DELAWARE - Governor Matt Meyer announced he is joining governors across the country to file an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court over gun safety laws.
Meyer said the brief urges the Supreme Court to uphold state and local laws regulating assault weapons and preserve the states' authority to enact gun legislation. The brief was filed through the Governors Action Alliance's Safer Communities Initiative.
“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 governors argue states have broad constitutional authority to enact laws protecting public health and safety, including restrictions on military-style assault weapons. The governors allege 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.
Governor Meyer said he has made gun violence prevention a priority of his administration. In May 2025, Meyer 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.
