HomePoliticsSUPREME COURT REF– USES TO HEAR CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE TO ASSAULT RIFLE BAN Politics OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA June 20, 2016 Today the US Supreme Court rejected an appeal challenging whether laws in New York and Connecticut banning AR-15 rifles violated the second amendment of the US Constitution. Seven states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws banning assault weapons. Several others states including California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Jersey, Minnesota and Virginia regulate assault rifles. The possible reason for the Court rejecting the case is the current deadlock on the bench since Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia died under very unusual circumstances in February of this year.