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June 24, 2022

Andrew Campbell 

A New York law that imposed stringent limits on carrying a concealed gun in public for self-defense was overturned by the Supreme Court on June 23. Some people warned that if the high court invalidated it, it may jeopardize gun control laws in multiple states and result in an increase in the number of weapons on city streets.

Laws identical to those in New York are also found in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. It is anticipated that these legislations would be swiftly challenged. States that are anticipated to be impacted by the decision are home to about 25% of the US population.

In a statement, President Biden expressed his sad disappointment with the Supreme Court's decision, stated the rule goes against both common sense and the Constitution, and should cause great concern for everyone. He once more asked states to alter their laws to reduce gun violence.

On the other hand, a day after a Supreme Court decision that dramatically expanded gun rights, the U.S. House of Representatives passed important gun safety legislation for the first time in nearly thirty years on June 24 and submitted it to President Joe Biden for signature.

The law increases the minimum age to acquire a semiautomatic rifle from 18 to 21, improves background checks for potential gun buyers, and closes the so-called "boyfriend loophole" by prohibiting the sale of firearms to people who have been found guilty of abusing unmarried intimate partners. It establishes criminal sanctions for straw purchases and gun trafficking and specifies the definition of a Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer. As well as providing roughly billions of dollars in federal funds to strengthen mental health services for kids and families and fortify schools, it also offers $750 million in incentives to encourage states to develop crisis intervention programs.