Illinois Handgun-Carrying Ban Challenged in Federal Suit by Firearms Group

By Andrew Harris – May 13, 2011 11:29 AM CT

Illinois’s ban on carrying handguns violates the U.S. Constitution, the Second Amendment Foundation Inc., an advocacy group, said in a federal court lawsuit.

“Illinois is currently the only state in the country that imposes a complete prohibition on the carrying of firearms for personal protection by its citizens,” foundation Vice President Alan Gottlieb said today in a press statement announcing yesterday’s filing in Springfield, the state capital.

Citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Constitution’s Second Amendment, the Bellevue, Washington-based group seeks a court order declaring two challenged state statutes invalid to the extent they prohibit people who are otherwise qualified from carrying handguns for self defense.

link