Pro-gun rights

What: Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed its opening brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Reese v. ATF, challenging the district court’s denial of complete relief after FPC prevailed against the federal age-based handgun and ammunition purchase ban.

What: Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a reply in support of its motion for summary judgment in Morris v. Savannah, its lawsuit challenging a City of Savannah, Georgia firearm storage ordinance that is patently unlawful under the State’s comprehensive firearm preemption law.

What: The United States Supreme Court today issued a decision in United States v. Hemani, unanimously holding that the federal ban on gun possession by “unlawful” users of controlled substances (such as marijuana) violates the right to keep and bear arms protected by the Second Amendment as applied to Mr. Hemani.

GOA and GOF Petition the Virginia Supreme Court for a Preliminary Ruling on Virginia’s Looming “Assault Firearms” Ban

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 16, 2026

Springfield, VA — Gun Owners of America (GOA) and Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), alongside Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) and 2A journalist John Crump, have petitioned the Virginia Supreme Court for an urgent ruling in their lawsuit challenging Virginia’s upcoming ban on “assault firearms” and “large capacity ammunition feeding devices.”  The petition requests that a decision be made on the plaintiffs’ pending motion for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in advance of the ban’s July 1, 2026 effective date.

This petition to Virginia’s high court comes one month after GOA’s coalition of plaintiffs filed suit in the Circuit Court for Lancaster County, in Crump v. Katz.  Within days of challenging Virginia’s unconstitutional ban on commonly owned firearms and magazines, the Crump plaintiffs filed their currently pending motion to preliminarily block enforcement of the ban for the duration of their lawsuit.

However, in a disappointing move by the Lancaster court, the court indefinitely paused the Crump plaintiffs’ challenge by staying the case – taking a hearing on the Crump plaintiffs’ motion off its calendar – because the state government has filed a request to have the Crump case consolidated with other legal challenges to the ban that have been filed in other Virginia counties.

Of course, constitutional rights cannot wait.  That is why GOA and the Crump plaintiffs have petitioned the Virginia Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus to compel the Lancaster court to decide their motion on an emergency basis.  In the alternative, the Crump plaintiffs request that the Virginia Supreme Court preliminarily enjoin enforcement of the gun ban itself.

Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, issued the following statement:

“The Article I, Section 13 rights of Virginians to keep and bear arms are at stake.  GOA and GOF will not sit idly by as those rights are attacked from Richmond.  We hope that today’s petition to the Virginia Supreme Court will expedite a ruling on our motion for preliminary injunction, and that Virginians will remain free to purchase and carry popular firearms and magazines come July 1.”

GOA spokesmen are available for interviews.  Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise.  GOA represents over two million members and activists.  For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.

-GOA-

What: Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed its opening brief with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Ziegenfuss v. Martin, challenging Texas's carry bans in numerous ordinary public places following the district court’s misguided opinion upholding the bans.

At GOA, we’ve been hard at work fighting for your Second Amendment rights, here’s what we did…

We at Gun Owners of America have been hard at work fighting for your rights this week.

From Hosting National Women’s Range Day in New Hampshire, to highlighting our work defining the legal interpretation of the Second Amendment through Amicus Briefs, and working to raise awareness on the failure of the NICS system — GOA has been busy.

You deserve an update.

GOA’s Law & Ammo show, which focuses on educating viewers about GOA’s actions in the courts, recently highlighted our impact on Second Amendment legal policy through highly effective amicus briefs.

The segment breaks down how GOA, for years, has strategically filed amicus briefs in key cases across the country, ensuring that judges hear strong, constitutionally grounded arguments in defense of the right to keep and bear arms.

These briefs play a critical role in shaping legal outcomes, often providing courts with historical context, legal precedent, and policy analysis that might otherwise be overlooked.

In fact, GOA’s amicus briefs have shaped the legal framework for the Second Amendment—and one of our briefs even gave rise to the now famous “text, history and tradition” test which courts are now using to strike down gun control laws from coast-to-coast.

The video underscores how GOA’s legal strategy is not reactive, but proactive, aimed at building long-term protections for gun owners nationwide.

We also worked this week to bring attention to the serious and ongoing failures of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

GOA’s Minuteman Moment show highlighted a case out of Florida, where a law-abiding gun owner was wrongfully jailed for two weeks due to a failure of the NICS system.

Originally reported by Ammoland News, this incident proves that when NICS fails, it’s law-abiding gun owners who pay the price.

