Wyoming sues ATF over gun permits

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A federal agency is balking at a Wyoming law that allows people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence to regain their right to own guns simply because the agency wants to take guns away from as many people as possible, a state lawyer told a federal judge Friday.

U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson heard arguments in a lawsuit Wyoming filed against the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The state has asked Johnson to rule that the ATF acted illegally when it threatened to disallow nearly 11,000 concealed-weapons permits the state has issued to its citizens as a substitute for federal background checks for firearms purchases.

Congress in 1996 expanded the ban that prohibits convicted felons from owning guns to include anyone convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence.

A Wyoming law enacted in 2004 allows people convicted of a misdemeanor domestic-violence charge to petition in court to get their first conviction expunged. The ATF has warned Wyoming that it would stop honoring state weapon permits for gun purchases if Wyoming continues to use its law.