MADISON, Wis. – Attorney General Josh Kaul today joined a coalition of 18 state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court defending states’ ability to regulate when individuals may obtain a license to carry firearms in public. The coalition argues that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not provide Americans with an unrestricted right to carry loaded firearms in virtually all public places, but instead, in keeping with centuries of tradition, allows states to enact policies regulating public carry that are tailored to local public safety concerns and needs.
“Public safety challenges vary from state to state,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Rather than mandating a rule that applies nationwide, the Supreme Court should allow states to determine for themselves what approach to take on concealed carry.”
A one-size-fits-all approach to regulating public carry would take away the ability of officials, democratically elected by the people of their states, to address the unique public safety needs of their residents. In this case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, the petitioners are asking the Supreme Court to hold that individuals must be allowed to carry loaded firearms anytime, in virtually any public place – disregarding the established practice that states and local governments may regulate the public carry of firearms in their jurisdictions.
In filing today’s brief, Attorney General Kaul joined the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
