Supreme Court to Decide on Bump Stock Ban Challenge

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to the federal ban on bump stocks, devices that increase the rate of fire of semiautomatic rifles. The ban has divided federal appeals courts, and the case comes at a time when the country is still grappling with the aftermath of a mass shooting. The challenge questions whether the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives exceeded its authority by classifying bump stocks as "machine guns" under the National Firearms Act. The Biden administration has petitioned the Supreme Court to take up the appeal, while lawyers for the challenger argue that the law is ambiguous and the ban is an unlawful exercise of power.