Minnesota Firearm News

A new federal lawsuit, Roberts v. ATF, argues that the National Firearms Act’s registration requirements for suppressors and short-barreled firearms cannot stand now that the $200 excise tax has been eliminated. Plaintiffs contend the NFA was upheld as a tax measure in Sonzinsky v. United States, and without that revenue basis, the remaining registration regime lacks constitutional justification — potentially setting up a major test of federal firearms regulation.

Kentucky’s HB 749 would establish a state-run Office of Public Defense to facilitate lawful machine gun transfers under an existing federal exemption allowing transfers “to or by” a state. Supporters say the bill challenges the long-standing NFA framework while using language already embedded in federal law, potentially setting up a significant test case in the evolving Second Amendment landscape.