On Fri. the New York State Senate approved legislation banning concealed weapons from "sensitive locations" including Times Square and public transport, as well as venues such as schools, poll sites and places of worship. The bill comes into place at the start of September.
Pistol permit seekers will also have to disclose information of their social media accounts from the previous three years, sit an in-person interview with a licensing officer, and have at least 16 hours of firearm training under the legislation.
While pro-gun advocates will likely challenge this legislation in court, there is bipartisan confidence that the language of the state's new bill will hold up against legal scrutiny and successfully protect the lives of New Yorkers in light of extreme recent gun violence in the US.
Despite justice Clarence Thomas warning that gun rights were not a "second class right," New York legislation has undermined the Second Amendment and relegated it to the status of a third-class right. The Supreme Court must take action against the clear dismissal of its recent rulings by the state of New York.