California Attorney General Rob Bonta is taking a stand alongside a coalition of 22 attorneys general, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to maintain the nationwide prohibition of bump stock devices. As part of their joint efforts, they filed a brief, throwing their weight behind the federal regulation that considers these modifications as illegal machine guns under the National Firearms Act. This move comes after the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit's decision was overturned by an en banc court, prompting the Supreme Court to grant certiorari on November 3, as reported by the California Attorney General's office.
"It is very clear that bump stocks readily convert semiautomatic firearms into machine guns, making them illegal under federal law," Bonta stated in a briefing that delved into the lethality of bump stocks, accessories which enable the rapid-fire capability resembling machine guns. In the tragic 2017 Las Vegas shooting, a gunman utilized rifles equipped with bump stocks to kill 60 attendees and injure 500 more, a stark testament to the devices' deadly efficiency. The ATF subsequently issued a final rule aligning bump stocks within the classification of machine guns, thus subject to federal prohibition.
The coalition's argument pushes that the bump stock ban is squarely within the bounds of the federal machine gun statute, and continues a long history of both federal and state legislation aimed at restricting access to such dangerous firearms. Regulations have been shaping the landscape of firearm ownership since the 1920s when the rapid-fire capabilities of machine guns first stirred governmental concern. Decades later, the 1980s Congress reinforced these restrictions, clarifying that any device designed to simulate automatic fire falls under the prohibition.
Attorney General Bonta not only supports federal endeavors but also spearheads a multifaceted strategy against gun violence within California. Education through the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, legal battles upholding the state's assault weapons ban, countering the sale of illegal firearms, and collaborative operations to seize guns from those deemed ineligible to possess them underscore the state's comprehensive approach. This multifront offensive is testament that the fight against gun violence is as tenacious in the courtrooms as it is on the streets and in the halls of legislation.
The concerted effort of the attorneys general from states Arizona to the District of Columbia in filing the brief underlines the broad support for sustaining federal firearm regulations. The full text of the brief can be read at the California Attorney General's website. With California leading the charge, the group awaits the Supreme Court's decision on a case that could have significant ramifications for gun control and safety nationwide.
