Gun Control vs. Gun Rights: The State of Play

Nwo Report

Nov 5

Two trends are reflected in recent state and federal gun legislation. One trend stems from the New York State Rifle and Pistol Ass'n Inc. v Bruen ruling in June, and the other from New York's Concealed Carry Improvement Act passed in response to Bruen.

Bruen's Domino Effect

In Bruen, the U.S. Supreme Court found that New York State's concealed carry law was unconstitutional because it required "proper cause" for an individual to obtain a concealed carry permit. As a result, a new precedent was set for Second Amendment legislation, with many states' gun control laws now challenged. The National Association for Gun Rights has sued several states and cities to end their assault weapons bans, including the Illinois cities of Highland Park and Naperville along with the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Hawaii. The Connecticut Citizens Defense League, along with two former Connecticut corrections officers and a firearms instructor, have also filed a lawsuit against the Connecticut assault weapons ban. In Colorado, a judge recently blocked an assault weapons ban following a lawsuit filed by the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. Bruen was also cited by a judge in West Virginia who abolished a federal law requiring firearms to have serial numbers, and by a judge in Texas who ruled that citizens under criminal indictment retain the right to bear arms.