Governor Meyer Takes Fight to Defend Gun Safety Laws to The U.S. Supreme Court

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Media Contact:
Jonah Anderson
jonah.anderson@delaware.gov

DOVER, Del. — Governor Matt Meyer today announced that he has joined governors from across the country in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court urging the Court to uphold state and local laws regulating assault weapons and preserve states’ authority to protect their residents from gun violence.

The brief, filed through the Governors Action Alliance’s Safer Communities Initiative in the consolidated cases Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, calls on the Supreme Court to preserve states’ ability to enact gun safety measures that protect families and communities from deadly mass shootings.

“As a Delaware teacher, I had students and families whose lives were devastated by gun violence,” said Governor Matt Meyer. “After a shooting, the death toll tells us how many people were killed, but it doesn’t tell us how many lives were changed. No family should have to experience that kind of loss before their government takes action. We must protect every family and every community, and states must retain the authority to enact and enforce commonsense gun safety laws that save lives.”

The brief argues that states have broad constitutional authority to enact laws protecting public health and safety, including restrictions on military-style assault weapons. The governors warn that striking down these protections would undermine states’ ability to respond to the unique public safety challenges facing their communities.

The filing comes as the Supreme Court considers challenges to state and local assault weapons restrictions. Congress enacted a federal assault weapons ban in 1994, but the law expired in 2004. Since then, 12 states and the District of Columbia have enacted their own restrictions on assault weapons.

The governors also emphasize the devastating and lasting consequences of mass shootings, including the strain on emergency responders, hospitals and public resources, as well as the trauma experienced by survivors, families and entire communities long after the immediate tragedy.

Governor Meyer has made gun violence prevention a priority of his administration. In May 2025, he established Delaware’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety to strengthen coordination across state agencies and support sustained efforts to prevent violence. The office has since been made permanent through legislation.

Governor Meyer joined the Safer Communities Initiative alongside Governors Gavin Newsom of California, Jared Polis of Colorado, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Wes Moore of Maryland, Kathy Hochul of New York, Tina Kotek of Oregon, Dan McKee of Rhode Island and Bob Ferguson of Washington.

The Governors Action Alliance’s Safer Communities Initiative brings governors together to share strategies, coordinate policy approaches and defend states’ ability to protect residents through gun violence prevention measures.

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