Senator Stevens Hails Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Gun Ban

Press Release

Senator Stevens Hails Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Gun Ban

Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) today applauded the U.S. Supreme Court for affirming the individual right to own guns for hunting and self defense. Today's decision struck down Washington, D.C.'s local ban on handguns and marked the first time the Supreme Court has ruled on Second Amendment rights since 1939.

"Today's Supreme Court decision is a victory for Alaska and for all Americans who believe in Second Amendment rights," said Senator Stevens. "The Supreme Court has sent a clear message: The right to own guns is a pillar of our democracy and an individual right guaranteed by our Constitution. This decision is an important step in blocking attempts to take guns away from hunters and Americans who wish to defend themselves."

The decision to strike down the District's 32-year-old law marks a first for federal courts. A federal appeals court has never before struck down a local gun-control ordinance on Second Amendment grounds, and this decision is expected to strengthen court views on Second Amendment rights.

Senator Stevens is a former member of the Nation Rifle Association's (NRA) Board of Directors, a lifetime member of the NRA, and has been a defender of Second Amendment rights his entire career in the U.S. Senate. Last year, he joined with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and a bipartisan group of 55 Senators in writing a friend of the court brief urging the Supreme Court to overturn the gun ban.

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