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Gun Rights and Foster Care Restrictions Collide in Michigan - The New York Times

posted onAugust 9, 2017
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Article snippet: WASHINGTON — Bill Johnson’s grandfather taught him how to shoot when he was just 9 years old, and gave him his first gun — a Mossberg 16-gauge, bolt-action shotgun — when he turned 14. When Mr. Johnson joined the Marines at 17, he was issued an assault rifle. And he has carried a concealed handgun, with a permit, for the past decade. But now Mr. Johnson says he has been forced to give up carrying his gun “under duress.” The reason? He wants to become a foster parent to his grandson. In a case that could have implications for gun owners nationwide, Mr. Johnson and his wife, Jill, are suing their home state, Michigan, which bars foster parents from carrying concealed weapons. At issue is whether the state’s rules amount to a “functional ban” on owning a firearm, in violation of the Constitution’s Second Amendment. “This is not a case that’s outlandish or off the wall,” said Adam Winkler, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and author of a book on the gun rights movement. “Foster parents do have constitutional rights, and they don’t forsake those rights just because they become foster parents.” Most states have regulations governing gun ownership for foster parents; having guns locked and stored in safes, with ammunition locked and stored separately, is a standard requirement. The goal is to ensure the safety of children, many of them troubled, in foster care. But around the country, some foster parents and lawmakers, as well as gun rights ... Link to the full article to read more

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