News Wrap - October 16, 2025
In D.C., in the states, and in the courts
This week’s roundup sees an emerging conflict between gun owners and the Trump Administration, with the Attorney General facing backlash over a new enforcement policy. Meanwhile, the ATF is struggling to continue its own enforcement work. Several states are unsure if they’ll be able to maintain their gun regulations, with a number of legal challenges ongoing. And, local law enforcement in South Carolina is reckoning with the effects of a mass shooting, as mayors in Minnesota try to prevent further violence after their own tragedy. Let’s dive in.
The Attorney General is facing backlash from gun rights groups in the latest development in a federal enforcement case.
Several gun rights organizations are calling for U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to be removed after she allegedly ordered them to hand over their membership lists. These groups have called the order an “attack” on them and on gun owners.
Further, they say Bondi has a record of violating the Second Amendment, and at least one of the organizations is preparing to challenge the order in court.
This follows the recent decision of a district judge confirming that the order must be complied with.
Justice Department officials say Bondi is following her obligation to enforce a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) ban on the sale of handguns and handgun ammunition to adults under 21.
Thousands of federal law enforcement officers have been reassigned from their normal work to aid ICE in President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
A total of 23,000 officers have been reassigned overall.
The ATF has lost the greatest proportion of its staff, with 80% of its special agents reassigned with no indication on how long the reassignments will last.
The result has been a fall in federal gun regulation enforcement cases.
In the States
In California, a number of new laws strengthening gun safety have been signed in, but not without challenge. Mayors in Minnesota are calling for discretion to strengthen gun safety in their own cities. And a gun tragedy in South Carolina has law enforcement stumped.
California: Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law several new bills modifying the state’s firearm regulations.
Assembly Bill 1344 establishes a pilot program to allow some district attorneys to request temporary gun violence restraining orders.
Assembly Bill 1078 extends provisions around firearm possession for former convicts, concealed carry training, and time limits on firearms purchases, among others.
Assembly Bill 1127 bans the sale of semi-automatic “converter pistols,” which can easily be made fully automatic. The law is now facing a legal challenge (more on this below in In the Courts).
Senate Bill 705 bans the sale or transfer of firearm barrels outside of a licensed firearm dealer, with the aim of preventing use in ghost guns.
Minnesota: Local mayors are calling for broader discretion to create gun legislation. The move comes as it becomes increasingly clear that a special session on gun safety, which they requested after the deadly Minneapolis school/church shooting in August, will not be held in the state legislature. The mayors are asking lawmakers to repeal a law which prohibits cities from enacting their own gun legislation.
South Carolina: Four people were killed and at least 20 injured in a shooting in a bar on St. Helena Island on Saturday night. The bar was hosting a high school alumni party with 700 participants when the tragedy occurred. A suspect and motive have not been identified, but police believe that it was the result of a dispute between party goers. Witnesses have not come forward, they say, out of fear of social retribution.
In the Courts
In the courts, a number of state gun regulations are being challenged by gun rights groups. In one state, hopes that an old law will be revived have been squashed by the Supreme Court.
California: The NRA and a group of gun rights organizations, small businesses, and private individuals are suing California over Assembly Bill 1127, saying that it is a violation of the Second Amendment. The banned handguns, they say, are not “dangerous and unusual.” Lawmakers who support the bill disagree, citing that converted handguns have been used in a number of mass shootings, and automatic firearms are illegal.
Hawaii: The Supreme Court will hear a challenge to a state law that restricts where firearms can be carried. The law bans carry on private property unless explicitly permitted by owners, which challengers say broadly bans public carry as most owners are unlikely to do so. Hawaii argues that it has already loosened its carry laws in accordance with an earlier ruling, and that the law still gives the opportunity to carry guns where permitted by owners.
New Jersey: A federal court of appeals this week began considering whether New Jersey’s ban on AR-15 semi-automatic rifles is constitutional. The Supreme Court earlier declined to weigh in, but the Republican-dominated appeals court is expected to increase the chances of the law being struck down. The state’s solicitor general pointed out that the guns are favored by mass shooters, and other states have similar bans.
Missouri: The Supreme Court has declined to hear a case that aimed to bring back a Missouri law fining law enforcement if they enforce certain federal gun legislation. The law was struck down in 2019, when lower courts found that it violated the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which places federal above state law. The refusal means that the law stays struck down.
Researchers have found a link between firearm store openings and local shootings. A new study by researchers from Rutgers University shows that the opening of a federally licensed dealer in a neighborhood is associated with a 7.5% increase in the rate of total shootings within two years, and a 13.3% increase in three years. The researchers say the study provides novel evidence that the location of firearms dealers can play a role in local gun activity.
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