Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery joined a coalition of 26 other states to file an amicus brief in the first 2nd Amendment Supreme Court case in over a decade, according to his office.
The group, led by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, is supporting the challenge to the state of New York’s concealed carry laws in the case New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Corlett.
In the lawsuit, those challenging the law included numerous examples of law-abiding New York residents who were denied firearm permits even after demonstrating a “need” for one.
In their brief, the group of state attorney generals cited the landmark Supreme Court case Heller v. D.C as a partial basis for their reasoning.
“In Heller, following the text and history of the Second Amendment, this Court held that the federal constitution ‘guarantee[s] the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation,’” the group wrote.
Further, Slatery and the other states contend that New York’s restrictive concealed carry permit laws could be harmful to public safety.
The case has drawn attention from many gun rights advocates and elected leaders.
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY-22) gathered a group of more than 160 U.S. House Members to file a separate amicus brief to the Supreme Court.
“This fundamental right is protected by the Constitution and it must be safeguarded. New Yorkers have endured attacks on our Second Amendment rights for decades, including from the unconstitutional SAFE Act. Radical politicians in Albany continue to attack our Second Amendment rights and now even threaten firearms manufacturers like Remington Arms. The stakes in this Supreme Court case could not be higher. This congressional brief sends a clear message that our Constitutional rights are not up for negotiation,” Tenney said in a statement.
— — —
Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Slatery – always a day late and a dollar short. I want someone who leads.