Washington Examiner Reports on Brewer Client NRA’s Legal Victory Against ATF

April 2, 2024 – The Washington Examiner reported on Brewer client NRA and its recent legal victory over the ATF. A Texas court recently enjoined the “pistol brace rule” from taking effect against NRA members. The legal win is the most expansive ruling of its kind to date – protecting millions of NRA members across the nation.

As reported in the article, “Big Win for NRA in Battle with Biden’s ATF,” “The decision followed other court rulings protecting the 3.7 million members of three other gun groups from the ATF action that abruptly changed the definition of rifles to include the AR pistols, among the most popular firearms in the country. Under the new rules, they will be taxed and registered.”

“The NRA will continue to play offense against this unconstitutional rule,” says NRA interim EVP and CEO Andrew Arulanandam. “This is yet another example of the NRA fighting for its members — and protecting the constitutional freedoms in which they believe.”

Houston Public Media Reports on Texas Voting Rights Initiative

March 19, 2024 – Houston Public Media reports on warning letters sent by Brewer Storefront to two Houston-area school districts notifying them that their at large election systems used for electing school board trustees could be violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Brewer Storefront is the community service affiliate of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors.

Letters were sent to 11 Texas school districts as a part of Brewer Storefront's newly launched Texas Voting Rights Initiative. The letters request that Houston area school districts Angleton ISD and Humble ISD adopt single member district election systems that create at least one opportunity district for Hispanic voters. 

The article notes that Brewer Storefront has brought several Voting Rights Act challenges against school districts and municipalities in Texas.

The article notes that, “Brewer Storefront, which has made legal challenges that prompted similar changes at five school districts in the Dallas area, said a lack of diversity and equitable geographic representation on school boards can result in disenfranchised voters, underfunding and achievement gaps for both schools and their individual students.”

The article reports that Sergio Lira, a Houston League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) leader,  praised Brewer Storefront for highlighting Texas school districts that could have more equitable and reflective representation on their boards. 

Houston Public Media quoted Brewer Storefront Chairman William A. Brewer III stating that, "We urge these school districts to take proactive steps in adopting election systems that comply with the Voting Rights Act and create districts that give voters of color a fair opportunity to participate in the electoral process. We believe our political institutions work best when they give all voters an opportunity to elect candidates of their choosing."

Read more here.

New Republic Reports that NRA Appears to “Notch Another Victory” at Supreme Court

March 19, 2024 –New Republic Staff Writer Matt Ford writes that Supreme Court justices appear ready to side with the NRA in its First Amendment case against former New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Maria Vullo.

He writes in the article following the Supreme Court arguments in the matter that, "By the end of the arguments, it was clear that whatever uncertain winds were swirling at the outset had shifted decidedly in the NRA’s favor.”

Ford writes that it is “hardly surprising” that the NRA would interpret Vullo’s actions as “unconstitutional threats,” noting that he previously wrote describing former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s campaign against the NRA as being blunt and heavy-handed, and Cuomo’s messaging about the NRA as “particularly venomous.” Ford predicted that the former governor’s “overheated rhetoric and ham-fisted tactics will backfire when the court hands down a ruling by the end of June.”

The Brewer firm has represented the NRA on this matter since its inception, advocating alongside First Amendment scholar Eugene Volokh and the ACLU. 

FOX News Reports on NRA’s Argument Before Supreme Court

March 18, 2024 – FOX News reports today on arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a leading First Amendment case – NRA v. Vullo.

As reported, “Before the high court is the case National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo, which questions whether a government regulator threatens regulated entities with adverse regulatory actions if they do business with a controversial speaker, allegedly because of the government's own hostility to the speaker's viewpoint, violates the First Amendment.” Oral arguments are set for March 18.

FOX reports, “Dozens of political leaders, lawmakers, scholars and organizations have filed or joined amicus briefs in support of the NRA’s position, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)…”

"Public officials cannot be allowed to abuse their regulatory powers to blacklist an organization just because they oppose its political views. If New York is allowed to do this to the NRA, it will provide a playbook for other state officials to abuse their authority to target groups they don’t like," said ACLU Legal Director David Cole.

