Council Chairman Phil Mendelson made the following statement on today’s decision by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to uphold the District’s gun laws.

“I am pleased that today’s decision by the U.S. District court affirms that the District’s firearm registration requirements are consistent with the Constitution,” Mendelson stated.  “Following the 2008 Heller decision the Council carefully revised our firearms control regulations to strike the correct balance between public safety and the individual protections inherent in the Bill of Rights.  Today’s decision substantiates that we indeed struck the right balance, and that the government’s interest in protecting our residents from gun violence are of such importance that the narrowly tailored regulations we have put in place are justified.”

Judge Boasberg’s opinion rejects challenges to the District’s firearm laws, concluding that the District had acted to combat gun violence and promote public safety in a constitutionally permissible manner.  This decision follows a previous U.S. Court of Appeals decision which similarly upheld the District’s authority to enact sensible gun regulations.