WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday to refrain from taking up a series of new cases regarding the scope of the right to bear arms maintains the current state of gun legislation, notably upholding an Illinois law that prohibits assault-style weapons like the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, often linked to high-profile mass shootings.

By opting not to hear multiple challenges against the Illinois law, the Supreme Court effectively allows it to remain in force, while litigation over this ban and similar laws in other states continues unabated. Legal experts foresee the issue returning to the justices' docket for further deliberation in due course.

Concurrently, the court chose to remand several other gun-related cases to lower courts for further review, citing a recent ruling that affirmed a federal law preventing accused domestic abusers from possessing firearms. This decision avoids adding new gun-related cases to the docket for the upcoming term starting in October.

While the Supreme Court has consistently upheld the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, as underscored by a significant ruling in 2022, the recent decision indicates that certain enduring firearms restrictions can withstand legal challenges. The 2022 ruling sparked a wave of lawsuits contesting existing gun laws across the nation.

Among the cases sent back to lower courts is a challenge involving a law prohibiting individuals who use illegal drugs from owning firearms, notably the same statute under which Hunter Biden recently faced conviction. The court's current decision to postpone a definitive resolution on this issue leaves the legal question unresolved, pending potential future consideration.

Another pivotal case awaiting further review concerns whether nonviolent felons can be constitutionally barred from possessing firearms.

Furthermore, the court returned a challenge against newly enacted gun regulations in New York, reflecting ongoing judicial scrutiny regarding the constitutionality of state-level firearms restrictions.

In dissent, Justice Samuel Alito expressed readiness to take up the Illinois case, indicating a split among the justices regarding the urgency of addressing gun rights issues.

Meanwhile, Justice Clarence Thomas issued a separate opinion stressing the necessity for the court to clarify which firearms fall under the protection of the Second Amendment.

"The appeals court's decision to uphold the Illinois ban underscores the need for this court to provide clearer guidance on the scope of Second Amendment protections," Thomas emphasized in his opinion.

The court's recent actions, including its refusal to hear a similar case from Maryland, suggest a cautious approach to entering into what has become a recurring debate: whether state-level bans on specific firearms violate the constitutional rights enshrined in the Second Amendment. This caution follows the court's expansion of gun rights through a landmark 2022 ruling.

Since the 2022 decision, some states have implemented stricter gun regulations, while others have seen existing laws struck down by lower courts adhering to evolving legal standards set by the justices.

The Illinois statute, enacted following a deadly shooting in Highland Park in July 2022 that claimed seven lives, bans assault weapons like the AR-15 rifle and large-capacity magazines holding over 10 rounds of ammunition for long guns or more than 15 rounds for handguns.

Importantly, the law does not impact handguns, nor does it infringe on the rights of individuals who owned the banned firearms before the law came into effect.

Various gun rights advocates and organizations contested the Illinois law in court, arguing it violates their Second Amendment right to bear arms.

In 1994, Congress enacted a nationwide ban on assault weapons, which expired a decade later without subsequent successful attempts to reinstate it.

Recent years have witnessed a significant shift in the legal landscape concerning gun rights due to the Supreme Court's consistent support for expansive interpretations of the Second Amendment, beginning with its landmark 2008 decision recognizing an individual's right to possess firearms.