Dieterich, IL… State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) issued the following statement upon learning of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear a challenge to Cook County’s assault weapons ban. The high court granted certiorari in the case brought by two Illinois residents in Cook County who are challenging Cook County’s law, which bars residents from owning, buying or transferring 125 types of rifles, including the AR-15.
“We have been following this case for years, and I am pleased to hear it will finally be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Rep. Niemerg. “It is my hope the Supreme Court strikes down these laws and restores the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. As a member of the Gun Violence Committee, I see firsthand how these laws erode our constitutional rights.”
Cook County first adopted a local assault weapons ban in 1993 and the current challenge was filed in 2021. The plaintiffs argue that these firearms like the AR-15 are in “common use” by law-abiding citizens across the country and therefore possess constitutional protections, and that a common firearm cannot be barred entirely.
Niemerg points out that only four Justices out of nine are needed to grant a review of a case. The Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments in the fall of this year, with a final ruling anticipated by the summer of 2027.
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