On Wednesday, the Supreme Court allowed New York to continue to enforce a law which places strict limits on carrying guns outside the home, in what they call “sensitive places.” The Concealed Carry Improvement Act was put into place shortly after the high court’s ruling in June that dramatically expanded the right to bear arms outside the home. It bans guns in many public places including schools, healthcare facilities, churches, parks, entertainment venues and other places where people gather. The justices turned away an emergency request by New York gun owners challenging the law.
Part of the reason the Supreme Court is allowing the law to stand, for now, is because the appeals court hasn’t finished its review of the case. Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the New York law “presents novel and serious questions” but that they must “reflect respect” for the appeals court’s “procedures in managing its own docket, rather than expressing any view on the merits of the case.”
In a statement, Gun Owners of America Senior Vice President Erich Pratt said that while his group had “hoped for immediate relief” they found Alito’s statement “incredibly reassuring” and “look forward to continuing the fight against New York’s draconian law.”
Another part of the law which gun owners see as unconstitutional, is that in order to gain a license for a gun, it states and individual must demonstrate “good moral character.” This is a blatant assault on Americans second amendment rights and gun owners can be assured that eventually the Supreme Court will have its say in the matter.
After all, their June ruling did state that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense. This invalidated the New York law, which required gun owners to prove that needed their gun for self defense.
