Supreme Court Gun Ruling 'Frightful In Its Scope': Hochul

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Reaction in New York was swift to the United States Supreme Court decision Thursday that New York's limit on who can carry concealed weapons was unconstitutional.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was prepared to call the legislature back into session to deal with the issue.

"Everyone wants a little bit of time to digest this," she said, "but I will say we are not powerless in this situation. We're not going to cede our right that easily."

Calling it "frightful in its scope," Hochul said the ruling is sending the state backward in being able to protect families and prevent gun violence.

"And it's particularly painful that this came down at this moment," she said. "We are still dealing with families in pain from mass shootings that have occurred; the loss of life of their beloved children and grandchildren."

SEE ALSO: New York Gun Law Overturned By U.S. Supreme Court In Major Ruling

The 6-3 decision was written by Justice Clarence Thomas and ruled that the state's restrictions violate the Second Amendment.

The New York law required anyone seeking to carry a gun outside their home to undergo an extensive review process and prove they have an extra need to do so, such as working as a security guard or someone who has been threatened.

New York was one of seven states that imposed limits on handgun carrying permits.

According to the state attorney general's office, in March 2019, the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association and two individuals, who had been denied a license, sued New York in the U.S. District Court, claiming that New York’s concealed carry law infringed upon their Second Amendment rights. The Office of the Attorney General successfully defended the law, and the lawsuit was dismissed in March 2018 and then again affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The plaintiffs then petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case, which was argued in November 2021.

Hochul said the law that was ruled unconstitutional had been in place since the early 1900s, and there were special use classifications that have been allowed for more than 100 years.

"Shocking, absolutely shocking that they have taken away our right to have reasonable restrictions," she said. "We can have restrictions on speech. You can't yell fire in a crowded theater, but somehow there's no restrictions allowed on the second amendment."

New York Attorney General Letitia James called the ruling "incredibly disappointing."

She said, for more than a century, the law protected New Yorkers from harm by ensuring there were reasonable and appropriate regulations for guns in public spaces.

"In the days to come, my office will be taking action to address the potential harm that this ruling may cause," James said, "and we will continue to defend the constitutionality of our state's laws, as we've always done."

She said the decision will not deter the state from standing up to the gun lobby and its repeated efforts to endanger New Yorkers.

"I vow to use the full force of my office to protect New Yorkers and American families," James said.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, said the ruling was not only irresponsible, but was dangerous.

She said the nation was in the midst of a gun violence epidemic and the court has made it easier for potentially dangerous people to carry concealed handguns in public spaces.

"We need to act and we need to act now," Gillibrand said. "And Congress must move swiftly to pass comprehensive gun safety legislation and ensure only those who are trained and trustworthy are allowed to carry loaded firearms."

State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, D-Bronx-Westchester, who is running against Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney in the Democratic primary for Congressional District 17, said the GOP has been transparent in their desire to have a conservative-majority Supreme Court.

"Democrats can no longer be resistant to using their fullest power," she wrote on Twitter. "Expand the Supreme Court."

Maloney, D-Cold Spring, said on Twitter that "Even Justice Scalia recognized that there are commonsense limitations on the 2nd amendment. This decision is a dangerous, radical interpretation of the Constitution that will make our communities less safe."

Sen. Shelly B. Mayer, D-Yonkers, said she was saddened and deeply disappointed by the decision and stands ready to return to Albany to do everything in her power to protect New Yorkers from gun violence.

"How many times must we ask when enough is enough?" she said in a prepared statement. "Now is not the time to ease our laws and make it easier for people to carry guns in public places."

Former Westchester County executive Rob Astorino, who is running for governor in the Republican primary, called the ruling "terrific news."

He said law-abiding New Yorkers who pass proper background checks will not be allowed to carry a concealed firearm for personal protection.

"The current system that allowed judges to arbitrarily decide who gets a permit and who doesn't was unconstitutional," Astorino said. "The Supreme Court got it right."