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Constitutional Amendment On Guns Nears Final Step

Twenty-one states are asking a federal appeals court to overturn provisions of Maryland's gun-control law that ban 45 assault weapons and limit gun magazines to 10 rounds.
Mike Saechang
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Twenty-one states are asking a federal appeals court to overturn provisions of Maryland's gun-control law that ban 45 assault weapons and limit gun magazines to 10 rounds.

Alabama lawmakers are one step from letting voters decide, at least in theory, whether to make it harder for government to adopt restrictions on firearms.

A proposed constitutional amendment would apply a judicial standard called strict scrutiny to any limits on possessing weapons. The proposal cleared a Senate committee Tuesday. It must pass the full Senate before it goes on a statewide ballot.

Strict scrutiny is a legal term that refers to courts setting the highest standards when deciding whether a law is constitutional. In the case of firearms, that means any restrictions would have to be narrowly tailored and proponents would have to show a compelling reason for the limits.

The bill repeats what the U.S. Supreme Court already requires under recent decisions striking down local weapons bans.

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