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Three Alito Majority Opinions Mark a Good Day for the Second Amendment and Textualism
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The law at issue was a clever piece of mischief. After Bruen recognized the right to carry a handgun outside the home for self-defense, Hawaii flipped the age-old common-law presumption that an individual, including those carrying firearms lawfully, may enter private property held open to the public unless the property owner says otherwise. Hawaii’s new law reversed that default entirely, requiring gun owners to obtain the express, affirmative consent of property owners before carrying—effectively burying the right to bear arms in a regime of “severe restrictions on the daily activities of residents who have satisfied the State’s rigorous requirements for the issuance of a carry permit,” as Justice Alito explained...
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DOJ threatens to sue California over new gun sale restriction law
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The Trump administration's Department of Justice issued a warning to California's leadership regarding a new gun sale restriction law it considers an "unconstitutional 'Glock Ban.'”
The law that is set to go into effect on July 1 would add new strict regulations, prohibiting licensed firearms dealers from selling, exchanging or delivering any semiautomatic handgun with a cruciform trigger that could be easily modified into a “machinegun-convertible pistol.” |
Supreme Court delivers big 2nd Amendment win, striking down restrictive concealed carry law
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The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a Hawaii law that banned gun owners from carrying their weapons on privately owned property that is open to the public unless they had the owner’s consent.
“The restrictions imposed by Hawaii’s challenged law fall within the plain text of the Second Amendment, so the law is presumptively unconstitutional,” the majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito said.
“No party disputes that petitioners are among ‘the people’ protected by the Second Amendment or that they seek to ‘bear’ ‘Arms.’ Therefore, ‘the plain text of the Second Amendment protects’ what petitioners want to do: carry handguns for self-defense,” he wrote in the 6-3 ruling in the case of Wolford v. Lopez.
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Stanford’s John Donohue on the Supreme Court’s Affirmation of Gun Rights
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Wolford concerns only licensed concealed-carry of handguns by permit holders, so this means that the case does not address the carrying of shotguns, assault weapons, and other long guns. Of course, there is plenty of room for concern that the six conservative members of the current Supreme Court will soon be striking down bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that many of the most restrictive states have (as did the federal government for the period from 1994-2004). Since these laws have restrained death from mass shootings, it will be another lamentable development if we end up with that result. |
In 2 landmark decisions, the Supreme Court expands gun rights for concealed carry holders and casual drug users
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Two Supreme Court rulings in June 2026 reinforced the trend toward broad gun rights under the Second Amendment, overriding attempts to limit concealed carry and to punish the ownership of guns by drug users.
The ruling in the concealed carry case, Wolford v. Lopez, was no surprise. It followed the expected 6-3 division of the conservative and liberal wings of the court to block the state of Hawaii from making concealed carry a practical impossibility.
As a longtime observer of the Supreme Court, I believe the unanimous ruling in the second case, U.S. v. Hemani, is more surprising from the conservative court. That’s because it strikes down the long-standing federal law restricting gun ownership by consumers of controlled substances. |
Court rules on gun rights, immigration, and pesticide labels
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In Wolford, the court held, also by a 6-3 vote, that Hawaii’s law prohibiting licensed concealed-carry permit holders from carrying handguns on private property open to the public without the property owner’s express authorization violates the Second and 14th Amendments. Alito wrote the majority opinion, and Kagan and Jackson wrote dissenting opinions. Jackson’s dissent was joined by Sotomayor. |
HI: Legal experts warn that creating new gun control laws just got harder
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The decisions, experts said, stiffened an already stringent legal test that gun control measures must clear in order to survive scrutiny under the amendment, ratified in 1791, that states, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law professor Jacob Charles said, “The two cases confirm the court’s extreme skepticism about all manner of gun regulations, especially new ones.” |
Fifth Circuit Rules Suppressors Are Protected by Second Amendment
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The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that suppressors are protected by the Second Amendment as they improve accuracy and reduce hearing loss, making them critical for self-defense.
Most firearms are regulated under general gun laws, but suppressors, like machine guns, fall under the National Firearms Act’s stricter registration system, requiring a lengthy approval process and fees.
The case, United States v. Comeaux, was decided by the federal appeals court last week.
According to court filings, Brennan Comeaux, a Louisiana man, was charged with possession of an unregistered suppressor but argued suppressors are protected by the Second Amendment. |
American Made: Byrna bets on U.S. workers to build new self-defense weapon
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Sitting in America's heartland is a factory filled with American workers using American-made parts, designing and manufacturing a nonlethal weapon.
