Federal appeals court upholds Illinois semiautomatic weapons ban

By JOHN O’CONNOR
AP Political Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — sA federal appeals court on Friday upheld Illinois’ prohibition on high-power semiautomatic weapons, refusing to put a hold on the law adopted in response to the mass killing of seven people at a 2022 parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. Two members of a three-judge panel of the 7th District U.S. Court of Appeals recognized a difference between firearms for personal use and those the state law reserves for “trained professionals,” semiautomatic weapons, including the popular AR-15.Ed Sullivan, a lobbyist for the Illinois State Rifle Association, said gun-rights advocates were not surprised by the decision. He said a petition for U.S. Supreme Court review is likely to follow quickly. Sullivan predicted victory at the high court.