1/ The Supreme Court struck down a New York gun law enacted more than a century ago that limited who could carry a concealed handgun for self-defense in public, ruling for the first time that the Second Amendment protects gun rights outside the home. The 6-3 ruling to limit the ability of state and local governments to restrict guns outside the home marks the widest expansion of gun rights in a decade. At least six states have laws that prevent most people from legally carrying a handgun outside the home. Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas said that “the constitutional right to bear arms in public for self defense is not a second class right subject to an entirely different body of rules,” and that the Second Amendment is not limited to people who can demonstrate a special need to carry a gun in public. In dissent, Justice Stephen Breyer pointed to the nearly 300 mass shootings since January and to data showing “gun violence has now surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death among children and adolescents.” (New York Times / Politico / NPR / Associated Press / Washington Post / CNN / Bloomberg)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2022/06/23/day-520/