Byrna Technologies has been making CO2-powered self-defense launchers since 2019. Often resembling a pistol, they fire hard-plastic, rubber or chemical-filled rounds designed to disable threats from a distance without lethal force.
According to its website, Byrna aims to "provide civilians and security professionals with safe, reliable, and effective less-lethal alternatives to traditional firearms that empower Byrna owners to protect and defend themselves, their families, and their communities without the need for lethal force." |
HI: Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii’s ‘vampire rule’ on guns
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Hawaii’s new rule imposes severe restrictions on the daily activities of residents who have satisfied the state’s rigorous requirements for the issuance of a carry permit. This law flips the default rule at common law, under which anyone has an implied license to enter property held open to the public unless the property owner withdraws consent. |
A Stake to the Heart: U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Hawaii Vampire Law Restricting Concealed Carry
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The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Hawaii vampire law that prohibited firearm owners from bringing their guns onto private property open to the public unless they had permission of the property owner.
The Thursday ruling stemmed from a lawsuit brought by a gun rights group and three Maui residents with concealed-carry permits who claimed that the 2023 state law infringed on their Second Amendment rights to bear arms. The group alleged that requiring them to obtain “express and affirmative consent” from private property owners, like those who operate gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores, before entering the premises with a concealed weapon violated their constitutionally protected rights. |
TX: Four years later, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is making a difference
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[Article by Senator Cornyn]:
It’s been four years since the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, or the BSCA, was signed into law. My Senate colleagues and I carefully crafted this legislation in response to the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, where 19 children and two teachers died on May 24, 2022.
I am proud of the work we did to reject the calls for extreme measures that would have encroached on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Texans and instead delivered a practical solution, narrowly tailored to address the root causes of this senseless violence. |
Supreme Court Sets Hawaii Straight on Second Amendment
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This morning, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Wolford v. Lopez, an important opinion clarifying the scope of the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms outside of the home.
The issue before the court this time was whether the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals erred in holding that Hawaii may presumptively prohibit the carry of handguns by licensed concealed carry permit holders on private property open to the public unless the property owner affirmatively gives express permission to the handgun carrier.
In a 6-3 decision, Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority, holding that Hawaii’s law violates the Second and 14th Amendments. |
Nigeria: Former NBA chairman wants Nigerians to be licensed to carry guns for self-defense amid rising insecurity
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Okoko, a former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Idemili Branch, made the call while speaking in Onitsha, Anambra State, arguing that many Nigerians have become easy targets for terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other violent criminals because they are unable to defend themselves.
He said the government should liberalise the ownership of firearms through a regulated licensing system that would permit responsible citizens to acquire arms for personal protection.
"Government should liberalise the ownership of arms and ammunition to enable Nigerians procure arms for self-defence against gunmen and bandits," Okoko said. |
Supreme Court Says Courts Can’t Smuggle Gun Control Into Bruen Step One
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Step One focuses strictly on the plain text of the Second Amendment. If the regulated individual is part of “the people” and the arm in question is “bearable,” the conduct is presumptively protected. Liberal courts have repeatedly attempted to dismiss cases at this early stage by asserting that certain popular arms, such as AR-15-style rifles, fall outside constitutional protection.
The Wolford decision firmly rejects this tactic, making clear that such maneuvering cannot be used to bypass Step Two’s historical-tradition analysis. |
Supreme Court Strikes Down Hawaii’s Unconstitutional “Vampire Rule” in Major Gun Rights Victory
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The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, holding that Hawaii’s “vampire rule” violates the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
As an organization dedicated to protecting your hunting, fishing, and trapping heritage, we know that defending the Second Amendment is fundamental to protecting our outdoor way of life. When the right to bear arms is restricted, our outdoor traditions are directly threatened. That is why it was necessary for the Sportsmen’s Alliance to step into this fight at the nation’s highest court. |
Alito rules ‘spirit of aloha’ does not override Second Amendment in Hawaii gun case
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Justice Samuel Alito took aim at arguments from Hawaii‘s reliance on the “spirit of aloha” as rationale for expansive and restrictive gun laws, in a ruling Thursday striking down a sweeping firearm law in the Aloha State.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3, on ideological lines, to strike down a sweeping Hawaii gun law that required gun owners to get permission to carry their firearms on any private property in the state. Alito penned the majority opinion, which rejected Hawaii officials’ arguments that a state’s individual history should dictate the extent to which gun rights are protected under the Second Amendment. |
The One Guns Case in Which the Supreme Court Actually Got Its Awkward New Standard Right
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The government attempted to justify the statute by invoking historical laws directed at so-called “habitual drunkards.” Yet, as the court explained, those laws regulated a very different class of people for very different reasons and through very different mechanisms.
