Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in 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 that prohibits individuals under the age of 21 from carrying concealed handguns in public.

In the brief, Attorney General Nessel and the coalition requested the court review its recent opinion favoring plaintiffs challenging the Minnesota law, which generally restricts concealed carry permits to those aged 21 and up. Nessel had also joined a July 2023 coalition defending this law in the same case.

“Minnesota's concealed carry law is aimed at preventing the negative impacts of gun violence on our communities, which is of utmost importance across the nation,” said Nessel. “The age restriction on concealed carry will ultimately help secure public safety. I stand proudly with my colleagues in supporting the Minnesota legislation.”

The attorneys general argue that if not corrected, the court’s opinion could raise questions about similar statutes' constitutionality in more than 30 other states with age restrictions on firearms access. They assert these statutes are constitutional as they align with historical traditions, noting that states have enacted similar laws for over 150 years. The coalition contends that rehearing is necessary because adopting this reasoning elsewhere could undermine states’ ability to defend and enforce various firearms regulations.

Joining AG Nessel in filing the amicus brief are attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

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