In a ruling today (June 23), the Supreme Court says the constitution protects the right to carry guns outside the home. Since 1913, the law said, "a person applying for a license to carry a concealed handgun in public has to show 'proper cause,' or a specific need, to carry the weapon," NBC NY reports. It was a 6-3 decision "handed down by the court's conservative majority found that requiring people to show a particular need to legally carry a gun in public violated Americans' Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms," the outlet says. The law will "effectively" permit more people to legally carry guns in New York, including the five boroughs and other parts. The decision is one of the biggest gun rights cases in over a decade. Approximately a quarter of Americans live in states "that are expected to be affected by it."Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, the decision "severely undermines public safety." He added, "New York still has some of the toughest gun laws in the country on the books, and we will continue to use these statutes to hold accountable those who commit gun violence."N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul said, "Shocking, absolutely shocking that they have taken away our right to have reasonable restrictions."7 Things You Should Know:
- The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association challenged N.Y. law because they're "seeking an unrestricted ability to carry guns outside their homes." They reportedly describe themselves as the oldest firearms advocacy organization in the nation.
- A NY gun permit issues two types of licenses. An unrestricted licenses where a person can carry their gun anywhere. Or, a restricted licenses, which only allows someone to carry the weapon for a special reason like hunting.
- It'll be easier to carry guns in large U.S. cities.
- Ahead of the anticipated high court ruling, New York state legislators passed a package of gun legislation to shore up protections. Hochul signed the ten bills into law, including one banning anyone under the age of 21 from buying or owning semi-automatic rifles.
- Lawmakers could implement new conditions, like requiring firearm training, mental health evaluation, or disqualifying "certain types" of criminal convictions.
- Lawmakers could designate areas where people can't carry concealed weapons, such as public transit systems, school zones, bars, parks, government offices, or polling places.
- Bragg also told The NY Times, "At this very moment, my office is analyzing this ruling and crafting gun safety legislation that will take the strongest steps possible to mitigate the damage done today."
