Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) applauded the 4th Circuit Court’s decision recognizing the right of law-abiding 18- to 20-year-olds’ to own a handgun.
Of the ruling, Senator Lummis said, “The Second Amendment is a constitutional right. There is no reason a law-abiding 18-year-old adult should be denied that right solely based on their age. If we trust them to defend our country, we should trust them enough to purchase a handgun. I applaud the decision of the Fourth Circuit.”
A panel of judges for the Fourth Circuit handed down a decision on Tuesday, July 13, in the case of Hirschfeld v. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco & Explosives. The plaintiff held that federal laws preventing law-abiding 18-,19-, or 20-year-olds violated the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. Judge Julius Richardson of the Fourth Circuit wrote in the decision, “When do constitutional rights vest? At 18 or 21? 16 or 25? Why not 13 or 33? In the law, a line must sometimes be drawn. But there must be a reason why constitutional rights cannot be enjoyed until a certain age. Our nation’s most cherished constitutional rights vest no later than 19. And the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms is no different.”
Earlier this year, Senator Lummis introduced the Second Amendment Mandates Equality (SAME) Act to reinstate the right of adults between the ages of 18 and 20 to purchase a handgun from a federally licensed dealer. This legislation is supported by Gun Owners of America and the National Association for Gun Rights.
To read the bill in its entirety, click here.