According to the Washington Times, a D.C. Council committee has recommended just slight changes to the new regulation, such as adding houses of worship to the places where concealed carry is presumed to be prohibited, unless otherwise advertised. In addition, the board which hears appeals on denied concealed carry permits will now include two members that have experience handling firearms.
In July, U.S. District Court Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. struck down the city’s decades-long ban on carrying firearms in public, which prompted D.C. officials to draft new legislation in order to comply with the ruling, the Times reported. As of Monday, a spokesman for the DC Metropolitan Police Department said 38 people have applied for permits thus far. None have been approved.
As the Times notes, the biggest issue with D.C.’s concealed carry law is the fact that applicants have to have a “specific need” for carrying a gun.
Attorney Alan Gura, who represented the gun owners who sued the city over the ban, said the law is overly restrictive to the point where it is in violation of Judge Schullin’s orders. He thinks the city should be held in contempt and forced to draft new legislation.
“If they’re going to spend time doing anything, they should make the law relevant to people who might want to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” Gura said of the recent changes to the law.
The judge is currently considering the contempt charge.
Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com
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