NRA Applauds Attorneys General and Governors Amicus Brief in Supreme Court Challenge

Fairfax, Va. - The National Rifle Association today applauded an amicus brief signed by twenty-four attorneys general and governors in support of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. New York City, an NRA-backed Supreme Court case challenging New York City's unconstitutional requirements limiting the right of law-abiding gun owners to transport firearms outside of their homes. The effort was led by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry.

“It's time for the Supreme Court to ensure that all federal courts treat the Second Amendment as a fundamental, constitutional right," said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action. "Twenty-four of America’s highest-ranking law enforcement and executive officers have come together to support the Second Amendment rights of their constituents."

The law at issue limits New York City permit holders to traveling to only seven shooting ranges located within the city. It restricts the travel to a direct route to and from the range, and requires the handgun to be transported unloaded, in a locked container, and separate from any ammunition. Licensees who wish to take their guns to other ranges or participate in events or competitions outside New York City, or who want to transport their guns to another location (other than the NYC address listed on the license), are prohibited from doing so.         

The case is also the Court’s first chance to layout a framework for applying the Second Amendment to gun control laws in a decade. As the attorneys general and governors put it, “in the gap created by the Court’s silence over the past ten years, a patchwork of conflicting opinions and burdensome local ordinances and state regulatory schemes continue to choke meaningful protection of the right. [We] support and advocate for our states’ right to experiment with different policy choices, but ‘the enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table.’”

The case will be argued in the upcoming fall term of the Supreme Court. A copy of the brief can be viewed here. Please join us in thanking Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and the 23 others who joined the brief for standing up for our right to keep and bear arms.