United States v. Lopez

In 1995, the Supreme Court ruled the Gun-Free School Zones Act unconstitutional, reshaping federal power forever.WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO- What the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 actually did- Why the Commerce Clause was at the center of this case- How the Court's 5-4 ruling redefined federal authority- What the "interstate commerce hook" means for prosecutors- How Lopez shifted school safety responsibility to states- Why Lopez is a federalism case, not a Second Amendment caseUnited States v. Lopez (1995) began when a twelfth-grader named Alfonzo Lopez carried a concealed handgun into his San Antonio high school and was charged under a federal law banning firearms in school zones nationwide. The Supreme Court struck down that law, ruling that possessing a gun in a local school zone is not an economic activity with any substantial connection to interstate commerce. It was the first time in over sixty years the Court had placed a meaningful limit on congressional power under the Commerce Clause. Congress responded by revising the law to require proof that a firearm moved through interstate commerce, the "interstate commerce hook." The ruling sparked a broader federalism revolution under the Rehnquist Court, affirming that local matters like school safety belong to states, not the federal government.Learn more about United States v. Lopez by visiting:https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/19/united-states-v-lopez/Kidlaw Official Website - https://Kidlaw.orghttps://www.youtube.com/@KidlawACNJ