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NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to California Gun Show Restrictions

Friday, January 3, 2025

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to California Gun Show Restrictions

Yesterday, the NRA filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to grant certiorari in a challenge to California laws that effectively ban gun shows held on state property.

B&L Productions has operated gun shows on state property, including the Del Mar Fairgrounds and the Orange County Fair & Event Center, for over 30 years. Firearm transfers were generally forbidden at gun shows, but firearm sales could be initiated there—after which the purchaser would need to complete a successful background check, wait 10 days, and then pick up the firearm from a licensed retailer at another location. Two recently enacted California laws, however, prohibit anyone from even entering into a contract to purchase a firearm at a gun show. As a result of the laws, state officials have stopped allowing gun shows on state property.

Several plaintiffs—including the California Rifle & Pistol Association—challenged the restrictions in both the Southern and Central Districts of California, alleging violations of the First Amendment, Second Amendment, and Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

While the Southern District ruled in favor of the State, the Central District held that the State was likely violating the Second Amendment by unlawfully restricting firearm sales and also likely violating the First Amendment and Equal Protection Clause by engaging in unlawful viewpoint discrimination. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals consolidated the cases on appeal and upheld the laws. Regarding the Second Amendment, the court held that only “meaningful constraints” on the right to purchase firearms implicate the Second Amendment. The court then determined that the First Amendment does not protect speech constituting an “acceptance” in contract formation. Finally, determining that the Equal Protection claims duplicate the First Amendment claims, the court declined to address them.

The plaintiffs filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to hear the case. NRA’s brief supports that petition. NRA’s brief argues: (1) that lower courts are divided over whether the Second Amendment protects firearm purchases and that the Court should grant certiorari to establish that it does; (2) Britain’s prohibition on arms commerce sparked the Revolutionary War, and the Founders deliberately protected arms commerce when creating their own government; and (3) certiorari should be granted to cabin the Ninth Circuit’s concerted resistance to the Second Amendment. 

We invite you to read the NRA’s brief here.

Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org for future updates on NRA-ILA’s ongoing efforts to defend your constitutional rights, and please visit NRA-ILA | Current Litigation to keep up to date on NRA-ILA’s ongoing litigation efforts.

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California: Bill to Restrict Self Defense Rights Introduced in Legislature

Friday, February 28, 2025

California: Bill to Restrict Self Defense Rights Introduced in Legislature

The California legislative session is currently underway and anti-gun lawmakers are once again wrongly focusing on law-abiding citizens instead of focusing on actual criminals.

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

News  

Second Amendment  

Friday, February 7, 2025

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

Today, the White House announced a new Executive Order to protect and expand the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. This is the first action taken by President Donald J. Trump to carry through ...

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Hear Challenge to New York’s “Concealed Carry Improvement Act”

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Hear Challenge to New York’s “Concealed Carry Improvement Act”

Today, the National Rifle Association filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a challenge to New York’s “Concealed Carry Improvement Act.”

Report: Notorious NYPD License Division Drags its Feet on Bruen Compliance

News  

Monday, March 3, 2025

Report: Notorious NYPD License Division Drags its Feet on Bruen Compliance

Following its landmark loss at the U.S. Supreme Court in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022), which made clear law-abiding citizens have a right to bear arms outside the home for self-defense, New ...

Maine: Progressive Lawmaker Believes There Are No Deer in Northern Maine.

News  

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Maine: Progressive Lawmaker Believes There Are No Deer in Northern Maine.

This week, extreme anti-hunting lawmakers testified to restrict coyote hunting in Maine.

Washington: Gun-Free Zone Bill Passes Senate

Thursday, March 6, 2025

Washington: Gun-Free Zone Bill Passes Senate

On Wednesday, March 5th, Senate Bill 5098 was passed on the Senate floor by a vote of 28-21. It will now be transmitted to the House for consideration.

New York Town Bans Gun Stores

News  

Monday, March 3, 2025

New York Town Bans Gun Stores

For far too long, the Second Amendment could be referred to as the Rodney Dangerfield of the Bill of Rights.  Within many circles of so-called civil rights advocates, it simply got no respect.  

CPRC: The Many Ways Concealed Carry Permitees Enhance Public Safety

News  

Monday, March 3, 2025

CPRC: The Many Ways Concealed Carry Permitees Enhance Public Safety

Amid the push for national concealed carry reciprocity legislation, gun control opponents continue to insist that concealed carrying has no public safety benefits and that lawfully armed civilians simply escalate the risk to first responders and others ...

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Legislation Held Over in Committee Until Friday

Thursday, March 6, 2025

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Legislation Held Over in Committee Until Friday

Yesterday the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee met to continue discussions on Senate Bill 279 (GoSAFE). The author did not accept the committee substitute to amend the near all-encompassing ban on semi-auto firearms with equally ...

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Hearing Continued to Wednesday

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Hearing Continued to Wednesday

Yesterday evening, Senate Judiciary Committee introduced the language for SB 279, with many voices from the firearms industry, firearms dealers, sportsmen, cattle ranchers, and ordinary citizens made their opposition known in testimony.

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NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.