Lawsuits Fly Over Gun Shop Closure Orders

guns.com ^ | March 27, 2020 | Chis Eger

[PROCON]

Second Amendment groups and gun stores are joining forces and lawyering up to remain open in the face of state and local orders to close up shop.

While governors in several states from coast to coast– such as Illinois, Lousiana, and Mississippi– have recognized gun and ammo suppliers as “essential” during the COVID-19 quarantine, allowing them to remain open without question, some have gone the other way.

In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is the subject of a federal lawsuit filed by the Second Amendment Foundation to keep the Garden State’s gun shops open to the public. Federal District Judge Michael A. Shipp has so far declined to issue an injunction in the matter and has asked for briefs from both the state and SAF at the end of next week.

In Delaware, officials backpedaled from closing gun shops, which pro-gun groups say was the right thing to do.

“This is a great win for Delaware gun owners and the right to keep and bear arms,” said SAF founder and Alan Gottlieb in a statement emailed to Guns.com. “After we sued New Jersey, our threatened lawsuit against Delaware, in which we were partnering with our friends at the National Rifle Association and Firearms Policy Coalition played a key role in bringing about this change of heart.”

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) at first left FFLs off the list of “essential” businesses allowed to remain open, triggering legal action and a split decision by the state Supreme Court weighed in the Governor’s favor. However, Wolf’s office quietly amended his executive order this week to include gun shops on his greenlighted list.

In Texas, state Rep. Dustin Burrows has asked the Texas Attorney General’s office to weigh in on local area gun store closing edicts as a violation...

[PROCON]

Washington state's Governor has also determined gun stores to be non-essential, however in E. Washington state, (red counties), my local gun store has stayed open, defying the order by saying, "We provide essential services to our law enforcement, armed security and general public."

They have however, modified their operations in order to comply with social distancing, etc.

All local LEO jurisdictions here are staunch 2nd Amendment supporters.

[PROCON]

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[KC_Lion]

For your interest.

[gibsonguy]

This goes much longer and further you might see a lot challenges and not just on 2nd A infringements. Which makes me nervous because I don’t trust the current SC one bit.

[Dacula]

First, they came for the Frist Amendment

Then they come for the Second Amendment

First amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;

or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,

and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

[Dacula]

Never surrender your rights. EVER.

[SuperLuminal]

"On every occasion [of Constitutional interpretation] let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying [to force] what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, [instead let us] conform to the probable one in which it was passed."
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, 12 June 1823

"The Constitution of most of our states (and of the United States) assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed."
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to to John Cartwright, 5 June 1824

[RitchieAprile]

however pot stores are essential.

[SkyDancer]

Well we have all we need in both departments.

[cableguymn]

and the 14th

[Reno89519]

So, can we anticipate the federal government joining these lawsuits against these folks closing essential businesses?