Washington– the supreme court It seemed likely to hit Hawaii restrictions on carrying guns into stores on Tuesday in the latest firearms case the justices have taken since their landmark decision expanding Second Amendment rights.
The Trump administration has supported challenges to the law that prohibits carrying weapons in places such as malls and hotels unless the property owner specifically allows it. It is sometimes referred to as the “Vampire Rule” due to its permission requirements.
Hawaii said the measure is intended to ensure that private owners have the right to decide whether they want it or not Firearms on their property.
The conservative justices who make up the court’s majority appeared deeply skeptical of the state’s argument, questioning whether Hawaii could create similar rules restricting First Amendment rights of expression on private property.
“You’re just relegating the Second Amendment to second-class status,” Justice Samuel Alito said.
Very few people had permits to carry concealed weapons in Hawaii before a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that found that the Second Amendment generally gives people the right to possess firearms in public. The state has awarded thousands since then, said attorney Neil Katyal.
Four other states have enacted similar laws, although presumptive restrictions on firearms on private property are banned in places like New York.
If the court issues the measure, Hawaii business owners could take their own steps to prevent people from bringing in guns. The outcome would not affect other state restrictions on guns in places such as parks, beaches and restaurants that serve alcohol.
The case came to court after it was challenged by a gun rights group and three people from Maui. A judge initially blocked it, but the Court of Appeal allowed it to be implemented.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue its decision by late June.
The justices are hearing another gun case this semester, on whether that is the case People who regularly use marijuana And other drugs can legally possess weapons.
In recent years, judges have overturned a federal ban on gun accessories called bump stocks from Trump’s first term. However, they supported regulations on ghost weapons imposed under former President Joe Biden, as well as a federal gun law aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence.