Following a recent Supreme Court decision, the National Rifle Association (NRA) is renewing its fight against a 2018 Florida law prohibiting individuals under 21 from purchasing rifles and other long guns. The NRA argues the law infringes upon Second Amendment rights and is inconsistent with historical firearm regulations.
The law was swiftly enacted after the tragic Parkland school shooting in 2018, where a 19-year-old gunman used a semi-automatic rifle.
While previous court rulings upheld the law, the NRA believes the recent Supreme Court decision in the United States v. Rahimi case strengthens their argument.
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In a brief filed Wednesday, the NRA contended that the Florida law contradicts the Supreme Court’s landmark 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which requires gun laws to align with historical traditions.
The NRA emphasized the lack of historical precedent for restricting young adults’ firearm purchases and highlighted the importance of this right in the context of the Second Amendment.
The NRA’s legal team dissected a previous appeals court ruling that supported the age restriction, asserting that it misrepresented historical regulations.
They argued that the law burdens conduct protected by the Second Amendment and that young adults are part of “the people” entitled to these rights.
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The state’s attorneys have until August 30 to respond and are expected to rely on the Bruen decision and historical examples of regulations to defend the law. However, the NRA remains firm in its stance, asserting the absence of historical precedent for such a ban and calling the law unconstitutional.
The outcome of this legal battle will have significant implications for gun control measures and the interpretation of Second Amendment rights in the context of age restrictions.
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