LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general filing an amicus brief supporting Minnesota’s ban on individuals under the age of 21 carrying firearms in public.
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“Minnesota’s age restriction on carrying in public is a commonsense firearm safety law,” Nessel said. “It stands to reason that anyone who is too young to legally purchase alcohol should also be restricted from publicly toting around a firearm.”
The brief is directed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. It argues that Minnesota’s 2003 ban, which was struck down by a federal judge in March, is “consistent with the determinations made by many of Minnesota’s sister States, as well as our Nation’s history and tradition.”
According to the brief, “young people under the age of 21 were considered minors, not adults, from before the Founding through the latter half of the twentieth century, and thus were likely not historically considered part of “the People” protected by the Second Amendment.” States also have a “rich tradition of imposing age-based regulations on firearm use and access.” Consequently, the brief recommends that the Court reverse its judgment declaring Minnesota’s law unconstitutional.
Joining Nessel in filing the amicus brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The full text of the brief can be found here.
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