McHenry Times

The Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) is alerting citizens that Moms Demand Action is lobbying McHenry County to prevent it from declaring itself a second amendment sanctuary. 

The recent passage of an assault weapons ban has caused county boards to declare their counties Second Amendment sanctuaries.

“Moms Demand Action is trying to prevent McHenry County from becoming a 2A sanctuary,” ISRA said in a press release. "Please spread the word."

The McHenry County Board was deadlocked in a 3-3 vote in a Tuesday night meeting. “[The nation is] at the precipice of losing freedom and tyranny is at the door,” Fox River Grove resident Jamie Milton said, according to Shaw Local. “What side of history will you be on?” 

The Protect Illinois Communities Act, HB 5471, classifies all semi-automatic weapons as assault weapons. The ban affects 170 types of guns commonly available in the state. The law requires that certain firearms be registered for $50 apiece. 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.

Judge Joshua Morrison issued a temporary restraining order last week that was upheld by the Fifth District Appellate Court. That means the law will not be applied to the 866 plaintiffs represented by former attorney general candidate Thomas DeVore until it can be heard in court. Attorney General Kwame Raoul is seeking an expedited ruling from the Illinois Supreme Court.

The resolution McHenry County voted on follows that of Iroquois County, which passed its own resolution disallowing county money from being spent on enforcement efforts, Kankakee Times reported. Several Illinois counties have followed suit since. At present, the state has about 70 sanctuary counties in which gun owners' rights have been asserted at the county level.