Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a 27-state coalition urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Hawaii’s “sensitive places” concealed carry ban. The group filed a brief asking the Court to review Wolford v. Lopez, challenging a Ninth Circuit decision that upheld the restrictions despite conflicting precedent from the Second Circuit.
The coalition argues the split between the Ninth and Second Circuits demands Supreme Court resolution. The Second Circuit upheld an injunction on a nearly identical New York law, while the Ninth Circuit let Hawaii’s ban stand. The attorneys general claim the Ninth Circuit ruling contradicts the Supreme Court’s Bruen (2022) decision, which reinforced the right to carry firearms for self-defense outside the home.
In their filing, the coalition stated that the Ninth Circuit’s ruling effectively undermines the Second Amendment, treating it as inferior to other constitutional rights. They criticized lower courts for using questionable judicial practices and relying on outdated historical laws to justify public carry restrictions. According to the brief, Hawaii’s laws are largely based on post-Reconstruction statutes, which the coalition claims are insufficient to justify a broad ban on public carry in designated areas.
The coalition’s filing emphasizes that the Second Amendment protects both home and public possession of handguns for self-defense, citing McDonald v. Chicago and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. The brief warns that unless the Supreme Court intervenes, more states could follow Hawaii’s lead in limiting gun rights under vague interpretations of “sensitive” locations.
In an interview with Breitbart News, AG Knudsen stated that the Ninth Circuit’s decision could “muddle the clear Second Amendment standards this Court has adopted” and embolden further restrictions nationwide.
The filing was supported by Attorneys General from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Arizona’s legislative leadership.
