The emergency legislative session began on Thursday, a week after the conservative Supreme Court majority ruled for the first time that the US Constitution grants an individual right to bear arms in public for self-defense.
Democratic leaders in New York have slammed the move, saying there will be more gun violence if more people carry guns, while admitting they now need to relax the state licensing system codified there. more than a century old.
The court also authorized a ban on the carrying of weapons in certain “sensitive places”, but warned lawmakers against applying the label too broadly. The Court also facilitated the overturning of a gun regulation by pro-gun groups, ruling that a gun regulation was likely unconstitutional if it was not similar to the type of regulation in force in the 18th century. , when the Second Amendment to the Constitution was ratified.
In the early hours of Friday, the state government released the text of a bill https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2022-07/EXTRAORDINARY_SESSION1-CONCEALED_CARRY_IMPROVEMENT_ACT-BILL.pdf which included a list of proposed sensitive locations.
It included government buildings, medical facilities, places of worship, libraries, playgrounds, parks, zoos, schools, colleges, summer camps, addiction centers, homeless shelters, nursing homes, public transportation including the New York City subway, places where alcohol or marijuana is consumed, museums, theaters, stadiums and others places, polling places and Times Square.
The Court ruled in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen that New York officials had too much subjective discretion in determining which gun license applicants could enjoy what she said was a constitutional right. Applicants were denied a concealed carry permit if they could not convince an official that they had “proper cause,” or some sort of special reason, for carrying a handgun in self-defense.
Reluctantly and not without protest, Governor Kathy Hochul agreed to the state removing the “just cause” requirement. However, proposed new licensing rules would now require applicants to undergo extensive firearms training and provide their social media accounts to government officials for review.
Carrying a firearm on the premises of a private business would also be considered a crime, unless the business posts a sign saying that concealed weapons are welcome.
Republican senators were challenging the bill’s provisions Friday morning, and the Assembly had yet to begin voting.
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