Press Release
Alaska Joins Letter Calling for Credit Card Companies to Avoid Targeting Firearms-Related Businesses
September 20, 2022
(Anchorage, AK) – Today, Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor has joined 21 other states in an open letter to President Joe Biden and the CEOs of American Express, Mastercard, and Visa denouncing their recent decisions to unfairly discriminate against one type of vendor over another.
“United States citizens have certain rights under the Constitution. Private businesses should not be allowed to manage, track or deny citizens the ability to exercise those rights,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “We will continue to fight any agency, organization, or businesses who attempts to limit the rights of Alaskans.”
Recently the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) asked the companies to create Merchant Category Codes for gun stores and firearms vendors that would allow the tracking and possible denial of purchases made at gun stores, regardless of whether or not a firearm was being purchased. This would prevent any item from being purchased using a credit or debit card from either of these three companies but would not prevent firearms from being purchased from general vendors. The letter emphasizes the impact that this decision will have on businesses and individuals without impact the overall sale of firearms.
“This proposed Merchant Category Code of gun merchants is a step in the wrong direction,” said Attorney General Treg Taylor. “I swore to uphold the Constitution, and a key part of it is the Second Amendment. This list could be misused by those who oppose Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights. Alaska and 21 other states are going to fight against this.”
CONTACT: For more information contact Solicitor General for Civil Appeals Jessie Alloway (907) 269-5900 and Chief Assistant Attorney General Max D. Garner at (907) 269-5161.
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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.