Attorney General Raul Labrador: Working to Protect our Constitutional Rights

PRESS RELEASE: Labrador Leads 23 States Fighting for American’s 2nd Amendment Rights

Boise, ID – Attorney General Raúl Labrador has filed an amicus brief leading 23 states in Barnett v. Raoul challenging Illinois’s unconstitutional semiautomatic weapons ban.

On January 10, 2023, Illinois enacted HB 5471, the “Protect Illinois Communities Act.” HB 5471 bans nearly every modern semiautomatic rifle, the most popular type of rifle in the United States. The law also bans certain “semiautomatic pistols” that are commonly used weapon for self-defense. Furthermore, HB 5471 prohibits all ammunition-feeding devices capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition for long guns and 15 rounds for handguns. The law disregards the millions of law-abiding Americans who own firearms that use such magazines.

Attorney General Labrador opposes this unconstitutional law, which violates the text and history of the Second Amendment. Recent Supreme Court precedents such as Bruen (2022), Heller (2008), and Caetano (2016) affirm the right of Americans to possess and use bearable arms, like the ones Illinois has banned, especially when such arms are in common use.

“The founders didn’t carve out Second Amendment exemptions for states. Illinois is trying to set an unconstitutional precedent, of an unconstitutional law, that will ultimately impact Idahoans in the future. I will always fight to defend Idahoan’s rights wherever they are being infringed.” Attorney General Labrador said.

This case seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to prevent Illinois from enforcing HB 5471.

Attorney General Labrador’s actions demonstrate his commitment to upholding Constitutional rights and liberties. General Labrador will not stand idly by and watch Illinois chip away at the scope of the Second Amendment and work to establish harmful precedent. Today’s actions should send a strong message to rogue states. No state has the right to take constitutional rights from any American, and any attempt will be met with legal action from Attorney General Labrador.

The full brief can be read here.

PRESS RELEASE: Attorney General Labrador Joins 25 State Coalition Opposing President Biden’s Attack on Gas-Powered Vehicles

Boise, ID — Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and 24 states challenged the Biden Administration’s most radical regulations yet on tailpipe emissions. The President’s plan would forcibly phase out gas-powered vehicles and restructure the automobile industry around electric vehicles (EVs) at a breakneck pace. The draconian proposal aims to boost certain EV sales from 8.4% of total vehicle sales today to 67% by 2032.

Attorney General Labrador joined the Kentucky and West Virginia-led coalition in a letter opposing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plan, arguing the move would damage our economy, undermine the reliability of our electrical grids, tax the families and businesses who depend on them, and threaten our national security.

“The Biden administration, to gain support from the progressive left, has decided to essentially force a new climate tax on Americans. The President’s plan forcibly phases out gas-powered vehicles, despite the program failing to meet the environmental and economic goals it purports to achieve. We will not willingly allow the Biden administration to appease their base at the expense of the everyday American,” Attorney General Labrador said.

Kentucky and West Virginia’s coalition argues that the aggressive shift to EVs is counterproductive and misguided. America’s power grids not only lack the capacity to accommodate the proposed rule’s new demands but are also nowhere near secure enough to handle them safely. EPA’s plan also hinders American energy independence and makes the country less secure.

The attorneys general highlight how the Biden Administration’s fast-and-furious approach to electrification will have devastating consequences for the automotive supply chain. America would be weaker and more dependent on foreign adversaries like China, which supplies many of the minerals necessary for electric vehicles.

The average EV sold for $61,448 at the end of 2022. Now is not the time for the federal government to complicate the manufacturing process for cars and raise the average price significantly. Consumers are already experiencing record inflation, historic gasoline prices, and high utility bills. Since President Biden took office, food prices are up over 18%, and energy prices are up over 37%. Home prices have also surged more than 27% in fewer than three years. Many consumers will be unable to afford EVs even if they want them.

To read the letter sent by the attorneys general, click here. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey are joined by: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.

PRESS RELEASE: Idaho and Law Enforcers Nationwide Announce Enforcement Sweep to Stem the Tide of Illegal Telemarketing Calls to U.S. Consumers

New actions target those who distributed or facilitated billions of illegal calls

Boise, ID – Idaho along with the Federal Trade Commission and other law enforcement partners nationwide, including attorneys general from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, announced a new crackdown on illegal telemarketing targeting operations responsible for billions of calls to U.S. consumers.

The “Operation Stop Scam Calls” initiative builds on the efforts of Idaho and other state and federal partners to combat the scourge of illegal telemarketing, including robocalls. This initiative targets telemarketers and the companies that hire them as well as lead generators who deceptively collect and provide consumers’ telephone numbers to robocallers and others, falsely representing that these consumers have consented to receive calls. It also targets Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers who facilitate tens of billions of illegal robocalls every year, which often originate overseas.

“The state of Idaho and the federal government have come together to protect our residents from illegal robocalls. Often, these calls result in the harassment of unsuspecting recipients. Americans have demanded protection against robocalls; our actions demonstrate our commitment to ending these intimidation practices,” Attorney General Labrador said.

In May 2023, Attorney General Labrador announced his office’s participation in a multistate lawsuit against Avid Telecom in Arizona. The lawsuit alleges that Avid Telecom distributed or assisted in the distribution of billions of illegal and fraudulent telemarketing calls to consumers nationwide.