On the heels of a deadly shooting in Uvalde, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that people have a constitutional right to carry handguns for self-defense.
The century-old New York law that was overturned said residents need to prove “a proper cause” to carry a handgun for self-defense in public. In a 6-3 ruling, the nation’s highest court said the New York law violated the Second Amendment. That decision will make it significantly harder for states or the federal government to impose gun restrictions, even as Congress is on the verge of finding a rare compromise on gun legislation in the aftermath of the Uvalde shooting.
“The exercise of other constitutional rights does not require individuals to demonstrate to government officers some special need. The Second Amendment right to carry arms in public for self-defense is no different,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the majority opinion. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Stephen Breyer raised the need for gun regulation in the face of the dangers of firearms. He pointed to the scourge of gun violence in the country, including the shooting in Uvalde last month that killed 19 schoolchildren and two educators.“The Amendment allows States to take account of the serious problems posed by gun violence that I have just described.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa called the ruling “tone-deaf” and said the party would continue pushing for gun control legislation. Hinojosa has been asking Gov. and GOP lawmakers to hold a special legislative session over gun regulation since the shooting in Uvalde.
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