SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A man shows a gun holster at a concealed-carry permit class on December 19, 2015 in Provo, Utah. (Photo: George Frey/Getty Images)
'Devastating': Supreme Court Blows Massive Hole in State Gun Control Efforts
"This goes so, so far beyond concealed carry," wrote one court reporter. "The Supreme Court has effectively rendered gun restrictions presumptively unconstitutional."
Jun 23, 2022
In a decision with sweeping and grave implications for gun control laws across the country, the right-wing U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down New York state's restrictions on the concealed carry of firearms in public.
Slate legal reporter Mark Joseph Stern warned that the high court's 6-3 decision--penned by Justice Clarence Thomas--"goes so, so far beyond concealed carry."
"It's difficult to overstate how devastating Thomas' opinion is for gun control laws," Stern wrote. "The Supreme Court has effectively rendered gun restrictions presumptively unconstitutional. This is a revolution in Second Amendment law."
The ruling in the case, officially titled New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, comes in the wake of horrific mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
The now-invalidated, century-old New York law required applicants for a concealed carry permit to demonstrate "proper cause" and "good moral character" before gaining state approval. The Supreme Court's right-wing majority deemed those requirements a violation of the Second Amendment.
Several other states--including California, Hawaii, Maryland, and Massachusetts--have similar laws.
"This is devastating," Democratic New York State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi tweeted in response to the ruling. "Expand the Supreme Court."
The North Carolina Justice Center said in a statement that the court's decision "is deeply historically flawed, staggeringly tone-deaf, and will sadly only lead to more violence in this country."
"We condemn the ruling in the case," the group added, "which will have profound implications on efforts to enact meaningful gun legislation that could prevent the daily occurrences of mass shootings in the United States. We are neither safer nor freer because of this ruling."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
In a decision with sweeping and grave implications for gun control laws across the country, the right-wing U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down New York state's restrictions on the concealed carry of firearms in public.
Slate legal reporter Mark Joseph Stern warned that the high court's 6-3 decision--penned by Justice Clarence Thomas--"goes so, so far beyond concealed carry."
"It's difficult to overstate how devastating Thomas' opinion is for gun control laws," Stern wrote. "The Supreme Court has effectively rendered gun restrictions presumptively unconstitutional. This is a revolution in Second Amendment law."
The ruling in the case, officially titled New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, comes in the wake of horrific mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
The now-invalidated, century-old New York law required applicants for a concealed carry permit to demonstrate "proper cause" and "good moral character" before gaining state approval. The Supreme Court's right-wing majority deemed those requirements a violation of the Second Amendment.
Several other states--including California, Hawaii, Maryland, and Massachusetts--have similar laws.
"This is devastating," Democratic New York State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi tweeted in response to the ruling. "Expand the Supreme Court."
The North Carolina Justice Center said in a statement that the court's decision "is deeply historically flawed, staggeringly tone-deaf, and will sadly only lead to more violence in this country."
"We condemn the ruling in the case," the group added, "which will have profound implications on efforts to enact meaningful gun legislation that could prevent the daily occurrences of mass shootings in the United States. We are neither safer nor freer because of this ruling."
In a decision with sweeping and grave implications for gun control laws across the country, the right-wing U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down New York state's restrictions on the concealed carry of firearms in public.
Slate legal reporter Mark Joseph Stern warned that the high court's 6-3 decision--penned by Justice Clarence Thomas--"goes so, so far beyond concealed carry."
"It's difficult to overstate how devastating Thomas' opinion is for gun control laws," Stern wrote. "The Supreme Court has effectively rendered gun restrictions presumptively unconstitutional. This is a revolution in Second Amendment law."
The ruling in the case, officially titled New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, comes in the wake of horrific mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
The now-invalidated, century-old New York law required applicants for a concealed carry permit to demonstrate "proper cause" and "good moral character" before gaining state approval. The Supreme Court's right-wing majority deemed those requirements a violation of the Second Amendment.
Several other states--including California, Hawaii, Maryland, and Massachusetts--have similar laws.
"This is devastating," Democratic New York State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi tweeted in response to the ruling. "Expand the Supreme Court."
The North Carolina Justice Center said in a statement that the court's decision "is deeply historically flawed, staggeringly tone-deaf, and will sadly only lead to more violence in this country."
"We condemn the ruling in the case," the group added, "which will have profound implications on efforts to enact meaningful gun legislation that could prevent the daily occurrences of mass shootings in the United States. We are neither safer nor freer because of this ruling."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.