Newsom Blasts Supreme Court’s Concealed Carry Ruling

Sacramento, CA – A defiant Governor Gavin Newsom spoke out against this morning’s Supreme Court ruling, striking down a 1913 New York law that restricted who could obtain a permit to carry a gun in public.

Newsom criticized the decision, stating, “While this reckless decision erases a commonsense gun safety law that existed for decades, California anticipated this moment. Our Administration has been working closely with the Attorney General and the legislature for months. Our state is ready with a bill that will be heard next week to update and strengthen our public-carry law and make it consistent with the Supreme Court ruling, just as Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kavanaugh said states like California are free to do.”

Newsom went on to call the ruling “a radical decision.” He noted, “Today’s Court thinks that gun regulations should be frozen in time and that if there wasn’t a similar law in existence in the 1700s or 1800s, then a state can’t pass it now, no matter how important it is to protect people from the modern horror of gun violence.”

Under the New York law, residents needed to show proper cause, or an actual need, to carry a concealed handgun in public for self-defense. The justices said that the law conflicts with the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms. That has left half a dozen states, like California, with similar laws to figure out their next steps.

“Our state will continue to lead in the fight to keep our people safe. Next week, I will have 16 new gun safety bills on my desk, including a bill that will allow individuals to sue gun makers and distributors for violating certain gun laws. I look forward to signing all of those bills,” advised Newsom.

He praised the state for proven, common-sense gun laws that save lives, stating, “We will continue to stand up to those in political power who enable and coddle the gun industry.”

Gun rights groups have vowed to continue pushing back against what they view as restrictive gun control laws.