Peoria Standard

Tazewell County Sheriff Jeffrey Lower has expressed his opposition to the gun ban enacted by Gov. J.B. Pritzker early this month. 

He vowed "to steadfastly protect the Second Amendment and all other individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution." 

“I am extremely disappointed with the passage of HB 5471 that further erodes our Constitutional freedoms and as an elected Sheriff of Illinois, I soundly reaffirm my sworn oath to 'support, obey, and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois,'” Lower said in a statement. “Sheriffs serve as the chief law enforcement officer in each of the 102 counties in the State of Illinois. As such, I publicly reassert my individual and collective duty to defend all of the constitutional rights of the citizens of Tazewell County.” 

Lower said that the "country will only relent when we all vigorously defend and preserve the Constitution and the freedoms it provides."

“Importantly, the Second Amendment of our Constitution clearly states.... 'the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.'" Lower said. "I recognize a significant principle underlying the Second Amendment: the right to keep and bear arms is indispensable to the existence of a free society.” 

Sheriffs across the state are refusing to implement the Protect Illinois Communities Act – HB 5471 – that bans over 100 commonly owned firearms. 

More than 80 of Illinois’ 102 counties have said they will not enforce the ban due to what they see as constitutional violations, according to Colion Noir. The ban affects 170 types of guns commonly available in the state. 

The law classifies all semi-automatic weapons as assault weapons. The law also requires local firearms be registered, according to Central Illinois Proud. 

The Illinois State Rifle Association, the Firearms Policy Coalition, Inc., and the Second Amendment Foundation, along with several gun owners from across Illinois have filed joint action in federal court against the State of Illinois over the sweeping gun ban.

As many as five million firearms and ten million magazines in the state may be affected. Gun rights advocates have begun litigation against the state, claiming it is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment, according to Chicago City Wire.