East Central Reporter

Opponents have called out Democrats for heavily donating to the campaigns of two of the justices who ruled in favor of the Illinois gun ban.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker donated $2 million to two Illinois Supreme Court justices' campaigns, Mary O'Brien and Elizabeth Rochford, despite a law capping campaign contribution limits at $500,000, according to The Heartlander.

“If we don’t have confidence in the opinions the judicial branch issues then our judicial branch is failing,” Chris Forsyth, with the nonpartisan Judicial Integrity Project, told Center Square, as reported by The Heartlander. “Political donations can lead to issues of judicial integrity and the United States Supreme Court has said so. In some cases they have found political donations to be so grave that there is a conflict of interest that is impermissible.”

The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the state’s gun and magazine ban, ruling against challenges saying the law violates equal protection and infringes on Second Amendment rights, according to The Center Square. The split decision maintains the ban, with the majority opinion emphasizing that exemptions for law enforcement and security personnel are not in violation of equal protection. 

The minority opinion argued that the right to bear arms is fundamental to individual freedom, The Center Square report said. Despite this ruling, federal challenges are ongoing, and the case is anticipated to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

The ban, enacted by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, prohibits more than 170 semi-automatic firearms and restricts the sale and possession of magazines above certain capacities, according to a separate report from The Center Square.

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., strongly criticized the Illinois Supreme Court's decision to uphold JB Pritzker's gun ban, accusing the governor of undermining the Second Amendment and endangering communities through his policies. Miller asserted the fight was far from over and expressed confidence the Second Amendment would ultimately prevail, according to a Facebook post.

“The Illinois Supreme Court ignored the Second Amendment by upholding JB Pritzker's unconstitutional gun ban," Miller said on Facebook. "JB Pritzker's goal is to defund the police, release dangerous criminals onto the streets with his ‘SAFE-T Act’ and take away your ability to protect yourself and your family. This fight is not over, and the #2A will prevail!”