Sheriffs from Kankakee County, Boone County, Winnebago County and McHenry County posted messages on social media saying they will not comply with the portion of the law that requires residents to register their guns with the state, according to NBC Chicago. The recently passed law, HB 5471, will outlaw the sale, manufacture, possession and purchase of “assault-style” weapons, while also limiting magazine capacity to 10 rounds for long guns and 15 rounds for handguns.
Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey shared a message on Facebook Wednesday, saying that one of his duties is to protect the Constitution, including the right to “keep and bear arms for defense of life, liberty and property,” he said in the post.
“As the custodian of the jail and chief law enforcement official for Kankakee County, that neither myself nor my office will be checking to ensure that lawful gun owners register their weapons with the State, nor will we be arresting or housing law abiding individuals that have been charged solely with non-compliance of this Act,” Downey continued, calling the law a “clear violation” of the Second Amendment.
[I *mainly* feel good about this. Sheriffs are elected officials as well as law enforcement executives, so they are part of the political process, too. In a perfect world, LEOs would enforce all statutes as written, though. It’s better to challenge this law through the courts and have the judiciary strike it down if it violates the Constitution, but I can’t blame these sheriffs for choosing not to violate constitutional rights in the meantime. — Ed]
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