The ink was barely dry on Kansas' new gun law before U.S. attorney general Eric Holder proclaimed it unconstitutional.
The law prohibits the enforcement of federal gun laws on guns that are produced in and stay within the state. In a letter to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback Holder argued that the new law overstepped the boundaries of a state's power.
"Kansas may not prevent federal employees and officials from carrying out their official responsibilities," Holder wrote in the letter according to The Huffington Post. "And a state may certainly not criminalize the exercise of federal responsibilities."
The law was signed by Gov. Brownback in April and is thought to be the country's strictest law in support of the Second Amendment. The Huffington Post reports the law would essentially charge federal officials with a felony for enforcing federal laws. Republican Rep. Brett Hildabrand co-sponsored the bill and took pride in the law's boldness.
"My understanding is, it is the strictest Second Amendment protection law in the nation," Hildabrand said. "That is really great news. I consider it a pro-job growth bill because of it encouraging the large gun manufacturers or those who make gun components to move to Kansas."
Kris Kobach, the Kansas Secretary of State, defends the law's constitutionality and attacked the Obama administration for violating the Constitution in actions such as the Fast and Furious scandal, reports The Huffington Post.
"The Obama administration has repeatedly violated the United States Constitution for the past four-and-a-half-years," Kobach said. "That abuse cannot continue. The state of Kansas is determined to restore the Constitution and to protect the right of its citizens to keep and bear arms."
The Kansas City Star reports the state is preparing itself for the legal battle to come, Kansas State attorney general Derek Schmidt has asked the legislature for funds over the next two years for the potential legal costs of defending the law.
Gun advocates in the state firmly support the law and see no legal issue with it.
"We are standing our ground," Patricia Stoneking, President of the Kansas State Rifle Association, said. "We are not only supporting the Second Amendment, but we're supporting state sovereignty here. It is high time that this discussion took place."
Gov. Brownback responded to Holder with a letter of his own on Thursday, in the letter he defended the actions Kansas has taken to protect their Second Amendment rights.
"The right to keep and bear arms is a right that Kansans hold dear," Brownback wrote. "The people of Kansas have repeatedly and overwhelmingly reaffirmed their commitment to protecting this fundamental right."