"This case is important to the NRA and all advocacy organizations who rely upon the protections of the First Amendment," says NRA counsel and Brewer Partner William A. Brewer III. "Many groups will benefit when the Court reminds government officials that they cannot use intimidation tactics, backdoor censorship, or regulatory blacklisting to silence those with whom they disagree."

Houston Chronicle Reports on Texas Voting Rights Initiative

March 15, 2024 – The Houston Chronicle newspaper reports on Brewer Storefront and its newly announced Texas Voting Rights Initiative. The article notes that the Storefront sent warning letters to two school districts in the Houston area – Humble Independent School District and the Angleton Independent School District.

The letters accuse the school district of violating the Voting Rights Act with their current at large system of electing trustees in May. Brewer Storefront is the community service affiliate of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. The article noted that the letters said each school district could have at least one Hispanic opportunity district, where the Hispanic voting population makes up more than 50% of the district’s residents, adopt a single member district election system and move elections to November, when there is higher voter turnout.

Partner William Brewer III told the Chronicle that the letters represented “pleas to do the right thing.” He added, “It’s an age-old story: white dominated school boards, despite the fact that the majority of users of the service are the ones who have no representation.”

He added that the initiative will expand to other districts in the state and that, “We started here, (but) it’s not where we hope it ends.”

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Reports on Brewer Storefront Voting Rights Efforts in Tarrant County

March 13, 2024 – The Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper reports on Brewer Storefront and its newly-announced Texas Voting Rights Initiative (TVRI). As reported, the Storefront sent warning letters to two school districts in Tarrant County – Arlington Independent School District and Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District.

The letters accuse the school districts of violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and denying voters of color an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.  Brewer Storefront is the community service affiliate of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors.  Announced on March 7, 2024, the TVRI will continue to analyze voting systems used for electing school board trustees and city council members across Texas, advance written scholarship, and pursue legal action to uphold and strengthen voting rights.  

“What we’re hoping is that the letters would be greeted with a positive response and that the outcome would be an invitation to work with our experts to help define a voting system that actually encourages participation and engender change,” William Brewer III told the Star-Telegram.

The report noted that Brewer stated that he hopes the school districts will work with his team to address the issues, but the firm is also prepared to effect change through the courts.

 Read more here.

Dallas Morning News Reports on Brewer Storefront Texas Voting Rights Initiative

March 7, 2024 – The Dallas Morning News reports that Brewer Storefont sent warning letters to 11 Texas school districts alleging that their election systems violate the Voting Rights Act. 

Brewer Storefront is the community service affiliate of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. The article reports that the letters emphasize that at large election systems used by many school districts to elect school board trustees deny voters of color an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. 

In an Interview with the Morning News, Partner William A. Brewer III emphasized the importance of diversity in school board representation, noting that "We've picked districts where we believe that the performance gaps really compel us, if we care, to try to engender a change." 

The article noted that the firm, along with sending the letters, is launching the Texas Voting Rights Initiative, a statewide effort to ensure trustee elections comply with the law.

"Our demographics have changed," Brewer said. "And our systems need to respond to that." 

Read more here.

New York Sun Publishes Editorial in Support of NRA

March 5, 2024 – The New York Sun published an editorial today in support of Brewer client the NRA. The editorial, “Good News for the NRA – and New York,” commented on the “dissolution lawsuit” filed by the New York Attorney General against the NRA. A jury trial recently concluded in the matter.

The Sun wrote, “We wouldn’t want the week to go by without a word of congratulations to the National Rifle Association, one of America’s most venerable and distinguished civil rights organizations. The worst of the legal onslaught launched by Governor Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Letitia James has passed. Despite their best efforts to close the doors of the NRA, a Manhattan jury’s verdict leaves the organization intact.”

The publication continued, “Someday, no doubt, the historians are going to mark what happened in this case as a politically motivated prosecution designed to dismantle a non-profit organization whose views cut against the liberal orthodoxy prevailing in the Empire State. Why else would General James emphasize the NRA’s role as “the largest and most influential pro-gun organization in the nation” when she filed her suit “seeking to dissolve” the group?”