IL officials respond to SCOTUS decision denying 2nd Amendment rights for domestic abusers

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Illinois lawmakers and political groups are celebrating a U.S. Supreme Court decision that limits domestic abusers’ right to bear arms.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority in U.S. vs, Rahimi, noted the country has a precedent of removing firearms from individuals after they are found to pose a credible threat to the physical safety of another person.

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Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said the constitutional challenge is meritless.

“Today, the Court reaffirmed that the Second Amendment is not limitless and rejected a meritless challenge to an essential gun safety law. In doing so, they are protecting the lives of women and families across the nation.” Durbin said. “Unfortunately, Justice Thomas, the lone dissenter in the case, continues to isolate himself from a commonsense view of the limits of the Second Amendment.”

Durbin is still calling for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Bruen decision.

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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul previously led a group of state leaders across the country in filing an amicus brief in the case in April. Now, he said the decision was a win for public safety.

“I am very pleased to see the U.S. Supreme Court uphold these longstanding, commonsense tools that protect victims of domestic violence and prevent gun violence,” Raoul said in a statement Friday.

Several Illinois gun advocacy groups were working to pass legislation they called Karina’s Law which is similar to the court case. The bill has failed after several attempts, but they are hopeful with Friday’s ruling.

“We know that the risk of intimate-partner homicide increases 500% when abusers have access to a gun,” Yolanda Androzzo, the Executive Director of One Aim Illinois, said. “Karina’s Bill would ensure that all firearms are removed when an order of protection is filed, offering critical protection for those at risk. We urge our legislators to use this momentum and act swiftly in the upcoming veto session to pass Karina’s Bill and strengthen protections for those who need them the most.”

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The Illinois State Rifle Association said they support the ruling because the restrictions for gun owners would not go into effect until a threat of them has been proven credible, and have criticized Illinois legislation for not allowing “due process”.

“Today’s opinion applies solely to those who have been shown to be a credible threat to others through due process in the legal system,” Richard Pearson, the Executive Director of ISRA said. “The ISRA continues to fight for the rights of peaceful citizens to protect themselves through firearm ownership and exercise of their 2^nd amendment rights.”

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