Great Lakes Wire

Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit to reconsider its opinion on a Pennsylvania law. This law prohibits individuals under the age of 21 from carrying concealed weapons in public and imposes additional restrictions during declared states of emergency.

The brief, filed by Attorney General Nessel and her colleagues, requests the court to review its recent decision favoring plaintiffs in Lara v. Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police. This lawsuit challenges the Pennsylvania law that generally restricts concealed carry permits to those aged 21 and over. In 2021, Attorney General Nessel also joined a coalition defending this law.

"States have the right to implement commonsense regulations to protect their residents from gun violence," stated Nessel. "I am proud to stand with my colleagues in their efforts to reduce gun violence and enhance public safety."

The brief argues 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. The coalition contends these statutes are constitutional as they align with historical traditions, noting that similar laws have been enacted for over 150 years. They argue that adopting this reasoning elsewhere could threaten states' ability to defend and enforce various firearms regulations.

Joining Attorney General Nessel are attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.