Supreme Court Strikes Down Controversial NY State Gun Laws

In their 6-3 decision, the justices struck down a New York law requiring people to demonstrate a particular need for carrying a gun in order to get a license to carry one in public. The justices said the requirement violates the Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms.”

The justices’ decision is expected to ultimately allow more people to legally carry guns on the streets of the nation’s largest cities, including New York City.

Gun licensing is still in place, but the decision eliminates the distinction between guns allowed in one’s home and guns allowed on one’s person. It also means the city and state will have to define where guns cannot be brought, so called “sensitive places.” The question facing local lawmakers is what those places are.

New York’s law, which has been in place since 1913, states that to carry a concealed handgun in public, a person applying for a license has to show “proper cause,” a specific need to carry the weapon. Score one for the common man.