(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A federal appeals court has upheld Illinois' ban on the sale of assault weapons and its law requiring owners of those weapons to register them with the state police.
The ruling by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
According to the ruling, law-abiding citizens have the right to "keep and bear" a personal handgun for self-defense, but certain weapons should be reserved for military personnel.
"Many weapons, however, lie between these extremes," the ruling read.
"The State of Illinois, in the legislation that lies at the heart of these cases, has decided to regulate assault weapons and high-capacity magazines—a decision that is valid only if the regulated weapons lie on the military side of that line and are not within the class of Arms protected by the Second Amendment."
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement that he's pleased with the court's decision.
"Assault weapons were intended for military use, and the Protect Illinois Communities Act is a tool to prevent them from being used to cause devastation in our schools, places of worship and recreation spaces."
Listen to our new podcast Looped In: Chicago
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!
Sign up and follow WBBM Newsradio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram