Supreme Court strikes down New York gun law along ideological lines

The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of gun owners who want to carry their weapons outside the home, striking down New York state’s rules giving local officials broad authority to deny such permits for almost any reason.

The 6-3 decision, which divided the court along the usual ideological lines.

… the dissenting justices said the court was trampling on New York’s efforts to tailor weapons regulations to particular threats posed by guns in that state.

“When courts interpret the Second Amendment, it is constitutionally proper, indeed often necessary, for them to consider the serious dangers and consequences of gun violence that lead States to regulate firearms,” Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in an opinion joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, pledges new legislation after ‘shocking’ court decision.

Hochul called the decision “frightful in its scope,” its language “shocking” and said the court was turning “this nation and our ability to protect our citizens back to our founding fathers.”

“I think everyone should know what happened here. As governor of the state of New York, my number one priority is to keep New Yorkers safe,” Hochul said on Thursday. “But the Supreme Court is sending us backwards in our efforts to protect families and prevent gun violence, and it’s particularly painful that this came down at this moment when we’re still dealing with families in pain from mass shootings.”

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