March 24, 2014: The Supreme Court of Delaware recently ruled that the Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA) cannot set limits on residents’ rights to carry guns in common areas of public housing. In prohibiting such restrictions, the Court noted that placing restrictions on which areas of the public housing residents can possess a firearm conflicts with the state right to bear arms granted by Article 1, Section 20 of the Delaware Constitution. A copy of the Delaware Supreme Court decision is available here.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court decision which held that Hawaii anti-carry statutes which provide that licenses to carry are only issued in “exceptional” cases did not implicate the Second Amendment. In finding that the district court erred by rejecting the plaintiff’s Second Amendment challenges to the statutes, the Ninth Circuit reiterated that the Second Amendment provides a responsible, law-abiding citizen with a right to carry a handgun outside the home for self-defense. A copy of the Ninth Circuit decision can be found here.
In Georgia, pro-firearms bill HB60, finally passed both houses late last Thursday night, and now awaits the Governor’s signature. Among other things, the bill (1) eliminates fingerprinting for renewal of carry permits; (2) prohibits the state from maintaining a database of carry permit holders; (3) lowers the age to obtain a concealed carry permit from 21 to 18 for active duty military, with specific training; (4) permits the use of sound suppressors while hunting; and (5) eliminates state-required firearms dealer licenses and allows dealers to operate with only a FFL.