The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, ruled Thursday that the Constitution provides a right to carry a gun outside the home.
The ruling, a major victory for gun owners, came in a case involving a New York law requiring a concealed carry application to demonstrate a special need for the protection.
NBC News noted gun owners had filed suit maintaining the requirement made it nearly impossible to ordinary citizens to get the license. They claimed that the law turned the Second Amendment into a limited privilege, not a constitutional right.
In a statement on its website, the National Rifle Association applauded the high court’s decision: “The National Rifle Association [NRA] welcomes the Supreme Court’s decision. The court affirmed that the right to bear arms does not stop at a person’s front door. This is the most significant Second Amendment ruling in more than a decade.”
Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s executive vice president, added, “Today’s ruling is a watershed win for good men and women all across America and is the result of a decades-long fight the NRA has led.
“The right to self-defense and to defend your family and loved ones should not end at your home. This ruling brings life-saving justice to law-abiding Americans who have lived under unconstitutional regimes all across our country, particularly in cities and states with revolving door criminal justice systems, no cash bail, and increased harassment of law-enforcement.
New York’s Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul blasted the court’s decision, tweeting: “It is outrageous that at a moment of national reckoning on gun violence, the Supreme Court has recklessly struck down a New York law that limits those who can carry concealed weapons."
She added in another tweet: "In response to this ruling, we are closely reviewing our options — including calling a special session of the legislature. Just as we swiftly passed nation-leading gun reform legislation, I will continue to do everything in my power to keep New Yorkers safe from gun violence."
The Associated Press reported the high court’s decision is expected to ultimately permit more people to legally carry guns on the streets of major cities in the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, and Boston.
The AP said about a quarter of the U.S. population lives in states expected to be impacted by the ruling.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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