support for the Second Amendment, Walz described gun rights as “bulls**t”. In early May, the Minnesota Senate narrowly approved stringent gun restrictions in a historic first. The bill aims to ban semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines. |
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