Buckeye Reporter

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and 18 other state attorneys general have expressed their opposition to a new federal program that advocates for the aggressive enforcement of "red flag" gun-confiscation laws. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Yost and his counterparts argue that the National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center, launched by the Department of Justice in March, undermines fundamental rights in an effort to reduce gun violence.

Yost emphasized the importance of protecting citizens' rights, stating, "The solution to gun violence is not more bureaucracy, and it is certainly not parting otherwise law-abiding men and women from their right to self-defense."

The state attorneys general highlighted concerns with the ERPO Resource Center, particularly the potential for government officials to suspend Second Amendment rights without proper due process. They raised questions about the program's authority and its alignment with existing laws, pointing out that the funding from a federal law was intended for states and local governments, not for the creation of such a program.

Additionally, the attorneys general questioned the partnership between the DOJ and the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, expressing reservations about the institution's objectivity due to its history of advocating for strict gun-control measures.

Yost and his counterparts called on the DOJ to terminate the program, asserting that states are capable of protecting their citizens while upholding Second Amendment rights without federal intervention. Yost was joined by attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming in sending the letter to the DOJ.

For media inquiries, contact Dominic Binkley at 614-728-4127.