(The Center Square) – Plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging Illinois’ “assault weapons” ban are seeking Illinois Supreme Court justices to recuse themselves due to campaign donations from the governor.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the ban on more than 170 semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities on January 10.

Lawsuits were then filed in federal and state-level courts challenging the constitutionality of the ban.

In a Macon County case brought by state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, a circuit court judge issued a final judgment that the law is unconstitutional.

Because the appellate court already declared a similar challenge of the law on the grounds of equal protection violations had a likelihood of success, the state appealed directly to the Illinois Supreme Court, which accepted the case.

Before they were elected to the state’s high court, then-justice candidates Mary O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford received $1 million each from Pritzker before the November 2022 election.

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