Leading the charge in a multi-state effort, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has rallied support from 21 attorneys general in defense of a Florida law restricting firearm purchases to individuals aged 21 and up. An amicus brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit backs the legislation, now facing scrutiny in National Rifle Association v. Commissioner, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, according to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.
This isn't Raoul's first time in the ring on this issue; he led an earlier coalition in October 2021 that sought to uphold the same law. The brief follows a March 2023 panel opinion by the appellate court which upheld the law, but a rehearing by the full court is scheduled for the fall. Raoul's efforts come amid a renewed national conversation on gun control, especially in the wake of tragedies such as the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which inspired the Florida legislation. "Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act establishes a reasonable age-based restriction on the sales of firearms in hopes of preventing yet another deadly school shooting perpetrated at the hands of our youth," Raoul said, as stated by the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.
The coalition contends that the Second Amendment allows for sensible gun regulations that can curb gun-related violence while respecting the rights enshrined within it. The brief references a historical precedent for such state-enacted regulations meant to bolster public safety and reduce violent incidents involving firearms. Raoul and the other attorneys general suggest that the age-based regulatory measures are in line with steps taken by other states, which have been upheld by various courts nationwide.
Though the measures in question vary, almost all states, including the District of Columbia, impose age-based restrictions on the sale or use of firearms. At least 19 states and the District of Columbia require that an individual be 21 years of age or older to purchase or possess certain categories of firearms, as per the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. Amid these legal tussles, Raoul’s office has continued its initiative to reduce gun violence, creating the Crime Gun Connect database and cracking down on gun trafficking within Illinois. The office also prosecutes fraudulent FOID card applications and partners with community organizations and the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center to host violence prevention training.
