Press Release  MA AG’s Office Joins Coalition Supporting Minnesota Law That Prohibits Concealed Carry By Individuals Under 21

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general urging the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit to revisit an opinion that struck down a Minnesota law prohibiting individuals under the age of 21 from carrying concealed handguns in public. The coalition, led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, filed an amicus brief with the Court on August 1.  

In the brief, the coalition asks the court to rehear its recent opinion in favor of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the Minnesota law that generally prohibits the issuance of carry permits to people under the age of 21. The MA AGO also joined a July 2023 amicus brief defending the law in the same case. In Massachusetts, new License to Carry applicants must be 21 years of age or older to obtain a permit. 

The attorneys general 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 explains that those statutes are constitutional because they are consistent with the country’s historical tradition; States have enacted similar laws for more than 150 years. The coalition argues that the case should be reheard because the opinion’s reasoning, if adopted elsewhere, could threaten the states’ ability to defend and enforce all manner of firearms regulations.

Joining the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in filing the amicus brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

This matter is AG Campbell’s latest effort to combat the nationwide gun violence epidemic. Last fall, AG Campbell launched the Gun Violence Prevention Unit (GVPU), which has leveraged the tools of the AG’s office to bolster the state’s nation-leading commonsense gun laws. Under the leadership of Director Christine Doktor and Deputy Director Ryan Mingo, the GVPU has worked to keep the Commonwealth with the lowest rate of gun violence in the nation through civil and criminal enforcement, holding bad actors accountable for misleading marketing practices as well as prosecuting illegal trafficking and straw sales that enable those in the gun industry to profit from harm to our communities. The GVPU has also bolstered gun violence preventions that protect the public through legislative advocacy, community engagement, and professional trainings.  More information on the Gun Violence Prevention Unit is available here: https://www.mass.gov/news/ag-campbell-launches-gun-violence-prevention-unit-names-christine-doktor-as-director-and-ryan-mingo-as-deputy-director.

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