BUFFALO, NY (October 14, 2022) – Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced today that it has filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in Hardaway v. Bruen, its lawsuit challenging New York’s law banning guns in “any place of worship or religious observation.” The motion can be viewed at FPCLegal.org.

“After Bruen, there is no doubt that the Second Amendment’s text ‘presumptively protects’ Plaintiffs’ intent to ‘carry[] handguns publicly for self-defense,’ including on the premises of places of worship and religious observation when those places would permit Plaintiffs to carry,” argues the motion. “And the only way the Place of Worship Ban can be found constitutional is if New York can demonstrate this outright ban is ‘consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation’ with ‘relevantly similar’ restrictions with roots in the Founding. New York cannot meet its burden.”

“The peaceable people of New York, including those who congregate at houses of worship deserve nothing short of an immediate restoration of their rights,” said FPC Director of Legal Operations Bill Sack. “Today's Motion is an important step towards that end and we look forward to a prompt response from the Court.”

FPC is joined in this lawsuit by the Second Amendment Foundation.

Individuals who would like to Join the FPC Grassroots Army and support important pro-rights lawsuits and programs can sign up at JoinFPC.org. Individuals and organizations wanting to support charitable efforts in support of the restoration of Second Amendment and other natural rights can also make a tax-deductible donation to the FPC Action Foundation. For more on FPC’s lawsuits and other pro-Second Amendment initiatives, visit FPCLegal.org and follow FPC on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube. 

Firearms Policy Coalition (firearmspolicy.org), a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization, exists to create a world of maximal human liberty, defend constitutionally protected rights, advance individual liberty, and restore freedom. FPC’s efforts are focused on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and adjacent issues including freedom of speech, due process, unlawful searches and seizures, separation of powers, asset forfeitures, privacy, encryption, and limited government. The FPC team are next-generation advocates working to achieve the Organization’s strategic objectives through litigation, research, scholarly publications, amicus briefing, legislative and regulatory action, grassroots activism, education, outreach, and other programs. 

FPC Law (FPCLaw.org) is the nation’s first and largest public interest legal team focused on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and the leader in the Second Amendment litigation and research space.