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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 26 January 2023
NRA sues over Illinois ban on semiautomatic weapons

Two individual gun own- The 24 million AR-15 semiau- ban on high-capacity am-
ers from Benton, about 100 tomatic rifles in U.S. circula- munition cartridges — no
miles (161 kilometers) south- tion far outnumber the 16 more than 10 rounds for
east of St. Louis, are lead million Ford F-150 trucks, the rifles and 15 for pistols —
plaintiffs in the NRA law- nation’s top-selling vehicle, and a long list of attach-
suit, the second to be filed according to the lawsuit. ments and other accesso-
in U.S. District Court for the A similar constitutional chal- ries, is just as problematic
Southern District of Illinois. lenge was filed last week in because the weapons in
They are joined by two the Benton-based Southern question can’t operate
southern Illinois gun dealers District. It was filed by gun without them, so the add-
and shooting range opera- owners and gun-rights ad- ons are constitutionally pro-
tors, as well as a Connect- vocacy groups. tected “firearms” by infer-
icut-based shooting sports Other lawsuits, filed in south- ence.
trade association. ern Illinois county courts, Pritzker and allies nationally
The NRA pleading notes challenge the legislative refer to the guns as “assault
Assault style weapons are displayed for sale at Capitol City that the U.S. Supreme procedure to approve the weapons.”
Arms Supply on Jan. 16, 2013, in Springfield, Ill.
Associated Press Court’s landmark 2008 law. The pleading notes the tra-
Heller decision refuses to Plaintiffs in all the lawsuits dition of bearing arms and
By JOHN O’CONNOR on dozens of rapid-fire pis- let stand any restriction on are likely seeking southern includes a glossary of terms.
AP Political Writer tols and long guns, as well “weapons that are in com- Illinois courts because of a It explains that the restrict-
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illi- as large-capacity maga- mon use” today unless — stronger disposition toward ed semiautomatic weap-
nois’ two-week-old ban on zines or attachments. another ruling last summer Second Amendment rights. ons are not machine guns
semiautomatic weapons Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritz- found — there is evidence Guns are viewed far more — the expulsion of each
outlaws “ubiquitous” fire- ker signed the law Jan. 10 of an “enduring American favorably in central and round requires a separate
arms in “radical” defiance in response to the shoot- tradition” of restriction. southern Illinois where there squeeze of the trigger.
of the Constitution’s Sec- ing deaths of seven at the The Illinois law “takes are larger populations of It points out that detach-
ond Amendment, a federal Fourth of July parade in the the radical step of ban- hunters and sport shooters, able magazines date to
lawsuit filed by the National Chicago suburb of High- ning nearly every modern compared to northern met- the Civil War and semiau-
Rifle Association Tuesday land Park, where 30 were semiautomatic rifle — the ropolitan areas, particularly tomatic power is a century
claims. also injured. single-most popular type Chicago, which continues old.q
The powerful NRA joined a He has said he believes of rifle in the country, pos- to battle deadly handgun Assault style weapons are
parade of gun-rights activ- the law will withstand court sessed by Americans in the violence. displayed for sale at Capi-
ists seeking to toss out the challenges about its consti- tens of millions,” the docu- The NRA-backed lawsuit tol City Arms Supply on Jan.
newly minted prohibition tutionality. ment says. also argues that the law’s 16, 2013, in Springfield, Ill.q

Prosecutors to Congress: Let state prisons jam cellphones

By MEG KINNARD “If inmates were blocked
Associated Press from using contraband cell
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — phones, we could prevent
Top state prosecutors from serious levels of drug traf-
across the country are ficking, deadly riots, and
again urging Congress to other crimes from happen-
pass legislation allowing ing,” the prosecutors wrote.
state prisons to jam the sig- To be able to render the
nals of cellphones smug- phones — smuggled in-
gled to inmates, devices side hollowed-out footballs,
the attorneys argue allow whisked in by corrupt em-
prisoners to plot violence ployees and sometimes
and carry out crimes. even dropped by drone —
“Simply, we need Con- worthless, prosecutors are
gress to pass legislation calling for a change in a
giving states the authority nearly century-old federal
to implement a cell phone communications law that
jamming system to protect currently prevents state
inmates, guards, and the prisons from using jamming
public at large,” the 22 technology to nullify illicit
prosecutors — all Repub- cell signals.
licans, led by South Caro- The push to clamp down
lina Attorney General Alan Prison staff work at Lee Correctional Institution, in Bishopville, S.C.. April 10, 2019. on illicit cellphones in state
Wilson — wrote in a letter Associated Press prisons has been ongoing
sent Wednesday to House for years, with South Caroli-
Speaker Kevin McCarthy The letter, provided to The and a double homicide described bodies “literally na Corrections Director Bry-
and Senate Majority Lead- Associated Press, cites a hit ordered by an Indiana stacked on top of each an Stirling at the forefront
er Chuck Schumer. handful of criminal inci- inmate. They also cited a other, like some macabre of an effort by corrections
Wilson’s office said there dents the attorneys say 2018 gang-related siege woodpile.” Corrections of- directors across the country
are plans to reach out to were orchestrated by in- that raged for more than ficials blamed the orches- to call for the ability to use
Democratic state prosecu- mates using contraband seven hours at a South trated violence — the worst more technology to crack
tors, arguing the issue isn’t cellphones, including a Carolina prison, killing sev- U.S. prison riot in 25 years — down on the contraband
a partisan one. Tennessee drug conspiracy en inmates. One inmate in part on illegal cellphones. phones.q