Lawsuits challenge recent Illinois semiautomatic gun ban

By JOHN O’CONNOR
AP Political Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Legal challenges to Illinois’ semiautomatic weapons ban have begun. A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday contends that the 8-day-old law prohibits “commonly possessed” and constitutionally protected guns. A state court pleading also filed Wednesday questions the law’s exemptions based on a person’s employment. The law was driven by the mass shooting that killed seven and injured 30 at the Highland Park July Fourth parade. It bans dozens of specific types of rapid-fire handguns and rifles, .50-caliber guns, attachments and limits cartridges to 10 rounds for long guns and 15 rounds for pistols. The state lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to stop enforcement of the law. A hearing was scheduled for Wednesday morning in a central Illinois court.