Attorney General Raoul leads coalition supporting Minnesota law that prohibits concealed carry by individuals under 21
Aug 2, 2024
Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today led a coalition of 19 attorneys general filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit urging the court to revisit an opinion striking down a Minnesota law prohibiting individuals under the age of 21 from carrying concealed handguns in public.
In the brief, Raoul and the coalition ask the court to review its recent opinion in favor of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the Minnesota law that generally restricts the issuance of concealed carry permits to people ages 21 and up. Raoul also led a July 2023 coalition defending the law in the same case.
"In order to protect our communities, particularly our youth, from gun violence, states should have the ability to enact reasonable measures like age-based restrictions to keep concealed firearms out of the hands of young people," Raoul said. "I will continue to work to protect our youth from the scourge of gun violence that has become all too common in too many communities."
In the brief, Raoul and the coalition explain that the court’s opinion, if not corrected, will raise questions about the constitutionality of similar statutes in more than 30 other states with age restrictions on firearms access. The coalition explained those statutes are constitutional because they are consistent with our country’s historical tradition, in that states have enacted similar laws for over 150 years. Raoul and the attorneys general argue that the opinion should be reheard because its reasoning, if adopted elsewhere, could threaten states’ ability to defend and enforce all manner of firearms regulations.
The brief is part of Attorney General Raoul’s ongoing efforts to address gun violence throughout Illinois and across the nation. The Attorney General’s office created a state-of-the-art crime-gun tracing database for Illinois law enforcement called Crime Gun Connect. Additionally, Raoul’s office collaborates with local law enforcement to combat gun trafficking and prosecutes multi-county gun trafficking offenses. The office also works with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to increase awareness of Illinois’ red flag law and address gaps in Illinois’ firearms licensing system while prosecuting individuals who lie on FOID card applications.
The Attorney General’s office partners with organizations such as U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) hosting trainings designed to prevent targeted acts of violence for various community members including law enforcement officers, educators, religious leaders.
Attorney General Raoul has consistently advocated at federal and state levels for stronger regulation on issues such as 3D-printed guns and ghost guns. Although Illinois now prohibits ghost guns due partly due his efforts closing federal loopholes through litigation continues at national level along side defending cases pending across state courts regarding firearm regulations . On national front he successfully revoked unscrupulous arms manufacturer federal firearm license through legal action.
Supporting victims service providers around Illinois is another facet within Attorney Generals remit providing trauma-informed services crime victims families via Violence Prevention Crime Victim Services Division administering multiple programs assisting survivors violent crimes detailed further online via official website
Joining him filing this amicus brief were attorneys general representing California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District Columbia Hawaii Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont Washington
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