The Minuteman Moment episode exposes how often the NICS system flags false-positives, and how that data is underreported by the FBI and other “official” sources.

Because if the public knew how bad NICS actually was, they wouldn’t support it. 

This is why GOA maintains that the NICS system is flawed, unconstitutional, and must be abolished.

And we’re working with our allies in Congress to do exactly that.

If you want to learn more, watch the full video here.

That’s all for this week, but just know that we’ll be working hard to protect and restore the Second Amendment.

Keep an eye out for more updates from GOA in your inbox, coming soon.

Finally, GOA’s Empowered 2A Program hosted National Women’s Range Day in New Hampshire, bringing together women of all backgrounds and skill levels for a day of shooting, activism training, and Second Amendment education.

Attendees received hands-on instruction from experienced trainers, allowing both new and seasoned shooters to build confidence and sharpen their skills.

For many women, the event marked their first time handling a firearm.

GOA & GOF are proud to provide experiences that help build real skills and reinforce the importance of the Second Amendment.

Beyond the range, attendees engaged in meaningful discussions about their constitutional rights and the growing need for grassroots activism.

GOA’s team provided practical guidance on how to effectively communicate with lawmakers, stay informed on legislation, and take action to defend the Second Amendment in their own communities.

Events like National Women’s Range Day are an important part of GOA’s mission to empower individuals with both the knowledge and the tools necessary to protect their Second Amendment right.

Anti-gun lawmakers in Springfield are trying to move HB 4471, the so-called “Responsible Gun Manufacturing Act,” out of the House Rules Committee.

This bill isn’t about stopping violent criminals. It’s a backdoor ban aimed at common semiautomatic pistols, including many Glock-style handguns.

HB4471 originally sought to criminalize the manufacture, sale, purchase, receipt, import, or transfer of a so-called “convertible pistol.” It also attempted to classify certain pistols equipped with a switch as machine guns.

After amendments, the bill has been reworked into a civil enforcement scheme against Illinois dealers and manufacturers. Certified firearm dealers could be barred from selling, transferring, delivering, or even offering these pistols for sale, with penalties starting at $10,000 and increasing to $25,000 for a second violation, along with possible license revocation.

This would put law-abiding gun owners, dealers, and manufacturers at risk for ordinary handguns that anti-gun politicians decide are too easy to modify.

HB4471 already passed the House Gun Violence Prevention Committee as amended by a 9-5 vote before being re-referred to the House Rules Committee on May 31, 2026.

TAKE ACTION
 
Contact the House Rules Committee and urge them to OPPOSE HB 4471.

Tell them to stop targeting law-abiding gun owners, dealers, and manufacturers for the criminal misuse of already illegal conversion devices.

June 12, 2026 — FPC firmly believes that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) must be strengthened to robustly protect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of peaceable American gun owners and the critically important firearms ecosystem that serves them. Unfortunately, Senator John Cornyn’s SHOT Act (S. 4775)—in the form presented to FPC—badly misses the mark.

Gun Owners of America Endorses Byron Donalds for Florida Governor 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

June 11, 2026 

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Gun Owners of America (GOA) proudly endorses U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds for Governor of Florida. 

As both a former Florida state lawmaker and a current member of Congress, Byron Donalds has compiled a perfect pro-Second Amendment record. 

As a freshman state representative, Donalds bucked Republican leadership that bent the knee to gun control after Parkland and voted against SB 7026, the major post-Parkland gun control bill in the Florida House. He has continued that stand in Congress by opposing key federal gun control packages. 

And in GOA’s 2026 Florida Candidate Survey, he opposed one-gun-a-month laws, bans on commonly owned firearms like AR-15s and magazines, universal background checks, “Red Flag” gun confiscation orders, age-based purchasing restrictions on 18- to 20-year-olds, and many other gun control measures. 

Donalds pledged his support for Constitutional Carry to be expanded to all law-abiding adults 18 and older, repealing Florida’s Red Flag law, bump stock ban, and strengthening preemption laws with real enforcement teeth to prevent cities and counties from running roughshod over Floridians’ gun rights. 

Luis Valdes, Florida State Director of Gun Owners of America, issued the following statement: 

“Byron Donalds answered every question in our survey, but actions speak louder than words. He has a proven record of standing firm for the Second Amendment. Donalds has made repealing red flag laws ‘job one’ and understands that the right to keep and bear arms is the ultimate constitutional safeguard of our liberties. Gun owners can trust Byron Donalds to protect and expand our rights as governor.” 

GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization representing over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.

-GOA-