Trump budget includes Second Amendment priorities — but Illinois gun owners still need court wins

AURORA, IL — Here's the news: President Trump announced several pro-Second Amendment policies for the 2027 budget, signaling federal support for gun rights. But for those of us fighting Illinois' unconstitutional bans in federal court, the real work happens in courtrooms, not budget meetings.

What the announcement means

The presidential budget announcement is encouraging — it shows the current administration understands the Second Amendment matters. After years of federal hostility toward gun rights, having an administration that won't actively work against constitutional rights is a significant shift.

But budgets don't overturn unconstitutional state laws. Court decisions do. And that's exactly what we're waiting for here in Illinois.

The Illinois reality

From behind the counter at Law Weapons, I can tell you what gun owners actually face every day. Illinois' PICA ban remains in effect. The state continues defending laws that turn law-abiding citizens into criminals for owning standard firearms and magazines. Customers walk in asking when they can legally purchase the rifles and magazines Illinois banned — and the answer is still "when we win in court."

Our case, Bevis v. City of Naperville, sits before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals alongside other challenges to Illinois' bans. These federal judges will decide whether Illinois can ignore the Supreme Court's clear guidance in Bruen about how the Second Amendment actually works.

That's where the real battle is being fought. Not in budget announcements, but in constitutional law.

What matters for Illinois gun owners

Presidential support helps, but it doesn't change what Illinois gun owners need most: a federal court ruling that strikes down these unconstitutional bans. The Seventh Circuit has the power to restore Second Amendment rights in Illinois. No budget item can do that.

The state keeps arguing that commonly-owned rifles and standard-capacity magazines somehow fall outside Second Amendment protection. They're wrong, and we intend to prove it. But we need the court to say so definitively.

Every day PICA remains in effect is another day Illinois treats its citizens like second-class Americans for exercising a constitutional right.

Where we are right now

Our case and the other PICA challenges remain before the Seventh Circuit. We're waiting for oral arguments to be scheduled. The court has all the briefs, including the strong amicus brief from the Department of Justice supporting our position.

The legal arguments are solid. The Supreme Court's guidance in Bruen is clear. Illinois' bans fail every test that matters under the Second Amendment. Now we need the Seventh Circuit to apply the law correctly.

We keep watching. We keep fighting. And we keep serving the people who refuse to be treated like second-class citizens for exercising a constitutional right.

— Robert Bevis, Law Weapons & Supply