New York Democrats in the state legislature were called into special session by Gov. Kathy Hochul in order to deal with an emergency situation. The U.S. Supreme Court had thrown out New York’s restrictive gun licensing law that made it nearly impossible for a citizen to carry a weapon for self-defense, and Democrats were experiencing near-apoplexy. Their paradise was about to be invaded by a bunch of gun-toting, whiskey-swilling, cowboy-hat-wearing yahoos. (That’s their vision of anyone wanting a concealed carry permit, anyway).
They solved their problem by passing another gun law. This one will also almost certainly go to court as well because rather than thumbing their nose at the Supreme Court, Democrats simply pissed on them.
The law, passed in an emergency legislative session, was forced by a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week that struck down New York’s restrictive gun-license laws. The court’s conservative majority ruled for the first time that the U.S. Constitution grants an individual the right to carry weapons in public for self-defense. read more
New York’s Democratic leaders have decried the ruling and the court, saying there will be more gun violence if there are more people carrying guns.
They conceded they must loosen the state’s century-old permit scheme to comply with the ruling, but sought to keep as many restrictions as they could in the name of public safety. Some will likely be targets for further legal challenges.
That exemption for “public safety” was taken to ludicrous extremes.
The law passed on Friday makes it a felony crime to carry a gun into a new list of sensitive places, including: government buildings, medical facilities, places of worship, libraries, playgrounds, parks, zoos, schools, colleges, summer camps, addiction-support centers, homeless shelters, nursing homes, public transit including the New York City subway, places where alcohol or marijuana is consumed, museums, theaters, stadiums and other venues, polling places and Times Square.
“Now, it’s going to be easier to get a concealed-carry” license, said Mike Lawler, a Republican member of the Assembly, during the debate. “But you’re not going to be able to carry it anywhere.”
It gets worse. In order to get the permit, an applicant must see a judge or other official in person and provide contact details for family members who live with them. The applicant will also have to prove their shooting proficiency and submit their social media accounts for review by government officials.
Wow. The state of New York really, really wants to make sure you’re “deserving” of their beneficence in receiving a gun permit from on high.
Needless to say, these regulations violate the spirit if not the letter of the Constitution six ways from Sunday. But in the meantime, New York Democrats can go to their constituents and claim they prevented the yahoos from despoiling their state with their filthy guns.
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