Supreme Court to Review Public Carry Laws for Licensed Gun Owners
Washington – On Friday, the Supreme Court decided to review whether licensed gun owners are entitled to carry firearms in public areas such as parks, beaches, and shops.
The focus is on laws from California, Hawaii, and three additional states that restrict carrying firearms in both private and public venues accessible to the public.
Three years prior, the Supreme Court affirmed that law-abiding gun owners possess the Second Amendment right to seek permits for carrying concealed weapons outside their homes.
However, the court left unclear whether states and municipalities can prohibit firearms in “sensitive places,” as well as where guns can be legally carried.
In reaction, California has introduced stringent regulations that prevent gun owners from carrying weapons in most public or private spaces unless there are signs indicating that firearms are permitted.
Last year, the Ninth Circuit ruled that this particular provision was overly broad, yet it upheld several other restrictions, including Hawaiian laws that limit carrying guns in public places and most businesses accessible to the public.
Gun rights advocates filed a lawsuit, urging the justices to declare that these restrictions infringe upon the Second Amendment’s provisions.
The court plans to hear arguments concerning the case early next year.
Attorneys representing the Trump administration called on the court to strike down Hawaii’s regulations and broaden gun rights.
According to Attorney General D. John Sauer, state law effectively imposes a near-total ban on public carrying. “Individuals who carry handguns for self-defense are committing crimes by entering malls, gas stations, convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants, coffee shops, and even parking lots,” he stated.
Sauer pointed out that New York, New Jersey, and Maryland have introduced similar restrictions to those in California and Hawaii.
“Five states, with a combined population exceeding 75 million—over one-fifth of the total U.S. population—prohibit the carrying of concealed weapons in both private and public places without property owners’ consent,” he added.
On the other hand, gun control advocates praised Hawaii’s regulations as “common sense” laws that ban transporting firearms onto others’ private property.
Janet Carter, managing director of a Second Amendment lawsuit organization, argued that the Ninth Circuit was entirely justified in asserting that banning guns on private property is constitutional unless the property owner expresses a desire for them to be allowed. “This law respects individuals’ rights to feel safe on their property, and we encourage the Supreme Court to uphold it,” she remarked.
