U.S. Supreme Court rejects another bid to temporarily block New York state gun law

For the second time in 30 days, the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a bid from gun dealers to temporarily block New York’s new concealed-weapons statute from being enforced while ongoing lawsuits proceed, officials announced Tuesday.

Last month, Justice Sonia Sotomayor denied a request to issue a “stay,” or put on hold, a concealed-weapons statute adopted by state lawmakers in 2022. Her decision came one day before one aspect of the new law took effect: Requiring background checks for ammunition purchases.

Gun dealers, who have filed a lawsuit seeking to have the concealed-weapons law tossed altogether, then sought a do-over.

They resubmitted their request for a stay through Justice Clarence Thomas — the most conservative judge on the bench — who brought it before the full nine-member court.

In a one-sentence order released Tuesday, the court said: “The application for stay addressed to Justice Thomas and referred to the Court is denied.”

At issue is the state’s rewritten concealed-weapons law.

In summer 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled New York’s then-law violated the 2nd Amendment because, in part, it was too vague and subjective about license qualifications. Among other things, the law required a person to show a specific need for obtaining a license to carry a gun outside the home.

In response, New York lawmakers quickly adopted a new law that mandated objective requirements such as completing 18 hours of training.

And it banned guns from dozens of “sensitive places,” including government buildings and churches; airports, train stations and bus terminals; nursery schools, summer camps and child care facilities, as well as Times Square in Manhattan.

The new law sparked at least 10 ongoing lawsuits, including one that was the subject of Tuesday’s court decision. But, for now, the state still can enforce the law and its provisions while the cases continue.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who backed the new concealed-weapons law, hailed Tuesday’s decision, saying: "The United States Supreme Court has sided with common sense, denying the application for emergency relief that would have temporarily dismantled New York's nation-leading gun safety laws.”

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy