[WATCH] NY Lawmakers Hold Emergency Session to Vote On Gun Rules In Wake of SCOTUS Decision
New York lawmakers were holding an emergency session on Thursday to hear arguments and vote on legislation seeking to limit the proliferation of firearms in public after the Supreme Court gutted the state’s century-old handgun licensing law.
The state, which is still reeling from the massacre in a grocery store in a predominately Black neighborhood last month, is overhauling its rules for carrying guns after the court decided that ordinary citizens had a right to arm themselves in public for self-defense, something the state limited in the past mostly to people working in law enforcement or security. New rules being rushed through an emergency session of the Legislature would allow many more gun owners to apply for a license to carry a concealed weapon, but would seek to set new restrictions on where firearms can be carried.
One provision, which was proposed by Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday, would ban people from carrying firearms into places of business unless owners put up signage saying guns are welcome. New York would be the first state to pass such a rule. In states where carrying guns is more common, businesses that want to keep guns out are usually required to post signs indicating weapons aren’t allowed. New York would also set new requirements for obtaining a handgun permit, including mandating 15 hours of in-person fire range training. The Legislature is also primed to enact new rules around firearm storage in homes and vehicles.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed her state would take action on gun legislation, promising New York will take the lead for the rest of the country. “The rest of the states, shame on you if you don’t,” Hochul said Friday. pic.twitter.com/MlgHS6wHXh
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) June 3, 2022
Gov. Hochul and fellow Democrats also plan on compiling a list of “sensitive places” where the average person will be banned from carrying firearms, including hospitals, schools, and public transportation.
[This is a developing story, please check back for updates]
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