The U.S. Supreme Court decided Monday to keep an important gun-rights case on its docket despite attempts by both New York City and the powers that be in the Empire State to avoid its review by rewriting the local ordinance and changing a state statute. The case, NYSRPA, et al. v. the City of New York, et al., focuses on a New York City ordinance that severely restricted gun owners’ rights to transport their firearms. The NRA is supporting the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association in the lawsuit.
Without a U.S. Supreme Court ruling preventing it, New York City could attempt to re-enact similar statutes later, as could other cities attempting to restrict the Second Amendment-protected rights of gun owners.
The NRA applauds the court’s decision to reject New York City’s attempts to derail the case:
“This case presents a national opportunity to confirm a simple truth that New York City politicians refuse to accept: Our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms is fundamental, and it doesn’t vanish when we exit our homes,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Jason Ouimet.
New York City already has some of the most extensive gun laws in the country. The ordinance sparking this U.S. Supreme Court review originally prevented gun owners from transporting firearms, even unloaded, anywhere outside the city limits—including to a second home or a shooting range. To avoid the U.S. Supreme Court review, New York state legislators changed state law to allow additional limited options for transport and the City has attempted more than once to have the case removed from the high court’s docket, saying that changes to the ordinance and state law rendered the case “moot.” Five Democratic Senators also filed a “friend-of-the-court” brief Aug. 12 urging the Supreme Court not to hear the case or “face restructuring.” This was followed by a letter from all 53 Republican Senators urging the court to ignore the threat.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments in the case starting in December.
