Federal appeals court upholds sweeping Illinois gun ban

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

48% : Two members of a three-judge appellate panel found the state and municipalities that have banned the high-powered weapons "have a strong likelihood of success" in defending the law.
40% : Under the law, those owners have until Jan. 1 to register the guns with the state police or face a misdemeanor for a first offense of having an unregistered firearm covered by the ban, and a felony for subsequent offenses.
37% : A federal appeals court on Friday upheld Illinois' sweeping ban on high-powered guns, rejecting an argument that the law violates the Second Amendment rights of residents.
37% : The ban, which affects specific high-powered guns and high-capacity ammunition magazines, has faced a slew of lawsuits on the state and federal levels alleging that the law violates the state and U.S. Constitutions.
36% : "Government may punish a deliberately false fire alarm; it may condition free assembly on the issuance of a permit; it may require voters to present a valid identification card; and it may punish child abuse even if it is done in the name of religion.
29% : The 7th Circuit decision comes a little less than three months after the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the ban in a 4-3 ruling following a lawsuit brought forth by plaintiffs that included Republican state Rep. Dan Caulkins, of Decatur, alleging it violated the equal protection and special legislation clauses of the state constitution.

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