(The Center Square) – A Texas-based group is fronting a lawsuit against Minnesota that challenges the state’s failure to recognize other states’ firearm permits.
The Liberty Justice Center filed the suit in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota on behalf of two truckers licensed to carry in Texas, Florida and Georgia, who believe they should be able to carry a firearm for self-defense in Minnesota.
David McCoy is a full-time, long-haul trucker with a license to carry in Texas, and Jeffrey Johnson is a full-time, long-haul trucker with firearm permits in Georgia and Florida.
According to the center, Minnesota decides each year which state firearm permits it will recognize. Currently, it does not recognize permits from Texas, Georgia, Florida or 26 other states.
The lawsuit says Minnesota’s firearm permitting law deprives nonresidents of their Second Amendment right to bear arms. It wants the court to declare the law unconstitutional and order Minnesota to recognize firearm permits for all other states.
“Minnesota’s refusal to honor other states’ lawfully issued firearm permits places an unreasonable burden on the Second Amendment rights of individuals like Mr. McCoy and Mr. Johnson who regularly cross state lines in the course of their work,” said Loren Seehase, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center. “There is no other constitutional right that individuals are prohibited from exercising until they’ve obtained permission from the state. No one loses their right to free speech or freedom of religion by simply driving from Texas to Minnesota – so why should they lose their right to self-defense? We ask the court to intervene and require the state of Minnesota to honor nonresidents’ Second Amendment rights.”
The Center Square was unsuccessful getting response via phone message from Jen Longaecker, deputy communications director for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, prior to publication.