The historical “habitual drunkard” was not simply someone who drank regularly. Early American law generally reserved that label for individuals whose drinking rendered them incapable of managing their affairs, deprived them of ordinary reasoning faculties, or left them unable to care for themselves and their families. |
Armed Americans: New Public Polling Reveals What the Firearm Industry Has Seen for Years
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That loud sound you’re hearing is the collective jaws of gun control activists hitting the floor. They’re exasperated and can’t believe years of their antigun propaganda hasn’t worked. They are beside themselves that Americans would choose exercising the constitutional rights to keep and bear arms over backing more gun control restrictions and being lenient and soft on repeat criminals.
The polling also backs up recent reporting from big national media outlets revealing that antigun organizations and politicians have “conceded” that “gun control is no longer their top issue.”
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The Supreme Court cherry-picks on gun control
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To punctuate his point, Alito gave a hypothetical of a woman who wanted to swing by a grocery store on her way home from work.
“When she arrives, she will violate the literal terms of the Hawaii law merely by pulling into the parking lot while having her handgun concealed on her person,” Alito wrote. “She can minimize the length of her violation by disarming as soon as she arrives. But in removing the handgun from her person, she must take care not to let anyone see it for even a moment. … Once she has removed the handgun from her person, she cannot leave it in her car without locking it in what amounts to a safe.”
Oh, that poor woman: The burden of going home and disarming before going out to buy eggs! |
California ‘on notice’ after feds strike down Hawaii gun carry law
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Saying to find otherwise would “hobble” Second Amendment rights, the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a Hawaii state law that bans people from carrying guns in the vast majority of public and private spaces.
The impact of the decision, however, could be far-reaching, affecting both gun control rules and laws in states like California, and their attempts to use controversial laws from the nation’s past to constitutionally justify their gun control regimes today.
Second Amendment rights advocates said the law will almost certainty prevent California Democrats from attempting to resurrect restrictions on the carry of firearms similar to those ruled unconstitutional in Hawaii. |
VA: Court temporarily blocks Democrat gov’s semi-auto gun ban
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A Virginia court issued a preliminary injunction halting a ban on the sale and transfer of modern semiautomatic firearms Thursday, securing a victory for pro-Second Amendment organizations.
Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed the ban on so-called “assault weapons,” SB 749, into law on May 14, drawing immediate suits from pro-Second Amendment organizations, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), Gun Owners of America (GOA), Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC). A judge in Lancaster County, Virginia, sided with the organizations by putting the ban on hold, according to social media posts by VCDL and GOA. |
VA: Virginia’s New Gun Laws are Already Costing Jobs
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Newly elected Gov. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va, and her Democratic-controlled state legislature set their sights firmly on the Second Amendment after taking office earlier this year.
The Governor signed a litany of bills into law including a ban on the sale and manufacturing of so-called “assault weapons,” including the wildly popular AR-15, and a ban on magazines with a capacity of fifteen or more rounds which criminalized most modern sporting rifle (MSR) magazines and some pistol magazines. The state also banned so-called “ghost guns,” and expanded dangerous “red-flag laws” and background checks, among other flagrant infringements on the Second Amendment rights of Virginians. |
3,300 Challenges to Gun Laws Have Flooded the Courts Since SCOTUS Expanded the Right to Bear Arms
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Most of the challenges in our database are criminal cases, often from defendants seeking to dismiss gun charges or overturn convictions. Their most frequent target has been the federal law barring people convicted of felonies from possessing guns, which has been the subject of 2,488 rulings. Those challenges had almost never succeeded before Bruen, when judges would decide whether a gun restriction was constitutional by weighing public safety concerns. In Bruen, the Supreme Court scrapped that approach and created a new “text, history, and tradition” test — requiring modern gun restrictions to be similar to laws from early American history. |
MD: Maryland House Republicans call on Justice Department to review "Glock ban" law before it goes into effect
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Members of the Maryland House Republican Caucus sent a letter to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, requesting they review the law for Second Amendment violations.
"This bill, passed by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2026 Legislative session, brings similar concerns of constitutionality and potential violations of the Second Amendment rights of Marylanders," the lawmakers said in their letter.
The letter comes after the Department of Justice sent a warning to the state of California about potential legal action regarding a similar law that goes into effect on July 1, the lawmakers said. |
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