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Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a new federal Second Amendment lawsuit challenging Louisiana’s unconstitutional prohibition on issuing handgun carry permits to peaceable adults under 21. The case, Pool v. Hodges, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. FPC also filed a motion for summary judgment seeking a prompt final judgment against the unconstitutional ban.

Federal law separately generally prohibits firearm possession on or within 1,000 feet of an elementary or secondary school unless the person has a carry license issued by the state where the school is located. But Louisiana prohibits adults under 21 from obtaining a handgun carry permit. As a result, these adults are trapped within a sprawling network of invisible “gun-free zones” where they cannot lawfully carry a firearm. Neither so-called “constitutional carry” laws nor a license recognized only through reciprocity exempt people from criminal liability for carrying in these “gun-free zones.” By denying carry licenses to adults under 21, Louisiana prevents them from lawfully carrying through vast portions of the State as they go about their daily lives.

In addition to its litigation efforts, FPC is also working to eliminate the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act (GFSZA) and preempt state and local restrictions that undermine the right to bear arms through federal legislation.

FPC’s Pool lawsuit follows the Fifth Circuit’s binding decision in FPC’s Reese v. ATF case, which held that peaceable 18-to-20-year-old adults are part of “the People” protected by the Second Amendment and struck down the federal handgun and handgun-ammunition sales ban for that age group. Under Reese, Louisiana’s age-based licensing restriction cannot survive constitutional scrutiny.

“The Fifth Circuit has already made it crystal clear that peaceable 18-to-20-year-old adults are among ‘the People’ protected by the Second Amendment and enjoy the same right to keep and bear arms as every other adult. Yet Louisiana denies them access to the permits they need to fully exercise their right to bear arms in public, Read more

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and its partners have filed a motion for preliminary injunction in Bathras v. Moore, SAF’s challenge to the Maryland Glock ban signed into law by Gov. Wes Moore.

In May, SAF filed the lawsuit immediately after Gov. Moore signed into law Senate Bill 334, which states a person “…may not manufacture, sell, offer for sale, purchase, receive, or transfer a machine gun convertible pistol.” It further defines a “machine gun convertible pistol” as a firearm that contains a cruciform trigger bar. Cruciform trigger bars are a unique design element found across all Glock handguns. The intent of the bill is to prevent the already illegal conversion of semi-automatic handguns into machineguns, by banning the legal handguns themselves. The ban goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

“Anti-gun politicians will constantly tell you that ‘no one is coming for your guns,'” said SAF Senior Director of Legal Operations Bill Sack. “And then they pass bills like this that bans the most commonly owned handgun in America. Both can’t be true. Maryland’s Glock ban, and those like it that have popped up around the country, are a thinly veiled attempt to ban all guns, one chunk of the market at a time. But the law is overwhelmingly on our side. The Supreme Court has already held that the Second Amendment protects handguns, as they are the ‘quintessential’ firearm of choice for self-defense, and Glock-style pistols are massively popular and commonly used in Maryland and around the country.”

As noted in the complaint, “This case is about whether Maryland may ban Glock and Glock-style handguns consistent with the United States Constitution merely because someone can convert those firearms into something that they are not.” SAF is joined in Bathras v. Moore by Atlantic Guns, the National Rifle Association, Firearms Policy Coalition and two private citizens.

“Laws like this strip peaceable Americans from access to constitutionally protected arms and seek to bully and hold liable lawful manufacturers and sellers for the criminal misuse of firearms,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “This law is the equivalent to banning free speech in the hopes of preventing fraud. It’s bad policy and unconstitutional. We look forward getting it tossed.” Read more