The state legislators of New York approved this Friday a law that restricts the use of weapons in public spaces in response to the decision that the supreme court took last week in which he endorsed that weapons can be carried in public throughout the country.
The new rule limits the carrying of weapons in “sensitive” places such as theaters, parks, stadiums, spaces where children gather, care centers, zoos, universities, health centers, nursing homes, shelters for victims of domestic violence, houses of worship, hospitals and the subway, among others.
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Also in private properties such as bars, restaurants or residencesunless the property owner expressly permits firearms with a sign.
Both the state Senate and the Legislative Assembly have approved this law, although with the opposition of the Republican representatives.
Both chambers met this Friday in Albany, seat of the central government, after the call made by the governor Kathy Hochul, who assured that she hopes to sign the law “as soon as possible”.
With its decision last week, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a century-old New York ban on displaying firearms in public.
The case arose from a lawsuit filed by two individuals, Robert Nash and Brandon Koch, and the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association.
The prosecution sued the state of New York for prohibiting the carrying of firearms in public, despite the fact that it allows its residents to carry them concealed in the street with a special authorization if they allege a specific need for self-defense.
Immediately, the governor described the decision as “outrageous” at a time when the country is facing a wave of violence by firearms, and announced the intention to convene an extraordinary session.
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The measures voted on today by the Democratic-majority state legislature also include new conditions for obtaining a permit for a firearm, including the requirement of 16 hours of training in handling the weapon and two hours of training in a shooting range, notes The New York Times.
They also establish new requirements for the storage of the weapon in homes and vehicles and penalties of up to four years in prison for violating the measures.
