Governor Hochul Joins Coalition of Governors to Urge the Supreme Court to Uphold Commonsense Gun Safety Laws

Governor Hochul today joined ten fellow governors in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, urging the Court to uphold state and local assault weapons restrictions and preserve states' constitutional authority to protect their residents from gun violence. Filed through GovAct's Safer Communities Initiative, the brief argues that state-level assault weapons laws are both constitutional and save lives. Furthermore, the brief lays out the costs that states must bear in the wake of mass shootings - ranging from hospital costs to victim services.

"Combating gun violence is personal to me. Four years ago, I stood with neighbors in my hometown of Buffalo after a hate-fueled gunman used an assault weapon to terrorize innocent New Yorkers. It is unconscionable that our highest court would consider striking down a law designed to keep communities safe from this kind of horror," Governor Hochul said. "Today, I am joining governors from across the country to remind the Supreme Court of the lives at stake if they choose to dismantle our assault weapons ban, and to fight for our right to protect against gun violence."

The cases before the Court challenge laws in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois that regulate certain semiautomatic assault weapons, including AR-15-style rifles equipped with features that increase lethality. A ruling striking down these protections could invalidate lifesaving laws across the country and block states from enacting commonsense public safety measures moving forward.

The amicus brief highlights research demonstrating that assault weapons restrictions can reduce the lives lost to gun violence. One recent study found that counties in states with assault weapons restrictions experienced 41 percent fewer mass-shooting fatalities than counties in states without such protections. Research consistently shows mass shootings involving assault weapons are significantly deadlier than those involving other firearms, leading to more innocent lives lost and families forever changed.

The brief draws on Governors' firsthand experiences responding to devastating mass shootings. They write: "In the wake of assault-weapon mass shootings, members of the Governors Safer Communities Initiative have stood with grieving families, exhausted first responders, and community members working to rebuild. The safety of our residents is our obligation, and it is at stake."

The Governors argue that the Constitution has long recognized states' authority to protect public health and safety, and that elected state leaders must retain the flexibility to enact policies tailored to their communities' needs.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments in the consolidated cases on December 2, 2026. The full amicus brief is available.

Since taking office, Governor Hochul has committed $4 billion to public safety initiatives including more than $1 billion in gun violence prevention. These investments have contributed to a 67 percent reduction in shooting incidents involving injury over the past five years in the 28 communities participating in the state's Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative.

Governor Hochul has also spearheaded significant changes to state firearms laws to help keep New Yorkers safe including: expanding New York's partnership with 11 other states to intercept weapons along the I-95 corridor, enhancing Red Flag Laws to keep guns away from individuals who are a risk to themselves and others, strengthening New York's concealed carry laws in response to the Supreme Court's reckless Bruen decision, and taking action in response to the Trump Administration's proposed rollbacks that would make sweeping and dangerous changes to federal firearms regulations.

This year, Governor Hochul sustained record-level investments in prevention, intervention and enforcement, including addressing emerging threats such as 3-D printed guns and DIY machine guns. Last week, Governor Hochul signed two additional commonsense gun safety laws to expand firearm safe storage requirements and prevent individuals from purchasing ammunition when they are legally prohibited from purchasing guns.