On Monday the Supreme court overturned a ruling that upheld Chicago’s 28-year ban on handguns. This is a victory for gun-rights activists.
The 5-4 vote upheld the Second Amendment right to extend to city, state and federal laws. As we previously reported, this ruling comes a few days after the Chicago mayor Richard Daley vowed to reinforce Chicago’s ban on handguns, a ban that had been placed in the city since 1982.
Proponents of gun rights have targeted Chicago’s handgun ban as a test of the strength and extent of the Second Amendment. They are now likely to press their victory in federal courts across the US, seeking repeal of a range of gun-control measures.
In response to the ruling, Chicago mayor Richard Daley said he was planning to hold an emergency council meeting to assess how the city could move forward with other gun-control measures. Chicago already requires owners of rifles and shotguns to register them.
City authorities say those regulations could also be extended to handguns.
Since the Supreme Court’s decision did not specifically reject the handgun ban in Chicago, the measure will remain in place until a lower court rules on the issue.
