Eighteen state attorneys general filed an amicus brief in support of the Second Amendment Foundation’s (SAF) challenge against Illinois’ non-resident concealed carry permit ban.
On October 11, 2019, Breitbart News reported that SAF was asking the Supreme Court of the United States to intervene against Illinois’ ban on concealed carry for non-residents, even if those residents have a permit to carry from their state of residence. Their efforts were joined by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), Illinois Carry, and nine private citizens.
SAF noted that the “ban on concealed carry by non-residents” deprives non-Illinois residents of their Second Amendment rights, in effect denying “virtually all Americans … of their full Second Amendment rights while in the state of Illinois.”
On February 4, 2020, SAF announced that an amicus brief had been filed in support of the challenge, and that brief was signed by attorneys general from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.
Alan Gottlieb, SAF founder and executive director, commented on the amicus brief, saying, “We’re grateful to the 18 attorneys general for joining the amicus, on behalf of the residents of their respective states.”
He added, “The right to bear arms does not end at the Illinois state line, and untold numbers of citizens from other states have occasion to travel to or through Illinois and they should not be expected to leave their right of self- defense at the border.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.