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 case

United 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/

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