SALT LAKE CITY June 10, 2016 – Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes disagreed with Thursday’s decision from the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which effectively removes any limitations on state legislatures from restricting Second Amendment rights under the US Constitution to carry a concealed weapon.
“With this ruling, the Ninth Circuit further undermines a bedrock constitutional right,” said Attorney General Sean Reyes. “By holding that the Second Amendment in no way guarantees a law-abiding individual’s right to carry a concealed weapon in public, the court effectively grants state legislatures in the Ninth Circuit unlimited power to impose whatever regulation—no matter how onerous or irrational—on the exercise of a critical constitutional right.
“No one claims these rights should be entirely free from governmental restriction. For example, we justifiably prohibit violent felons from owning guns. But to allow a scheme preventing law abiding citizens from protecting themselves outside the home is wrong and unconstitutional. It is why Utah joined 20 other states last year in opposing these drastic deprivations of a fundamental right.
“We must stand up for Second Amendment rights and the power of families to protect themselves. Law abiding citizens deserve the choice to keep themselves, their families and businesses safe and, importantly, must also accept the responsibility commensurate with those rights.”
# # #