By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – Some Illinois Republicans are accusing the Pritzker administration of trying to entrap law-abiding gun owners. The state’s assault weapons ban is still not sorted out.
“We’re not here to give legal advice, but gun owners are absolutely petrified,” State Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville) said at a Capitol news conference Wednesday. “Ultimately, what happens? The law is clearly unconstitutional. Federal courts, I think, will take care of that. I’m concerned about what happens until that happens.”
At an unrelated event about an hour later, Gov. JB Pritzker said the state is just trying to keep people safe. “What the law says is that as of Jan. 1, 2024, people will need to fill out the affidavit that they have one of those guns. That’s really all it is. There’s nobody going after anybody, but that’s what the law says.”
Plummer says nobody’s been arrested yet.
State Sens. Neil Anderson (R-Andalusia) and Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) joined Plummer Wednesday.
Annie Thompson, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Kwame Raoul, issued the following statement Wednesday afternoon:
“Consistent with our handling of any rapidly-evolving litigation being handled by the Attorney General’s office, our office has not issued formal guidance related to the Protect Illinois Communities Act as the matter goes through the court system. Any insinuation that the Attorney General’s office would intentionally mislead or “entrap” law-abiding Illinois residents is, at best, laughable. At worst, it is dangerous.”
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]
