(KNSI) – The United States Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, effectively ending a long-running debate over whether to strike down a law that prevented 18-to-20-year-olds from carrying a handgun.
Minnesota statute had been designed to allow for someone to own a gun as young as 14 if they were supervised by a parent or guardian. Teens could also own guns if they were kept on their property or used during hunting. The bill was passed in 2003 and signed into law by then-governor Tim Pawlenty, a Republican.
It was not uncommon for states to have similar laws at the time. However, they have been under fire since 2008, when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller, which affirmed that individuals had a Second Amendment right to bear arms for lawful purposes like self-defense.
Heller has played a major role in expanding gun rights. The Minnesota law was a casualty of the trend, ruled unconstitutional by both a Federal district judge and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.
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