The nation's highest court stayed above the fray of the gun control debate after it declined to hear appeals from New York State gun owners.
The court didn't comment on the case, Kachalsky v. Cacace, which came about as a result of the state's concealed-and-carry laws. Five Westchester County residents had their applications for unrestricted concealed permits rejected after the clerk's office said that they had failed to show a need for self-protection outside of their home.
New York State penal law allows local authorities to grant concealed handgun permits at their own discretion.
The Kachalsky case is unrelated to the package of gun control reform legislation that Gov. Andrew Cuomo in January, parts of which come into effect today — including the ban on magazines for semi-automatic guns used for home protection that have more than seven bullets. The New York Post reported that the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association will file for a preliminary injunction against the Cuomo-backed law with the US District Court.
Concealed handgun permits remain central to the ongoing debate in Washington D.C. as Congress mulls over the latest bipartisan gun control proposal. Sen. Chuck Schumer has already spoken out strongly against one amendment proposed in the compromise that would force New York to recognize permitted gun owners from across state lines.
"Any New York criminal could go down to Florida, buy guns and then carry them here in New York," Schumer said during a press event at his Manhattan office on Sunday. "This legislation could change Times Square into the O.K. Corral."
The U.S. Senate voted last week to allow debate on proposed gun control legistion, and Schumer — who has a zero percent rating from the National Rifle Association — said senators could begin to vote on bills as early as Tuesday.