Everytown Law Applauds DOJ for Putting Missouri on Notice over ‘Nullification’ Law; Urges Agency to Take Action Regarding Similarly Extreme Arkansas Measures

NEW YORK — Everytown Law, the largest team of litigators in the U.S. working full-time on advancing gun violence prevention in the courts, today applauded the U.S. Department of Justice for demanding that Missouri officials clarify the scope of the state’s recently enacted firearms nullification law, which — as the Justice Department noted — poses “significant public safety risks” and threatens to imperil longstanding federal and state efforts to combat violent crime in the state. 

Everytown Law, which is considering further legal action against states and local governments that attempt to block enforcement of federal gun laws, also released a new memo urging the Department of Justice to take similar action regarding two Arkansas laws that also purport to nullify federal gun laws. 

“Wherever state or local lawmakers try to nullify federal gun laws, they undermine efforts to protect the public from gun violence,” said Eric Tirschwell, managing director for Everytown Law. “This action from the Department of Justice should put lawmakers in several states on notice that they may soon face legal action over these extreme and unconstitutional efforts to block enforcement of federal law. The agency’s attention to this serious issue is good news for public safety.”

Last month, Tirschwell told the Associated Press that “where state or local jurisdictions attempt to unconstitutionally or unlawfully nullify gun safety laws, we are prepared to and will go to court.” In a first-of-its-kind legal challenge in Oregon amid a spate of measures across the country attempting to nullify gun laws, Everytown Law represents four residents who are urging a state court to invalidate a Columbia County ordinance that claims to nullify state and federal gun laws, arguing in a legal filing that the measure is unconstitutional and violates both federal and Oregon law. 

Everytown Law is the litigation arm of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, which is part of Everytown for Gun Safety.