Illinois in Focus

The state of Illinois is appealing a ruling that the ban on carrying concealed firearms on public transit is unconstitutional. The case Schoenthal v. Raoul, filed two years ago, challenges Illinois’ concealed carry law that carves out places like mass transit where people licensed to carry firearms concealed are prohibited from carrying. Late last month, a Northern District of Illinois federal judge sided with plaintiffs, saying the law violates the Second Amendment.

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While the bench trial for Illinois’ gun and magazine ban is over, the reverberations could impact a separate lawsuit against banning firearm silencers. Litigants in the trial that wrapped up Thursday argued over the difference and similarities of now banned semi-automatic only firearms and military rifles that go full auto or burst. Plaintiffs worked to address the issues raised by the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals that sided with the state on preliminary grounds last year, saying semi-automatic firearms are too similar to military firearms and can be banned.

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The bench trial for the challenge to Illinois’ gun and magazine ban continues in East St. Louis.

Illinois enacted a ban on semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities in January 2023. Lawsuits challenging the law in federal court went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court on preliminary grounds. Justices denied the request, saying they wanted a full case on final judgment. Monday began the trial to get to final judgment in the courtroom of federal Judge Stephen McGlynn. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Greg Bishop reviews the closing arguments from the plaintiffs and defense in the bench trial of Illinois' gun and magazine ban, as well as some of the closing comments from federal Judge Stephen McGlynn about historic riots where Black residents were victimized.

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Attorneys for the state of Illinois called their first witness to the stand in the trial against the state’s gun and magazine ban. Day 3 of the bench trial featured plaintiffs’ final witness Randy Watt. Day 3 of the trial also had the state call its first witness. Retired Col. Craig Tucker, who served overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan and trained other soldiers for combat, testified that semi-automatic fire is preferred in a military setting for accuracy and not wasting ammo. But, he testified he would not recommend getting rid of full auto from military rifles.

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Whether commercially available semi-automatic rifles now banned in Illinois are common or too similar to military grade firearms was the focus of Day 2 of the bench trial of Illinois’ gun and magazine ban. On preliminary grounds, the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the state last year, saying commercially available rifles that Illinois banned in January 2023 are too similar to military grade rifles and are able to be regulated. Now up for final judgment in the Southern District of Illinois federal court, day two of the bench trial was dominated by James Ronkainen, a former longtime engineer and director of firearms development and production for Remington. He said there are material differences between modern sporting rifles and military spec firearms.

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Greg Bishop, Illinois editor for The Center Square, hosts Illinois In Focus Daily, a review of some of the top Illinois headlines with timely and relevant news and interviews.

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Greg Bishop, Illinois editor for The Center Square, hosts Illinois In Focus Daily, a review of some of the top Illinois headlines with timely and relevant news and interviews.

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A Chicago economics professor has questions about the potential effectiveness of the city’s new budget restrictions. City Budget Director Annette Guzman outlined the changes this week, after Mayor Brandon Johnson projected a budget deficit of nearly a billion dollars in 2025. Guzman said a citywide hiring freeze would take effect immediately. Frances Lee is an economics professor at Loyola University of Chicago. Lee said economists have a saying when it comes to hiring. “We can achieve full employment if we hire half of the population to dig a hole and the other half to fill it. If we are eliminating these kinds of government jobs, then, yes, by all means do the hiring freeze,” Lee said. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan doesn't want the word "corruption" mentioned at his upcoming corruption trial. Madigan laid out a litany of things he wants excluded from his upcoming racketeering trial in October. The words Madigan's defense team doesn't want the jury to hear are "patronage," "political machine," "Shakman Litigation," "corrupt politicians," "corruption," and "Public Corruption Task Force," and their derivatives, according to a motion pending before Judge Manish Shah. Those words are too prejudicial, the defense argued. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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