Sotomayor's Nunchuks Ruling Worries Gun Groups

Man convicted for carrying gun without permit

(NEWSER) - The Supreme Court has opted not to hear a case on the right to carry a gun outside the home, Reuters reports. Maryland’s top court upheld a state law requiring a permit to carry a handgun outside of home; the federal justices’ refusal of the case means the state’s decision stands. In 2008, justices ruled that the Second Amendment allowed the use of guns at home for lawful purposes. More»

Fear of backlash keeps Dems timid on 2nd amendment

(NEWSER) - Gun-rights advocates who feared that the Obama presidency would mean the end of the Second Amendment have instead found the political climate surprisingly friendly, the Washington Independent reports. The Supreme Court and state legislatures alike have awarded victories to pro-gun forces, and federal lawmakers are wary of rocking the boat. Even though Democrats hold majorities, members of Congress remember the powerful right-wing backlash President Clinton's gun control efforts fueled. More»

Or at least, with parts of it

(NEWSER) - Today the Supreme Court heard the final arguments in the case over Arizona's controversial immigration law, and it's not looking good for the Obama administration. Justices seemed decidedly skeptical about the Justice Department's central argument that the law impinged on the federal government's power to control immigration, the Washington Post reports. "What could possibly be wrong," John Roberts asked, with having police check detainees' immigration status, and pass the information to the federal government? More»

Most seem inclined to let parts of it stand

(NEWSER) - If the individual mandate is deemed unconstitutional , should the rest of President Obama's health care reform die with it? Supreme Court justices wrestled with that question today in the third and final day of arguments, with the challengers' lead attorney stating his case simply: “If the individual mandate is unconstitutional, then the rest of the act cannot stand," said Paul D. Clement. That got a mixed reaction, reports the Washington Post and New York Times :

• Antonin Scalia: He sounded sympathetic. “My approach would be to say that if you take the heart out of this statute, the statute’s gone.”
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg: She disagreed. “There are so many things in this act that are unquestionably OK,” she said. If the choice is between "a wrecking operation and a salvage job, a more conservative approach would be a salvage job."

Handgun permit system unconstitutional, judge decides

(NEWSER) - Maryland has no right to demand that residents explain why they need to carry a gun outside the home, a federal judge ruled yesterday, declaring the state's handgun permit system unconstitutional. The law required residents to provide a "good and substantial reason” to carry a gun, but "the right to bear arms is not limited to the home," the judge decided, saying that Maryland had created a rationing system by trying to limit the number of firearms outside homes. More»