DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. — Several elected officials representing parts of DuPage County gathered Monday morning to publicly rebuke the county’s sheriff for stating he will not enforce the state’s new ban on assault weapons.
U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (IL-06), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), and Bill Foster (IL-11), and other Members of the Illinois congressional delegation, county board members and state legislators hosted a press conference regarding DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick.
On Jan. 10 Governor Pritzker signed H. B. 5471, the Protect Illinois Communities Act, into law. The legislation bans the sale and distribution of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and switches in Illinois. On January 13, Mendrick announced that due to his personal beliefs on the act, he would not enforce the law in DuPage County.
He is one of many county sheriffs across Illinois to voice such a statement.
Enforcement of the law is currently suspended due to a judge’s ruling on Friday in Effingham after multiple lawsuits were filed to overturn the ban.
The DuPage County Board is meeting Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. and is inviting constituents to submit questions and statements they have in regard to the matter.
Watch the entire press conference in the video above.