NRA Defeats California Gun Control Law; State Must Pay Nearly $500,000 in Attorney Fees Incurred by NRA

Today, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California granted a stipulation for final judgment and permanent injunction in Safari Club International v. Bonta, under which the state conceded that its firearm advertising restriction is unconstitutional and agreed to pay $481,749.72 in attorney fees incurred by the NRA in our fight to vindicate the plaintiffs’ basic free speech rights. 

In June 2022, California enacted a law prohibiting firearm industry members from promoting firearm-related products in ways that might be attractive to minors—for example, by using bright colors—and imposed a $25,000 fine for each violation.

The NRA challenged the law in partnership with Safari Club International, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ultimately struck down the law, holding that it violates the First Amendment.

After unsuccessfully arguing over the scope of the Ninth Circuit’s ruling, California conceded that the law is unconstitutional in its entirety and stipulated to final judgment and a permanent injunction, along with payment of the NRA’s attorney’s fees.

Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org for future updates on NRA-ILA’s ongoing efforts to defend your constitutional rights, and please visit www.nraila.org/litigation to keep up to date on NRA-ILA’s ongoing litigation efforts.