(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is adamant the state must appeal a federal judge’s ruling that its gun and magazine ban is unconstitutional.

On the House floor Tuesday, state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, said the state’s gun ban was deemed unconstitutional by Southern District of Illinois federal Judge Stephen McGlynn. He said the Pritzker administration needs to drop the appeal.

“We’re going to spend a lot of time and a lot of money fighting against a law that is blatantly unconstitutional,” Caulkins said. “We’ve spent millions of dollars fighting against this law that you know, we know and now a judge has said is unconstitutional.”

Wednesday, Pritzker said he intends to fight for the law the legislature passed and he signed.

“What we passed frankly is reasonable, nobody is grabbing anybody’s guns like the Republicans like to say,” Pritzker said. “We’re simply trying to keep people safe with the guns that are already out there and not add to the problem.”