Peoria Standard

Illinois Rep. Jason Bunting took to Facebook on May 1 to share a the decision of a Southern Illinois judge, who on April 28 blocked the enforcement of a ban on assault weapons signed in January by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.

Bunting shared a story from the Rockford Register Star, which reported that Judge Stephen P. McGlynn, ruled in a 29-page opinion that the Protect Illinois Communities Act would likely be found unconstitutional when a lawsuit challenging the measure goes to trial, adding that plaintiffs in the consolidated cases would suffer harm "without a preliminary injunction to block its enforcement."

According to a story by WLS, McGlynn's decision came less than a week after another federal judge, Lindsay Jenkins, of the Northern District of Illinois, reached the opposite conclusion, denying a motion to halt enforcement of the law. The plaintiffs have said they will appeal Jenkins' ruling to appeal to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

"We have a federal judge ruling one way. We have two federal judges ruling another way. It's going to be appealed to the seventh circuit, and of course the next level of appeal above the seventh circuit is the United States Supreme Court," WLS Legal Analyst Gil Soffer said in the story. "This is probably the most significant moment in what will be an ongoing battle."

Pritzker signed the bill creating the assault weapon and high capacity magazine ban on Jan. 10, which went into effect immediately upon Pritzker's signature. However, the Illinois House had passed a slightly different version the week before, and lawsuits trying to stop the enforcement of Pritzker's bill began almost immediately.

Bunting's district includes parts of Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, LaSalle, Livingston, McLean and Will Counties. He previously served on the Livingston County Board, and as Highway Commissioner of Broughton Township. Until 2023, Bunting served as President of the Livingston County Farm Bureau. He is also Director for the Illinois Corn Growers’ Association, according to his website.