Concealed weapons ruling spotlights Calif.’s role in gun debate
By Maura Dolan and Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times
A federal appeals court ruling that gave gun control advocates a major victory Thursday underscored California’s rising importance as a center of legal and political battles over guns.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided in a 7-4 ruling that California counties may restrict permits for carrying concealed firearms in public. That decision overturned a 2014 ruling that prompted some California counties to relax their rules.
“It should not be minimized how big a victory this was for gun control advocates,” said UCLA law Professor Adam Winkler. “Not only does it affirm the constitutionality of restrictive conceal-carry laws in California’s major cities, it also makes it less likely the Supreme Court will step in.”