Idaho Attorney General Labrador Leads 23 States Fighting for America’s 2nd Amendment.
Boise, ID (STL.News) Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador has filed an amicus brief leading 23 states in Barnett v. Raoul challenging Illinois’s unconstitutional semiautomatic weapons ban.
On January 10, 2023, Illinois enacted HB 5471, the “Protect Illinois Communities Act.” HB 5471 bans nearly every modern semiautomatic rifle, the most popular type of rifle in the United States. The law also bans certain “semiautomatic pistols” that are commonly used weapons for self-defense. Furthermore, HB 5471 prohibits all ammunition-feeding devices capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition for long guns and 15 rounds for handguns. The law disregards the millions of law-abiding Americans who own firearms that use such magazines.
Attorney General Labrador opposes this unconstitutional law, which violates the text and history of the Second Amendment. Recent Supreme Court precedents such as Bruen (2022), Heller (2008), and Caetano (2016) affirm the right of Americans to possess and use bearable arms, like the ones Illinois has banned, especially when such arms are in common use.
“The founders didn’t carve out Second Amendment exemptions for states. Illinois is trying to set an unconstitutional precedent, of an unconstitutional law, that will ultimately impact Idahoans in the future. I will always fight to defend Idahoan’s rights wherever they are being infringed.” Attorney General Labrador said.
This case seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to prevent Illinois from enforcing HB 5471.
Attorney General Labrador’s actions demonstrate his commitment to upholding Constitutional rights and liberties. General Labrador will not stand idly by and watch Illinois chip away at the scope of the Second Amendment and work to establish a harmful precedent. Today’s actions should send a strong message to rogue states. No state has the right to take constitutional rights from any American, and any attempt will be met with legal action from Attorney General Labrador.
SOURCE: Idaho Attorney General
