The Roberts Court, November 30, 2018. Seated, from left to right: Justices Stephen G. Breyer and Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Samuel A. Alito. Standing, from left to right: Justices Neil M. Gorsuch, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Brett M. Kavanaugh. (Photograph by Fred Schilling, … [Read more...]
Roberts Court Could Expand Gun Rights as Remington Asks Court to Hear Sandy Hook Appeal
While the nation overwhelmingly supports stricter gun laws, not so the Supreme Court, especially since Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation last September seals the fifth vote necessary to expand Second Amendment Rights. The Court has avoided gun rights cases since it issued a pair of landmark decisions, District of Columbia v. Heller in 2008, … [Read more...]
U.S. Appeals Court Refuses to Block ‘Bump Stocks’ Gun Ban
A U.S. appeals court on Monday said it would not halt President Donald Trump’s ban on “bump stocks”, the latest in a string of courtroom defeats for firearms rights advocates opposing the policy, according to Reuters. The court upheld a lower court ruling that denied a request by opponents of the policy for a preliminary injunction lifting the … [Read more...]
New York Passes Red Flag Law, Other Gun Control Measures
In 2013, and in response to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, New York passed the Safe Act, which tightened restrictions on assault rifles, closed various loopholes and toughened penalties for illegal gun ownership. After that, however, the Republican-controlled state Senate killed any further gun control legislation, stymieing … [Read more...]
Soon, No Permit Necessary for Concealed Gun in South Dakota
South Dakota Governor, Kristi Noem (R), who’s only been in office for a month, signed a bill repealing the law that requires people to have a permit to carry a concealed weapon in South Dakota. Noem said she was proud that this was the very first bill she signed into law in her gubernatorial freshman year. In her words, “It's special for me to … [Read more...]
New Restrictions on Semiautomatic Assault Rifles Go Into Effect in Washington State
In November 2018, voters in the state of Washington approved Initiative 1639, an omnibus gun control ballot measure that included a range of provisions. It was the most ambitious gun control ballot measure in the history of Washington State. And when the calendar ticked over to 2019 on January 1, one important element of the proposal – … [Read more...]
Will Gun Control Survive Brett Kavanaugh and the Court’s Absolutist Bloc?
The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: ‘A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed,” The Supreme Court has refused to hear a Second Amendment case for nearly a decade since it decided in two watershed cases … [Read more...]
New Jersey Ban on Large Ammunition Magazines Upheld in Court
The state of New Jersey's ban on firearm magazines holding more than 10 bullets can be enforced, a federal court ruled in early December, a victory for the state and for gun control activists who argue the ban is a common sense gun safety rule. The ruling from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia upheld a similar decision by a … [Read more...]
Trump Bans ‘Bump Stocks’ That Played A Role In Last Year’s Las Vegas Shooting
On Tuesday, the Trump administration banned the high-power gun attachments of the type used in last year's Las Vegas shooting massacre of 58 people, giving the owners of 'bump stocks' 90 days to turn in or destroy the devices, according to a report by Reuters. President Donald Trump's Republican Party typically supports gun ownership, and its … [Read more...]
New Jersey Takes Action With Ammunition Ban
Instead of asking for “thoughts and prayers,” many Americans, instead, are demanding action—action to help stop the epidemic of mass shootings resulting in death and destruction in our country. Hardly a day goes by without hearing or reading about another shooting in which multiple victims lie dead or seriously wounded. Victims and survivors of … [Read more...]
