Illinois gun ban challenge heads to appeals court with DOJ involved

DOJ to argue in Illinois gun ban appeal as Seventh Circuit hears Barnett v. Raoul. Case could reach U.S. Supreme Court.

concelled weapon on a man — The Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that concealed-carry licenseholders may keep their firearms when traveling on public transportation as long as it is unloaded and secured while onboard.

By Greg Bishop
The Center Square

CHICAGO - A gun rights advocate says that the U.S. Department of Justice coming to argue in front of an appeals court against Illinois’ gun ban is significant.

Oral arguments are scheduled for Sept. 22 in the case Barnett v. Raoul, challenging the state’s gun and magazine ban. A federal district court found the law unconstitutional last year after a four-day bench trial.

In the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, the U.S. Department of Justice motioned to be allowed time to argue.

“This appeal concerns whether Illinois’s Protect Illinois Communities Act, which prohibits so-called ‘assault weapons,’ can withstand scrutiny under the Second Amendment, which protects Americans’ right to ‘keep and bear Arms,’” the motion said. “Because of the federal government’s interest in ‘protect[ing] the Second Amendment rights of all Americans,’ Executive Order No. 14,206, Protecting Second Amendment Rights, … the United States filed a brief as amicus curiae supporting Plaintiffs-Appellees. The United States believes that its participation in oral arguments will be helpful to the Court.”

A concealed-carry licenseholder can keep his firearm with him as long as it is unloaded and secured during his time on public transit...

The motion was granted.

Gun rights advocate Todd Vandermyde said it’s monumental.

“We have the United States Department of Justice not only filing an amici brief on behalf of the challenges to the Illinois gun ban, they have asked for time to come in and argue the government’s position,” Vandermyde told The Center Square.

The case is expected to go to the U.S. Supreme Court regardless of whether the appeals court sides with plaintiffs or with the state of Illinois.

How law enforcement interprets a recent appeals court ruling in a separate case challenging the prohibition of carrying concealed firearms on Illinois mass transit is still unclear.

The Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled earlier this month in the case Schoenthal v. Raoul, reversing a lower court and upholding the law.

“A concealed-carry licenseholder can keep his firearm with him as long as it is unloaded and secured during his time on public transit,” the court said. “Under Illinois’s regulation, a citizen can step off the transit system, reassemble their firearm, and go about their day with no further infringement on their rights.”

Vandermyde said this leaves open significant questions.

“What's this going to look like when you have five, six, a dozen people waiting for the bus? And as the bus pulls up, they all reach under their coat or whatever, pull out a handgun, unload it, clear it, and then place it in a briefcase or purse or satchel or something like that, and then board the bus?” he asked.

...the decision “does not change how Illinois law enforcement enforces conceal carry laws in the state.”

The Cook County Sheriff's Office said it would be “premature to comment on how any part of the decision would be enforced.”

“We understand the appellate court has not issued the appellate mandate for this decision and the decision remains pending,” the office said. “We intend to have discussions with the Attorney General’s and the State’s Attorney’s Offices regarding the procedural posture of this decision and when it will take effect, and what the practical effect of the decision will be on public safety and enforcement of the concealed carry laws of Illinois.”

Illinois State Police said the decision “does not change how Illinois law enforcement enforces conceal carry laws in the state.”

Vandermyde said he still doesn’t know.

“They didn't give us any definitive, you know, ‘we're going to arrest you if you do this.’ Well, if they come out and say that and they've effectively negated your ability to carry, you know, if you were forced to use public transit.”

Plaintiffs in the Schoenthal case said they are reviewing the decision on what their next steps will be.

TELL THE SENTINEL WHAT YOU THINK

Do we need more gun-control laws? .::. Here is how and where to sent it

Conservative policy leader Dabrowski announces Illinois governor run with $1.2M raised

by Ben Szalinski
Capitol News Illinois

With strong early financial support, Ted Dabrowski announced his bid for Illinois governor in the 2026 Republican primary. His campaign focuses on conservative reform and moral clarity, setting him up as the GOP fundraising frontrunner.

SPRINGFIELD - Ted Dabrowski, the leader of a conservative research publication, officially announced Friday he will run for Illinois governor in the 2026 Republican primary.

Dabrowski’s Wirepoints.org publishes research and commentary on state policy issues and advocates for conservative solutions on pensions, taxes, governance and other public policy issues. Before joining Wirepoints in 2017, Dabrowski was vice president of policy for the conservative Illinois Policy Institute think tank after spending nearly 20 years in banking.

“I am not from the political system,” Dabrowski said from his Wilmette home. “I know the system; I know the players. I know how the sausage is made and why it tastes so bad. And I know that if we don't revitalize the Republican Party with strong executive leadership, we cannot resuscitate the state of Illinois.”

Ted Dabrowski for governor in Illinois — Ted Dabrowski talks to fellow Republicans at a State Central Committee meeting in Springfield on Aug. 14, 2025.

Though Dabrowski has built his reputation in Illinois politics by leaning into analytical, data-driven arguments, he signaled that his message on the campaign trail might be different.

“We will win this race by laying out a competing vision for Illinois, one rooted in conservative reform principles,” Dabrowski said. “And as much as I like charts and graphs, the main feature of my candidacy will be the moral clarity on those matters which impact the quality of life for productive Illinoisians who play by the rules.”

Dabrowski announced that his running mate will be Carrie Mendoza, an emergency room doctor from the Chicago area. She previously held a director position at the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism, a group that has opposed lessons on gender in schools. Dabrowski did not take questions from reporters following his announcement.

Fundraising leader

Dabrowski enters the race as the immediate leader in fundraising after first saying last month that he planned to run for governor. Dabrowski has raised $1.2 million, including from his own seed money, in contributions of $1,000 or more.

State Board of Election records show Dabrowski loaned $250,000 to his campaign at the end of August — a move that eliminated fundraising restrictions for all candidates in the race.

Other contributions reported to the State Board of Elections over the last month show he has received several other large contributions of $100,000 or more from various people in finance and philanthropy in the Chicago area.

two candidates in the race have also not reported substantial fundraising.

The stiffest competition for Dabrowski and other Republican candidates for governor — former state Sen. Darren Bailey — is likely to officially enter the race in the coming days. Bailey was the party’s 2022 nominee for governor, and sources confirmed he’s planning a second run to try to beat Gov. JB Pritzker. He received 57% of the vote in the 2022 primary.

It’s still unclear who Bailey’s financial backers will be as he has not been actively fundraising for state office. He had just $2,800 in his campaign fund as of June 30. Lake Forest billionaire Dick Uihlein was his primary funding source in 2022.

“I'm very aware of the skepticism about the Republican Party's prospects and Illinois' future, but we have a strong team, and we are and will be well-funded,” Dabrowski said. “Illinoisans have Pritzker fatigue, and they're looking for a credible alternative.”

The other two candidates in the race have also not reported substantial fundraising. DuPage County Sheriff Jim Mendrick’s financial records show he had $100,588 on hand at the end of June and has reported $11,000 in contributions of $1,000 or more since then. Joe Severino, a Lake Forest resident who is also running for governor, has not reported any contributions to the State Board of Elections.

One of Dabrowski’s earliest supporters is Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, who is chair of his campaign.

“He has spent 15 years researching, digging and offering solutions, highlighting the failings,” Plummer said “A lot of people in the state may not know the name Ted Dabrowski yet, but I assure you they know his work. He has shed light on so many of our problems.”

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.