Today, the Second Amendment Law Center (2ALC), together with the California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA) and other groups, filed an amicus brief in support of the petitioners in Wolford v. Lopez, challenging the Ninth Circuit’s decision that upheld Hawaii’s sweeping restriction on carrying firearms on private property open to the public — the so-called “Vampire Rule.”
In our brief, we make clear that Hawaii’s expansive “sensitive places” regime — which mirrors California’s SB 2 — is fundamentally incompatible with Supreme Court precedent. By broadly banning carry in large portions of public spaces without any historical grounding, Hawaii’s law effectively erases the right to bear arms that Bruen and Heller confirm and protect.
We also explain that the Ninth Circuit, like other lower courts, improperly leaned on modern policy arguments and “expert” opinions instead of applying the textual and historical tradition inquiry the Supreme Court requires. Our message is simple: the Court should reverse the Ninth Circuit and clarify Bruen — not allow constitutional rights to hinge on policy battles among so-called experts.
The outcome in Wolford will reverberate nationwide, particularly in other “sensitive places” cases such as May v. Bonta, CRPA’s challenge to California’s own version of the Vampire Rule, and restrictions on where a licensee can carry with a CCW.
As we’ve emphasized in recent weeks, several major Second Amendment cases are now before the Supreme Court. 2ALC, alongside CRPA and our allies nationwide, is closely monitoring these developments and preparing for the critical decisions ahead.
Through our ongoing litigation efforts and amicus work, 2ALC is deeply engaged in the fights that matter most — but we cannot do it alone.
Now is the moment to stand with us. Your contribution of $25, $50, or $100 today will directly support our work at this historic turning point in Second Amendment legal history.