Raising gun sale age will trigger litigation at state level: ex-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said that while gun retailers are within their legal rights under federal law to limit sales to customers 21 or older, state rules may encourage litigation.
“I don’t think it’s a lawsuit in the making at the federal level,” Gonzales told FOX Business’ Neil Cavuto on “Cavuto: Coast to Coast” on Friday.
Federal law protects people 40 or older from age discrimination, while some state laws provide protection for those 18 or older.
“Lawyers being the way they are and our society being the way it is and, of course, as passionate as people are about their guns, I anticipate that there will be litigation at the state level,” Gonzales said, adding that some rules exist at the local level as well.
On Friday, L.L. Bean became the latest retailer to raise the minimum age for gun sales to 21.
The company followed Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods, two of the nation’s leading gun sellers, which announced their new policies on Wednesday.
Legislators and city council members can change state laws and ordinances if “enough pressure is brought to bear,” Gonzales added.