Governor Kathy Hochul Working on New Gun Legislation

Last week, Governor Kathy Hochul announced an emergency state legislative session in the wake of the United States Supreme Court's ruling on concealed carry gun laws in New York. After the Supreme Court made it easier for New Yorkers to carry guns on them at all times, Governor Hochul needed to find a different way to fight back against gun violence.

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According to an AP report by Marina Villeneuve, Governor Hochul's solution is to ban people in New York from carrying firearms into businesses unless that business has signage that explicitly welcomes concealed carry weapons. She said "We're going to protect the rights of private property owners allow them to not have to be subjected to someone walking into their workplace or a bar, restaurant with a concealed weapon."

While it doesn't outright ban concealed carry, which isn't possible anymore thanks to the Supreme Court decision, it essentially turns carrying a weapon outside the home into a huge inconvenience for residents. With the wording of the proposal, every business in the state would be a no-gun zone until they explicitly put up a sign noting that they would welcome guns. Some businesses will of course, but many businesses will not want guns in their stores or restaurants and many more simply won't care enough either way to actively welcome guns.

Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature are also planning on enacting a number of other gun restrictions, including banning guns from places like hospitals and government buildings, requiring a 15 hour training period for new gun owners, and new rules for how New Yorkers will be required to store their guns.

The exact details and language have yet to be worked out, but this is a concrete step for Governor Hochul in combatting gun violence following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision.