Republicans say Pritzker entrapped Illinoisans who bought guns when ban was halted

[May 11, 2023]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois Republicans say Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration entrapped citizens who bought certain semi-automatic firearms during the six-day window when the state’s gun ban was blocked by a federal court.

State Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, said when the Southern District of Illinois federal court enjoined the state from enforcing the law, the Pritzker administration didn’t put out any guidance.

Six days later, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the injunction. Illinois State Police said after consulting with the attorney general, certain semi-automatic firearms purchased during that time are illegal.

“If the purchase of a firearm or firearm attachment banned under PICA was initiated and completed between the date of the Southern District of Illinois’ Order on April 28, 2023, until the stay of such Order by the U.S. Appellate Court on May 4, 2023, the possession of such weapon will be unlawful beginning January 1, 2024, pursuant to 720 ILCS 5/24-1.9(c),” a public information officer for Illinois State Police told The Center Square in an email Friday.

Wednesday, Plummer decried that.

“This is, I believe, an intentional effort by the governor and the attorney general to entrap Illinoisans, law-abiding citizens, and turn them into felons and I think it’s punitive and egregious,” Plummer said during a news conference.

Pritzker responded Wednesday.

“What the law says is that as of Jan. 1 of 2024, that people will need to fill out the affidavit that they have one of those guns,” Pritzker said at an unrelated event. “That’s really all it is. There’s nobody going after anybody, but that’s really what the law says.”

Illinois state Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, during a news conference in Springfield
Greg Bishop / The Center Square

The ISP statement late last week went further to say those submitting an affidavit must state that “any banned firearm or firearm attachments were possessed prior to the enactment of PICA (January 10, 2023) pursuant to 720 ILCS 5/24-1.9(d).”

If Illinois’ gun ban survives a myriad of court challenges, anyone found in violation of having a banned firearm could face a Class A misdemeanor. Gun dealers could face felony charges.

Plummer said his office is flooded with calls from worried constituents.

“We’re going to introduce the legislation and this legislation is going to merely provide peace of mind to law-abiding gun owners in the state of Illinois who have been exercising their Second Amendment rights that they will not be attacked by the state of Illinois, they will not be penalized by the state of Illinois, for doing what they were told they could do by the court of law,” Plummer said.

Pritzker said the law is the law.

“As you know, there are many gun dealers who would like to have something different in the law, but the law that passed bans assault weapons,” Pritzker said.

Lawsuits against the ban are pending in state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Greg Bishop reports on Illinois government and other issues for The Center Square. Bishop has years of award-winning broadcast experience and hosts the WMAY Morning Newsfeed out of Springfield.