Attorney General Bonta Joins Coalition of 18 States in Supporting Rhode Island’s Restrictions on Large-Capacity Magazines

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a multistate coalition of attorneys general in support of Rhode Island’s defense of its restrictions on large-capacity magazines (LCMs). LCMs are firearm magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. They have been used in numerous mass shootings throughout the country and pose a substantial threat to the public and law enforcement because they allow shooters to fire many rounds from the same firearm in a short period of time without the need to reload. In today’s amicus brief, the coalition of 18 attorneys general urged the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to uphold Rhode Island’s law restricting the possession and sale of LCMs, which has been challenged by a group of plaintiffs in Ocean State Tactical v. Rhode Island.

“We are in the midst of a national public safety crisis caused by ceaseless gun violence,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As mass shooting after mass shooting leaves countless families grappling with grief and loss, we must fight harder to expand and defend strong and effective gun safety laws. That’s why today, I join my fellow attorneys general in support of Rhode Island’s restrictions on large-capacity magazines. California will continue to stand up for commonsense measures that will prevent senseless death and keep families safer from gun violence.”

LCMs have been used in numerous mass shootings throughout the country, including the tragic shootings at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas in 2022, and the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park earlier this year. According to a 2019 study published in the American Journal of Public Health, the rate of deaths in high-fatality mass shootings is more than three times higher in states that do not restrict LCMs.

In today’s amicus brief, the coalition of attorneys general argued that Rhode Island's law prohibits conduct that is not protected by the Second Amendment and is consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.

In filing today’s brief, Attorney General Bonta was joined by the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

A copy of today’s brief can be found here.