Sheriffs across Illinois in over 80 Counties have taken a stand against the state’s ban on semiautomatic weapons, refusing to enforce the new law despite an explicit threat from the governor.

(See statements below ↓ from sheriffs all across Illinois)

This week, sheriffs across Illinois announced that they will not enforce the new law, called the Protect Illinois Communities Act, banning AR-15s and

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed the so-called “Protect Illinois Communities Act,” which was passed by the Illinois Senate on Monday, into law.

The measure bans the sale, manufacture, and possession of semiautomatic rifles and more than 170 guns in Illinois. This list will undoubtedly grow in the state.

It criminalized what they consider “high-capacity” magazines, devices attached to firearms to increase the rate of fire, and .50 caliber guns.

The law also extends the length of a firearms restraining order handed down through the Illinois red flag law from six months to one year.

It fell just short of gun confiscation, though undoubtedly, lawmakers who supported the measure would love to go that far.

The act requires anyone who owns an AR-15  or the more than 170 banned semiautomatic guns to register it with the State Police.

The owner must provide serial numbers, which was a controversial provision stripped by the Senate before being restored by the House.

The legislature acted unconstitutionally in banning semiautomatic weapons, which only feature the “style” of so-called “assault weapons,” which they mean commonly owned semiautomatic rifles.

State sheriffs have already doubled down on their refusal to enforce this infringement on residents’ Second Amendment rights (see statements below ↓).

ABC News reported that a total of 74 Illinois sheriffs are on the record stating they will defy the ban.

The outlet listed counties that will not comply, such as Stephenson, Ogle, Lee, Knox, LaSalle, Logan, Dewitt, Kankakee, Grundy, and Winnebago among countless others (see statements below ↓).

One of the valiant law enforcement officers, Edwards County Sheriff Darby Boewe, posted on social media that he was elected by the people and duly sworn into office to protect the rights of Illinois citizens.

Writing on Facebook, Boewe stated that “part of my duties that I accepted upon being sworn into office was to protect the rights provided to all of us in the Constitution.” He asserted that these freedoms include the inalienable right to keep and bear arms.

The sheriff said that “neither myself nor my office will be checking to ensure that lawful gun owners register their weapons with the state.” He added that Edwards County will not arrest or incarcerate people charged only with non-compliance with the statute.

Other sheriffs followed suit, including McDonough County’s Nicholas M. Petitgout. He wrote that one of the constitutional rights he is sworn to uphold “is the right of the people to keep and bear arms provided under the Second Amendment. 

Like Boewe, he declared that he and his office will not check on the registration status of lawful gun owners of semiautomatic weapons and will not be “arresting or housing” those who solely face charges of not being in compliance with the regulation. 

Needless to say, this did not sit well in Chicago. Gov. Pritzker declared that “people who want to politically grandstand” will either fall in line “or they won’t be in their job.”

Several gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association, declared that the new law goes far beyond previous attempts by lawmakers to prohibit specific weapons and would affect many popular models.

State lawmakers have far more important items on their plates than pursuing law-abiding citizens for exercising their constitutionally protected freedoms.

Criminalizing legal gun owners makes no sense when it is the criminal element responsible for the state’s – and particularly Chicago’s – shocking violent crime rate.

It is far better for Illinois to sweep violent criminals off the streets than to target those who only intend to defend themselves.

There will unquestionably be strong legal challenges to this legislative overreach, and the law should quickly find itself in the dustbin of history.

Mom At Arms did a great job of gathering statements from sheriff’s offices across Illinois.

Here are some of the statements they gathered:

Here is a statement out of Perry County, IL:

Perry County, IL

And this out of Adams County:

Adams County

Adams County

Here is another out of the McDonough County Sheriff’s Office posted on their facebook page:

Mcdonough

Here’s out of Ogle County Sheriff’s office

Here is out of Lee County.

Here is out of Winnebago County:

Here’s out of Lasalle County Sherrif’s Office:

Here’s out of Knox County Sheriff’s office:

Here’s Sheriff Mike Downey statement out of Kankakee County:

Here is out of Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office:

Here is out of Logan County Sheriff’s Office:

Here is out of Wabash County Sheriff’s Office:

Here is out of Edwards County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of Richland County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of Grundy County Sheriff’s Office:
 
Here is out of Massac County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of Fulton County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of White County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of Coles County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of Shawn Kahl County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of Fayette County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of Dewitt County Sheriff’s Office:
 
Here is out of Monroe County Sheriff’s Office:
 
Here is out of Franklin County Sheriff’s Office:
 
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Here is out of Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office:
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Here is out of Kane County Sheriff’s Office:
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Here is out of Putnam County Sheriff’s Office:
 Here is from the Illinois Sheriffs Association:
Here is out of Johnson County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office:
 

Here is out of Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office:

Here is out of Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office:
 
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Here is out of Stark County Sheriff’s Office:

 
 
Here is out of Mason County Sheriff’s Office:
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Here is out of Will County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of Ford County Sheriff’s Office:
Here is out of Marion County Sheriff’s Office: