Alaska has joined dozens of other states in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the rights of New Yorkers to keep and bear arms.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he supports Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor in adding Alaska to the 26-state amicus brief in NY State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Corlett.

“I support the Attorney General in his efforts to protect the Second Amendment,” Dunleavy said in a July 20 statement. “New York’s law threatens to create the haves and have nots — those law-abiding citizens that can bear arms and those that can’t. This is not what our Constitution envisioned.”

New York plaintiffs are challenging a state law that requires citizens to first demonstrate to government officials that they have a special need or “proper cause” for self protection before they are allowed to carry a concealed firearm. New York’s policy is viewed by Second Amendment advocates as an arbitrary standard which is employed to routinely to deny carry permits. The National Rifle Association, which is part of the suit, maintains that the right to bear arms should not be limited to a small category of people who can convince the government that they have “proper cause” to carry.

“New York’s misinterpretation of the Second Amendment threatens the Constitutional rights of not just the citizens of that state, but all others,” Attorney General Taylor said. “Attorneys General have the duty to intervene in cases which may affect the liberties of their citizens.”

Alaska joined the Arizona-and-Missouri led amicus brief with the attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The Supreme Court will begin hearing cases for the term on October 4.

Click here to support the Alaska Watchman.