Gun Rights

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down New Jersey’s recent ban on “assault weapons.” This is the first time a Federal Appeals Court has directly ruled against any state’s “assault weapons” ban.

3rd Circuit strikes down New Jersey’s assault weapons ban on AR-15s – Michigan Lawyers Weekly
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The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on July 17 ruled that New Jersey’s assault-weapons law barring possession of semiautomatic rifles like AR-15s and large capacity magazines containing more than 10 rounds of ammunition is unconstitutional.

The ruling marked the first time a federal appeals court had found that a state’s assault weapons ban violated the Second Amendment.

That issue is already in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed last month to review rulings that had upheld similar bans adopted in Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut against powerful semiautomatic rifles. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority.

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Permitless carry is the law, to some degree or another, in 29 states. In the South, only Virginia and North Carolina still require permits. Virginia is a state that swings harder than a screen door in a tornado, but North Carolina tends to be a little better than that.

Earlier this year, they passed permitless carry. The state’s Democratic governor, unsurprisingly, vetoed it. Now, they’re using their power to balance the authority of the executive branch to overturn that.

Gun safety advocates gathered last week to highlight the threat of constitutional carry ahead of a potential veto override of Senate Bill 50 from the state legislature, a bill allowing concealed carry without permits.

Senate Bill 50 would allow North Carolinians above the age of 18 to carry concealed, loaded handguns without a permit, a change from the current system that requires background checks, safety training, and live-fire training.

Democratic Gov. Josh Stein vetoed the measure on June 20. But when the Senate returned to Raleigh in July, lawmakers overrode Stein’s veto.

In order to override a veto, three-fifths of each chamber must approve.

Now, it’s all up to the House, where Republicans are one vote short of a supermajority. With legislators coming back to town on Tuesday, SB 50 remains on the calendar and it’s possible the lower chamber will take up the bill if Republicans think the votes are there to override Stein’s veto.

On Friday, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence and concerned community members spoke at Strategic Tactics Of Protection LLC (STOP) against the bill.

“More people will die in NC if the House overrides Gov. Stein’s veto. The Senate already has,” Becky Ceartas, executive director of North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, said. “We cannot let this happen. Too much is at stake. Lives are on the line.”