In a concerted legal push, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is spearheading a coalition of 18 attorneys general in support of a California law aimed at regulating the sale of long guns to individuals under 21. According to the Illinois Attorney General's office, the amicus brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit stresses the importance of affirming a lower court’s decision, underscoring that states hold the authority under the Second Amendment to enact measures fostering gun safety.
Attorney General Raoul's brief emphasizes, states have had a history of putting into action safeguards that intend to minimize gun violence, looking after the health, safety, and welfare of their people. However, by crafting these regulations, the coalition explains the delicate balance they strive to maintain, ensuring that firearms do not fall into the hands of those who may not wield them responsibly. "Protecting our communities, particularly our youth, from gun violence, is among my top priorities as Attorney General," Raoul said. "I will continue to defend states’ ability to craft regulations to ensure dangerous weapons do not fall into the hands of those who will not use them responsibly."
Supporting this legal maneuver are a host of states that boast similar restrictions; the coalition spotlights that almost every state, along with the District of Columbia, calls for some form of age-based limitations on firearm sales or usage. Within this collective action, 18 states plus the District have set a minimum age requirement of 21 for acquiring certain firearm classes.
Focused on decreasing gun violence in Illinois and beyond, Raoul’s office has implemented several initiatives to address the issue. One of them, as per the Illinois Attorney General's office, is the establishment of Crime Gun Connect, a cutting-edge crime-gun tracing database for local law enforcement. Additionally, the office collaborates with local authorities to target gun trafficking and has exercised its jurisdiction in prosecuting offenses that span multiple counties. On other fronts, Raoul's team bolsters the enforcement of Illinois’ red flag law, rectifies lapses in the state’s firearms licensing, and prosecutes individuals who falsify firearm owner’s identification (FOID) card applications.
Raoul has been proactive on the national stage as well, advocating for stringent control over 3D-printed and ghost guns. Despite Illinois' ban on ghost guns, efforts persist to close federal loopholes, with the Attorney General's office holding the line in federal court. The office is also embroiled in defending legal challenges to Illinois’ firearm regulations across the state. Through all this, Raoul hasn't flinched from taking on the battle to revoke federal firearm licenses from disreputable manufacturers. Aligning with the fight against gun violence is the support for victims' service providers, with Raoul’s Violence Prevention and Crime Victim Services Division administering programs for survivors of violent crime.
