Attorney General Treg Taylor Joins Letter Challenging Investigation of Lake City Commercial Ammunition Sales

January 26, 2024

(Anchorage, AK) - This week, Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor signed onto a multistate letter to the Biden Administration, responding to another letter that had urged the Administration to restrict ammunition manufacturers who receive federal funds from selling ammunition to citizens.

"We Have seen this administration take full advantage of wordplay to restrict the rights of American citizens," said Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy. "Politicians, ignorant of the tools and practices they fight to restrict, use catchphrases like 'military grade' to create the illusion that these rights are not meant for the average citizen. They hate that law-abiding citizens have these rights and will use these underhanded tactics to take them away if allowed. I will always fight to preserve those rights given to citizens at the time our nation was founded and the ability to exercise those rights. In this case, that means fighting to ensure that citizens who have the right to arms also have reasonable access to ammunition."

The original letter, written by leaders of several Democrat-led states requests that the Biden Administration investigate Lake City Army Ammunition Plant. The letter argues that ammunition manufacturers who receive federal funds should not be allowed to also sell ammunition to the general public, and states that the ammunition has been used by mass shooters to commit crimes.

The response letter, joined by Alaska, argues that this restriction would limit law-abiding citizens' ability to obtain ammunition and to exercise their Second Amendment rights. The response explains that these ammunition manufacturers receive federal funds to maintain expertise and staff should a surge in production be needed to meet military demands, noting that ammunition manufacturers were unable to do so when the increase in ammunition was first needed for the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. That does not limit them from also selling ammunition to law-abiding citizens who, as the response states, then "subsidize military defense."

The response letter also notes that the request for investigation stems from the notion that Lake City Army Ammunition Plant is selling "military ammunition" on the commercial market. The ammunition from Lake City that is available to the general public is legal to manufacture and sell in accordance with BATFE requirements and is not the primary cartridge built for the military. The response notes that creating an artificial distinction to label as meant-for-military-use-only is an "overt attempt to punish Americans' exercise of their Second Amendment rights."

"When politicians either intentionally mischaracterize a situation or ignorantly proclaim their beliefs as facts, they do so at the cost of the American people," said Attorney General Taylor. "In calling for an investigation into Lake City Army Ammunition, these Democrat-led states are misrepresenting an agreement that strengthens our national defense, in an effort to erode the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. These actions have real-world consequences that deserve accuracy and honesty from policy makers. Law-abiding Alaskans use ammunition often for sporting purposes, self-defense, and subsistence use. Actions taken to decrease availability and access, or increase cost, of ammunition will negatively impact our residents, especially those living off of the road system. We will continue to fight infringements of the Constitutional rights of Alaskans."

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at [email protected] or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at [email protected] or (907) 269-6269.

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