In an order released July 2, the United States Supreme Court declined to take up a legal challenge to the state’s “assault weapon” ban but left the door open to hearing the case in the future.

Petitioners had requested that the nation’s highest court issue an injunction against the enforcement of the ban. The request followed conflicting rulings on multiple challenges to the law, including a temporary injunction issued by a judge in the Southern District of Illinois that was later thrown out by the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, where a challenge is still pending.

The Supreme Court has declined to hear the case while that challenge is ongoing but reserved the right to take it up at a later date, noting, “…if the Seventh Circuit ultimately allows Illinois to ban America’s most common civilian rifle, we can – and should – review that decision once the cases reach a final judgment.” A justice added that, “The Court must not permit ‘the Seventh Circuit [to] relegat[e] the Second Amendment to a second-class right.”

Senate Republicans stated they remain optimistic that the state’s ban will ultimately be found unconstitutional once the legal process has concluded. We opposed the ban in the Senate, viewing it as an unconstitutional overreach and an attack on the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.