Pritzker's war of words with Illinois sheriffs isn't going well for him

As the first Illinois sheriffs started issuing statements objecting to the state’s new ban on “assault weapons” and “large capacity” magazines and declaring their intent not to arrest or house anyone in their jail solely for violations of the law, Gov. J.B. Pritzker lashed out, telling reporters that if sheriffs didn’t do their jobs they’d lose their position.

Pritzker’s threat is an idle one, given that he doesn’t have the power to remove sheriffs from their elected position, but the governor has continued to bash the sheriffs in the press, even as their numbers have grown.

Nine in 10 of the state’s sheriffs, joining with gun-rights advocates in declaring the prohibition unconstitutional, have sworn off zealous enforcement of the law.