RICHMOND (August 13, 2019)— Attorney General Mark R. Herring todayfiled an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court defending the ability of Virginia and other states to enact commonsense gun safety measures. It is just the latest effort to protect the ability of Virginia and other states to enact commonsense gun safety measures to protect citizens and save lives.
“The gun lobby continues its quest to chip away at states’ ability to protect their citizens, but we’re going to fight them every single step of the way because lives are at stake,” said Attorney General Herring. “I want to make sure that Virginia retains the right to pass commonsense gun safety laws to protect our citizens, even if the Republican leadership in the General Assembly refuses to do so.”
Attorney General Herring and a coalition of 13 attorneys general from around the country are asking the Supreme Court to affirm a U.S. Court of Appeals ruling that upheld certain gun safety measures passed by the state of New York, finding that states and localities can impose certain types of firearm regulations when they are substantially related to an important government objective, like protecting their citizens.
The amicus was filed in a case challenging certain New York City gun safety regulations. In their amicus brief, Attorney General Herring and his colleagues argue that the Supreme Court has already decided that state and local governments may enact firearm safety regulations to deal with varying circumstances in each local jurisdiction.
Joining Attorney General Herring in filing the amicus brief are the Attorneys General of New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
Attorney General Herring has consistently fought to preserve Virginia’s ability to enact gun safety measures, even though the General Assembly has steadfastly refused to do so. He has fought in court to protect gun safety measures enacted in states throughout the country, including in the First Circuit Court of Appeals, Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
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